Vagad Foundation
Samant Singh is described as perhaps the real founder of the Bagar or Vagad state after occupying it around 1176 A.D.
Know Your District
Banswara
Vagad's Mahi-dam district with a major Scheduled Tribe profile
Last verified: 2026-05-05
Banswara lies on Rajasthan's southern boundary in the Vagad region, with the Mahi River system shaping its geography. The district is associated with the Mahi Dam and is described in the census handbook as the city of hundred islands because the Mahi has many islands. Its 2011 profile combines a 76.38 percent Scheduled Tribe population share with agriculture, marble, yarn and other industrial activity.
District at a Glance
| Area, 2011 | 4,522.00 sq. km. |
|---|---|
| Population, 2011 | 1,797,485 people: 907,754 males and 889,731 females. |
| Rural-urban split, 2011 | 1,669,864 rural residents and 127,621 urban residents. |
| Population density, 2011 | 398 persons per sq. km. |
| Literacy, 2011 | 829,343 literates, with an overall literacy rate of 56.33 percent. |
| Scheduled Tribe share, 2011 | 1,372,999 Scheduled Tribe residents, forming 76.38 percent of the district population. |
| Mahi Dam role | A multi-purpose project producing hydro-electric power, supporting irrigation and helping control floods. |
History — Ancient → Medieval → Modern
Sarwaniya Coin Hoard
A hoard of silver coins dated to 181-353 A.D. was unearthed at Sarwaniya village in Banswara district.
Paramara Capital
The Paramaras ruled Vagad with their capital at Utthunaka, identified with modern Arthuna.
Jagmal Singh Accession
The DCHB records that the Bhil chieftain Bansia was defeated and killed by Jagmal Singh, who became the first Maharaval of the Banswara princely state.
Praja Mandal
A Praja Mandal organization was formed at Banswara in 1945 to seek responsible government under the ruler and demand administrative and other reforms.
Greater Rajasthan Merger
In 1949, Banswara State and the Kushalgarh chiefship merged into the United State of Greater Rajasthan, and Banswara was carved out as a separate district.
Art, Culture, Heritage & Tourism
Talwara Stone Art
Talwara's Murtikala cluster manufactures stone art murti through the Stone Art Sompura Society and had 61 functional units with employment of 61.
Marble Craft Cluster
The prospective marble-products cluster in Banswara covers tiles and slabs, with 52 functional units, employment of 569 and average plant-and-machinery investment of 1,372 lakh.
Adiwasi Fair Culture
The DCHB links Banswara's Adiwasi fair culture to Baneshwar Fair in nearby Dungarpur and notes Saturday fairs at Arthuna Hanumanji, where Bhils dance and sing during the Holi fair.
Baneshwar Fair
For traditional Adiwasi fairs, Banswara district residents go to Baneshwar Fair in nearby Dungarpur, whose gathering mainly comes from Dungarpur, Udaipur, Banswara and other parts of Rajasthan.
Holi Bhil Dance
During the Holi fair, Bhils dance and sing, taking rounds around a big tree in traditional Adiwasi dress and ornaments.
Bhil Music
Bhil musical instruments in Banswara are listed as flute, dhol, thali, majira, dholok, mridang, tabla, harmonium and sarangi.
Festival Calendar
The chief festivals of Banswara district include Sheetla Ashtami, Navratra, Gangaur, Akha Teej, Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra and Deepawali.
Geography, Climate & Ecology
Southern Location
Banswara district is on Rajasthan's southern boundary and is located between about 23 11' and 23 56' latitude and 73 58' to 74 49' longitude.
Interstate Boundaries
Banswara is bounded by Pratapgarh district to the north-east, Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh to the east, Dungarpur district to the west and north-west, Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh to the south-east, and Dahod district of Gujarat to the south and south-west.
Rugged Terrain
The DCHB describes Banswara's physiography as rugged terrain with short ridges west of Banswara and flat-topped Deccan Trap hills in the eastern part of the district.
Mahi River System
The Mahi River rises in Madhya Pradesh, flows through Rajasthan's Vagad region into Gujarat, and then drains into the Arabian Sea; the DCHB also places Mahi Dam near Banswara.
Teak Forests
Banswara's forests are mainly teak-bearing dry deciduous forests on Aravalli slopes and undulating terrain, while forest cover has largely disappeared from the plains.
Economy — Sectors, Industry, Energy
Industrial Areas
RIICO listed five industrial areas in Banswara: Peepalwa, Thikariya, Kushalgarh, Partapur and Ghatol; Thikariya had 226.00 hectares developed and 255 units in production, while Peepalwa had 118.27 hectares developed and 109 units in production.
Industry Snapshot
The industrial-at-a-glance table for Banswara lists 3,958 total industrial units, 8 registered medium and large units, 11,651 workers in small-scale industries and 16,179 workers in large and medium industries.
Enterprise Mix
Among Banswara's micro and small enterprise categories, wood products had 1,109 units and 2,030 jobs, while basic metal industry had 392 units and 2,740 jobs.
Large Industries
The 31 March 2016 large-industry table for Banswara records running units in textiles, cement, marble flooring and distillery products.
Export Items
Banswara's major exportable items are recorded as yarn, marble slabs and tiles.
District Income
For 2024-25, Banswara's provisional GDDP is listed as Rs. 28,897 crore at current prices and Rs. 14,868 crore at constant 2011-12 prices; per capita income is Rs. 120,686 at current prices and Rs. 61,034 at constant prices.
MSME Clusters
The DCHB cluster table records Murti Kala at Talwada with 65 MSMEs and 65 employees, Bamboo at Malikeda with 325 MSMEs and 325 employees, and Tile and Slab at Banswara with 52 MSMEs and 570 employees.
Mineral Deposits
The DCHB says Banswara was Rajasthan's only district with significant deposits of graphite and manganese, with graphitic bands extending about 35 km between Banswara and Ghatol.
Cultivable Land
For 2010-11, Banswara's land-use table reported 299,405 hectares of culturable land, 332,192 hectares of gross area sown, 225,704 hectares of net area sown, and 99,309 hectares of gross irrigated area.
Major Crops
In the 2010-11 crop table, maize covered 144,715 hectares with production of 298,984 tonnes, while wheat covered 86,052 hectares with production of 176,322 tonnes.
Industrial Profile
The DCHB describes Banswara as a mostly tribal and industrially backward district in southern Rajasthan where yarn, cloth and marble industries were functioning in 2010-11.
Industrial Clusters
Banswara's listed industrial clusters included a Murti Kala cluster at Talwada with 65 MSMEs, a bamboo cluster at Malikeda with 325 MSMEs, and a tile and slab cluster at Banswara with 52 MSMEs.
Enterprise Filings
Banswara recorded 281 MSME entrepreneur memoranda in 2007-08, 248 in 2008-09, 245 in 2009-10 and 257 in 2010-11.
Trade Imports
The trade description for Banswara lists imports as metals, medicines, sugar and oil.
Political & Administrative Setup
District Administration
The 2011 DCHB describes Banswara district as one of the six districts under Udaipur division, with district administration headed by the District Collector and District Magistrate.
Administrative Subdivisions
The 2011 DCHB describes Banswara district as having 5 sub-divisions, each headed by a Sub-divisional Officer or Magistrate.
Ghatol MLA
In the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly results, Ghatol was constituency 162 and was reserved for Scheduled Tribes; Nanalal Ninama of INC won with 88,335 total votes.
Garhi MLA
In the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly results, Garhi was constituency 163 and was reserved for Scheduled Tribes; Kailash Chandra Meena of BJP won with 87,607 total votes.
Banswara MLA
In the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly results, Banswara was constituency 164 and was reserved for Scheduled Tribes; Arjun Singh Bamaniya of INC won with 93,017 total votes.
Bagidora MLA
In the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly results, Bagidora was constituency 165 and was reserved for Scheduled Tribes; Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya of INC won with 101,742 total votes.
Kushalgarh MLA
In the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly results, Kushalgarh was constituency 166 and was reserved for Scheduled Tribes; Ramila Khadiya of INC won with 97,480 total votes.
Lok Sabha Electors
In the 2024 General Election detailed results, constituency 20 Banswara had 2,200,607 total electors.
Lok Sabha Winner
Raj Kumar Roat of BHRTADVSIP won the 2024 Banswara Lok Sabha result with 820,831 total votes.
Runner-up Votes
Mahendrajeetsingh Malviya of BJP secured 573,777 total votes in the 2024 Banswara Lok Sabha result.
Governance Initiatives & Schemes (2025-26)
ODOP Export Plan
Rajasthan's ODOP implementation components include identifying export-potential products and services, preparing District Export Action Plans, and constituting District Export Promotion Committees and State Level Export Promotion Committees.
Urban Infrastructure
RUIDP Phase III drainage works in Banswara are reported as completed, while RUIDP Phase IV Tranche-I includes Banswara among cities with sewerage and water-supply works.
Mahi Power Project
Under the Mahi Hydraulic project, three powerhouses generated 140,965 kilowatts in Banswara district in 2010-11, and 1,370 villages had been electrified by the end of 2011.
Mahi Irrigation Project
Under the Mahi Bajaj Sagar Project, various dams and canals were built over the Mahi river in Banswara.
PYQ One-Liners (RAS / RPSC / RSSB)
Verify exact options from official RPSC / RSSB question papers before any examination use.
PYQ one-liners for Banswara are coming soon.
Test yourself — 10 questions
A quick self-check drawn from the district reference above. Bilingual, no login required.
Question 1 of 10
In the 2011 District Census Handbook administrative description, how many Panchayat Samitis was Banswara district divided into for rural development?
Frequently asked questions
Why is Banswara called Banswara?
The district is named after Banswara town; one explanation links the name to Bansia or Vasna, a Bhil chieftain, while another links it to the abundance of bamboos or bans around the place.
What are the Mahi Dam and Kagdi Pikup noted for in Banswara?
The DCHB describes the Mahi Dam and Kagdi Pikup as having a picturesque fountain garden worth seeing.
What is noted about Arthuna in Banswara district?
Arthuna is described as having the oldest Hanumanji temple, with every Saturday observed as a fair day there.
Which religious site is highlighted for Banswara district?
Among Banswara district temples of religious and historical importance, the DCHB identifies Tripura Sundri temple as the famous one and also notes many churches in the district.