Laxmangarh

Laxmangarh (Hindi: लक्ष्मणगढ़,Rajasthani: लिछमगढ़) is a town in Sikar district of Rajasthan state in India. It is the sub-divisional headquarters of the Laxmangarh sub-division in Sikar district. It is also the Tehsil headquarters of the Laxmangarh Tehsil. Laxmangarh is also Panchayat samiti headquarters of the Laxmangarh Panchayat samiti in the district. It is situated on National Highway-11 at a distance of 24 km from Sikar in north.

History

Laxman Singh of Sikar constructed the Laxmangarh Fort in 1862 AD, and around it he established the present Laxmangarh town, which was founded in 1864 AD.

Laxman Singh of Sikar Thikana planned it nearly 200 years ago under the Shekhawati region of erstwhile ]. The reigning kingdom of jaipur had many thikanas and was one of them. The jagirdars of these thikanas were called Rao Rajas and Laxman Singh happened to be the Rao Raja of Sikar and founder of Laxmangarh.

Most recently, Laxmangarh has been of public curiosity due to its place in modern literature. The fictional character Balram Halwai from the bestselling novel The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga came from a village by the same name, but it isn't be the same village, because the book is actually set in the Gaya District in the vicinity of Bodh Gaya in the state of Bihar.

Laxman Singh

Sir Lakshman Singh KCSI GCIE (7 March 1908 – 6 June 1989) was the last ruling Maharawal (Maharaja) of the princely state of Dungarpur from 1918 to 1989, a former MP in the Rajya Sabha and speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from July 1977 to June 1979.

Early life

Maharawal Sir Lakshman Singh was born on 7 March 1908 at Udai Villas, Dungarpur, the eldest son and heir apparent of Maharawal Sir Bijaya Singh of the princely state of Dungarpur. He was the elder brother of Nagendra Singh, later the President of the International Court of Justice. He succeeded to the throne in 1918 at the age of 10 following the death of his father, ruling under the regency of the Dungarpur political agent until he came of age in 1928.

Political career

From 1931 to 1947, Lakshman Singh was a member of the standing committee of the Chamber of Princes, and was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in the 1935 King's Birthday and Silver Jubilee Honours. On 14 August 1947, he was appointed as the last Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE). Following Independence, he established an interim legislature for Dungarpur, then with his fellow rulers formed the United State of Rajasthan on 25 March 1948. The following year, this became the Greater Rajasthan Union to which Dungarpur acceeded on 30 March. From 1952 to 1958, Sir Lakshman served as an MP for Aspur in the Rajya Sabha, then became President of the Swatantra Party in Rajasthan from 1961 to 1969. From 1962 until his death, he also served as President of the All-India Kshatriya Mahasabha and as an MLC for Chittor in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, serving as speaker from 1977 to 1979; he also served as the leader of the Opposition from 1962 to 1979.

Laxmangarh Fort

Laxmangarh Fort (Hindi: लक्ष्मणगढ़ किला) is a ruined old fort on a hill in the town Laxmangarh of Sikar district of Indian state Rajasthan. Situated 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Sikar, it was built by Rao Raja of Sikar, Laxman Singh in 1862, who also founded a village in his own name as Laxmangarh in 1864.

The most imposing building in this Laxmangarh town is its small fortress (owned by the Jhunjhunwala Family) which looms over the well laid out township on its west side. Laxman Singh, the Raja of Sikar, built the fort in the early 19th century after Kan Singh Saledhi besieged the prosperous town. The fort of Laxmangarh is a unique piece of fort architecture in the whole world because the structure is built upon scattered pieces of huge rocks.

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