Kota, located 240 km (149 mi) south of state capital, Jaipur is a popular city of Rajasthan. Situated on the banks of Chambal River, Kota is the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] largest city of the state after Jaipur and Jodhpur. An amazing combination of the splendid medieval age and modern age, the city retain the past glory with the presence of impressive forts, magnificent palaces and marvelous temples dating back over several centuries. The present day structure of the city and huge industries have made it the industrial heartland of Rajasthan. The city is the trade centre for an area in which millet, wheat, rice, pulses, coriander and oilseeds are grown. Kota is often referred to as the Education City as it is widely regarded in entire country as the best place to getting coaching for Pre Engineering, Pre IIT and Pre Medical exams. Geography and Climate Located at 25.18°N 75.83°E, Kota covers an area of 318 km[SUP]2[/SUP]. Bounded by Sawai Madhopur, Tonk and Bundi districts, the city is situated at an average elevation of 271 metres (889 ft). Kota is situated at the center of the southeastern region of Rajasthan, widely known as Hadoti, the land of the Hadas. It lies along the banks of the Chambal River on a high sloping tableland forming a part of the Malwa Plateau. The Mokandarra hills run from southeast to northwest of the city. Kota features a semi arid climate with high temperatures throughout the year. Summers are long, hot and dry with maximum temperature that ranges from 32 °C to 45 °C. The summer starts from the month of March until end of June. Monsoon season starts from July and lasts till September and during this time the city gets adequate rain, although the weather remains humid and temperate. The city has a very short winter season from October to February. The weather remains cold and temperature ranges between 8 [SUP]0[/SUP]C to 31 [SUP]0[/SUP]C. The best time to visit Kota is during the winter season as the weather remains comparatively pleasant. Demographics As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Kota in 2011 is 1,001,365; of which male and female are 529,795 and 471,570, respectively. In education section, total literates in Kota city are 738,795 of which 422,767 are males while 316,028 are females. Average literacy rate of Kota city is 83.65 % of which male and female literacy was 90.56 and 75.90 %. The sex ratio of Kota city is 890 per 1000 males. History of Kota The history of the city dates back to the 12th century AD when the Hada clan, a Chauhan Rajput chieftain, Rao Deva, conquered the territory and founded Bundi and Hadoti. Later, in the early 17th century, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, the ruler of Bundi - Rao Ratan Singh, gave the smaller principality of Kota to his son, Madho Singh. Since then Kota became a hallmark of the Rajput gallantry and culture. Once the part of the erstwhile Rajput kingdom of Bundi. It was in 1624 that Mughal emperor Jehangir partitioned Bundi and made Kota an independent state. In 1631, Kota was handed over to Rao Madho Singh who was the son of Rao Ratan Singh by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. This in turn transformed Kota into an independent state of Rajasthan. Maharao Bhim Singh had a significant contribution towards the historic enrichment of Kota who formed Mansabs of five thousand in the place. Since Kota had been under the rule of several powerful dynasties in the past, the cultural arena and the social scenario of the place reflects the glorious past. Tourist Places in Kota Also known as the power house of Rajasthan, Kota is one of the major cities that attract the tourists from different parts of the country. Since it is popular for housing some of the best coaching institutes for Pre Engineering, Pre Medical and Pre IIT exams several students visit the city every year. Besides being a major educational hub, the city also houses several places of tourist interest. Some of these are: Chambal Garden Maharao Madho Singh Museum Kota Barrage The Government Museum Jag Mandir Godavari Dham Temple Agamgarh Saheb Gurudwara Adhar Shila Chambal River Ghariyal Reservoir Godavari Dham Mandir Garh Palace Umed Bhavan Palace Brijraj Bhavan Palace Bheetariya Kund Pahadajhar Mahadev Water Fall Gapernath Badoli Temples Jawahar Sagar Dam Hadoti Traffic Garden Chambal Garden Tirupati Balaji Temple Khare Ganesha Temple Karneshwar Kala Khet Kshar Bagh Bhanvarkunj Transportation Kota is well connected by railway and roadways. National highway No.12 and National Highway No.76 passes through the district. National Highway No.76 is a part of East-West Corridor. There are two major bus terminals Rajasthan roadways bus stands in Ramchandrapura Kota, Inter-state bus terminal at DCM road and Rawatbhata Bus Stand at Ghode Wale Baba Crossing. Kota Junction is one of the divisions in West Central Railway. Another suburban station of South Kota city is Dakaniya Talav Railway station which has a stoppage of Avadh Express, Dehradun Express and Ranthambore Express. Although there is an Airport in Kota, it is not operational but often used for VIPs and charter planes. The closest airports are at Jaipur Sanganer (240Km), Udaipur (284Km), Indore (320 Km) and Delhi IGI (484Km).
