District Magistrate / Collector
Chinmayee Gopal
Know Your District
Barmer
Thar-border district with Kiradu heritage, minerals and oil
Last verified: 2026-05-05
Barmer district lies in south-west Rajasthan between 24 58' and 26 32' north latitudes and 70 05' and 72 52' east longitudes, and the District Census Handbook described much of it as part of the Thar Desert. Census 2011 recorded 2,603,751 people and a 28,387 sq km area, placing Barmer 7th by population and 3rd by area among Rajasthan districts in that handbook. Its exam profile combines the Pakistan border, Kiradu and Juna Barmer heritage, Kasheedakari ODOP, mineral industries and the Barmer-Sanchor petroliferous basin.
District at a Glance
| Population, 2011 | 2,603,751 people: 1,369,022 males and 1,234,729 females. |
|---|---|
| Area | 28,387 sq km, described by the District Census Handbook as Rajasthan's third-largest district by area after Jaisalmer and Bikaner. |
| Population density, 2011 | 92 persons per sq km. |
| Sex ratio, 2011 | 902 females per 1,000 males; rural sex ratio 902 and urban sex ratio 899. |
| Literacy, 2011 | 56.53 percent overall; male literacy 70.86 percent and female literacy 40.63 percent. |
| Villages, 2011 | 2,460 villages, of which 2,452 were inhabited and 8 were uninhabited. |
| Towns, 2011 | 2 statutory towns, 2 census towns and 4 total towns. |
| International boundary | 227.5 km of district boundary with Pakistan according to the District Census Handbook. |
| Administrative setup, 2011 | 8 sub-divisions and 8 Panchayat Samitis or blocks. |
| ODOP product | Rajasthan's ODOP list identified Barmer's district product as Kasheedakari as of 25-07-2025. |
| Nutrition profile, 2019 | The 2022 district nutrition profile put Barmer's projected 2019 under-five child population at 397,616. |
District Administration
Current officeholders — sourced from public records.
Additional District Magistrate / Additional Collector
Rajendra Singh Chandawat
Superintendent of Police
Chuna Ram Jat
District and Sessions Judge
Ajitabh Acharya
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Ummeda Ram Beniwal
Barmer
Indian National CongressSince 2024
Member of Legislative Assembly
Ravindra Singh Bhati
Shiv
IndependentSince 2023
Member of Legislative Assembly
Priyanka Chowdhary
Barmer
Independent
Member of Legislative Assembly
Krishan Kumar K.K. Vishnoi
Gudhamalani
Bharatiya Janata Party
Member of Legislative Assembly
Adu Ram Meghwal
Chohtan (SC)
Bharatiya Janata Party
History — Ancient → Medieval → Modern
District Formation
Barmer district was formed as a separate district after Jodhpur State merged into the United States of Greater Rajasthan in 1949.
Bahada Rao Founder
The name Barmer is linked to Bahada Rao, also called Bar Rao, who is said to have founded the headquarters town in the 13th century.
Kiradu Site
The District Census Handbook identifies Kiradu near Hathma as a historical site about 33 km northwest of Barmer.
Kiradu Inscription
An 1161 AD inscription at Kiradu says the place was called Kiratkoop and had once been the capital of the Panwars.
Juna Inscription
At Juna or Juna Barmer, a 1295 AD inscription on the largest Jain temple mentions Maharajkula Sri Samanta Sinhadeva ruling at Bahadamera.
Virampur Settlement
Nagar Mewa was formerly called Virampur, and the District Census Handbook says it was built in the 12th or 13th century.
Art, Culture, Heritage & Tourism
Temple Circuit
Rajasthan Foundation lists 406 total temples in Barmer and names tourism entries including Barmer Fort and Garh Temple, Kiradu Temples, Rani Bhatiyani Temple and Shri Nakoda Jain Temple.
Kiradu Inscriptions
Kiradu has five temples, and the District Census Handbook notes 1161 AD inscriptions on temple pillars there.
Kiradu Carvings
Kiradu temple carvings depict stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.
Kiradu Temple Group
Among Kiradu's five old temples, four are dedicated to Shiva and one to Vishnu; the biggest is Someshwar and the Vaishnava shrine is the oldest.
Barmer Fort Temple
Barmer town stands by a rocky hill with remains of an old fort on its summit and a temple dedicated to Balarikh, the Sun.
Nakora Parasvanath
Nagar Mewa has three Jain temples and one Vishnu temple; its oldest and biggest temple is Nakora Parasvanath.
Tilwara Cattle Fair
The Tilwara Cattle Fair is described as Barmer district's only major cattle fair and is held at Tilwara in the bed of the Luni River.
Nakora Fair
The Nakora Parasvanath fair at Nagar Mewa is held every year on Posh Budi 10 and mainly draws Jain participants.
Barmer Heritage Sites
Rajasthan Foundation names Chintamani Parasnath Jain Temple, Devka Sun Temple, Handicrafts of Barmer, Juna Fort and Temple, Mahabar Sand Dunes Barmer, Safed Akhara and Vishnu Temple among Barmer tourism entries.
Handicraft Clusters
The MSME profile lists Barmer artisan clusters for handblock printing, leather juti, handloom, cloth, wooden furniture, mitti ke bartan and patchwork on cloth, with products such as carved furniture, shawls, bedsheets, durries, blankets, sarees and scarves.
Geography, Climate & Ecology
South-Western Location
Barmer district is situated in south-west Rajasthan between 24 58' and 26 32' north latitudes and 70 05' and 72 52' east longitudes.
District Area
The District Census Handbook gave Barmer district an area of 28,387 sq km and described it as the third-largest district of Rajasthan by area after Jaisalmer and Bikaner.
International Boundary
Barmer shared 227.5 km of district boundary with Pakistan according to the District Census Handbook.
Thar Desert
The District Census Handbook described much of Barmer as a vast sand-covered tract forming part of the Thar Desert.
Agro-Climatic Zone
Barmer is included in Rajasthan's Arid Western Plain (I-A) agro-climatic zone along with Jodhpur, Phalodi and Balotra.
Economy — Sectors, Industry, Energy
Workforce Profile
The Census 2011 District Census Handbook reports Barmer's total workforce as 12,02,482, including 7,41,367 main workers and 4,61,115 marginal workers.
Agro Industries
Rajasthan Foundation identifies Barmer's agro-based industrial opportunities as flour mills, dal mills, isabgol processing and guar seed processing.
Mineral Industries
Rajasthan Foundation lists gypsum fiber board, bentonite grinding, activated bleaching earth, sand-lime bricks, sodium silicate, stone crushing, granite cutting-polishing-tiles and salt units among Barmer's mineral-based industrial opportunities.
Demand Industries
Rajasthan Foundation lists water pumps, iron casting, ACC pipes and fittings, agricultural implements, cattle feed, cement articles, dyeing and printing, handloom, tailoring, confectionery items, refrigeration and tin containers as demand-based industries for Barmer.
Mineral Resources
The MSME industrial profile says Barmer has industrially significant non-metallic minerals including gypsum, selenite, bentonite, fuller's earth, variegated clay, lignite, siliceous earth, vermiculite, silica sand, volcanic ash and granite.
Gypsum Production
The MSME profile says gypsum in Barmer was being mined from five mines producing 1.00 million tonnes and accounting for about 12 percent of Rajasthan's total gypsum production.
Bentonite Reserves
The MSME profile reports bentonite mining near Hathi-Singh-Ki-Dhani, Akli, Thumbli, Harvecha, Sheo, Sonari, Bisala, Bhadka and Mahabar, with Geological Survey of India reserves estimated at 40 million tons.
Lignite Tract
The MSME profile places Barmer's lignite tract between Kapuradi and Badhka village, about 18 km north of Barmer town, and gives total reserves as 344.35 million tons for a mineral usable in power generation.
Pachpadra Salt
The MSME profile says Pachpadra salt mines in Barmer's Pachpadra tehsil produce salt over an area of about 52 sq km, with further salt-area possibilities being explored in Chohtan, Sheo and Siwana tehsils.
Cultivated Area
The MSME profile lists Barmer's total cultivated area as 2,817,332 hectares, double-cropped area as 98,262 hectares, and main crops as Wheat, Gaur, Til, Moth, Moong, Bajara and Isbgul.
ODOP Kasheedakari
As of 25-07-2025, Rajasthan's ODOP list identified Barmer's district product as Kasheedakari.
Crop Pattern
The Arid Western Plain (I-A) zone covering Barmer lists bajra, moth and sesamum as major kharif crops and wheat, mustard and cumin seed as major rabi crops.
Petroleum Basin
The Barmer-Sanchor petroliferous basin covers Barmer, part of Jalore and Balotra districts.
Natural Gas
Net natural gas production from Barmer is reported at around 1.90-2.20 MMSCM per day.
Crude Oil Output
During 2025-26 up to December, Cairn India Limited produced 22.51 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil from the Barmer-Sanchore Basin.
MSME Units
The MSME industrial profile listed 2,925 registered MSME units in Barmer and 16,946 employment in MSME units.
Artisan Units
The MSME industrial profile listed 4,516 registered artisan units in Barmer, with 17,332 employment in artisan units and Rs. 3,913.59 lakh investment.
Political & Administrative Setup
Jodhpur Division
Barmer district was one of the six districts under Jodhpur division in the 2011 District Census Handbook administrative setup.
Administrative Subdivisions
The 2011 administrative setup listed Barmer district with 8 sub-divisions.
Panchayat Samitis
For Panchayati Raj rural development schemes, Barmer district was divided into 8 Panchayat Samitis or blocks.
Gram Panchayats
The 2011 Panchayat Samiti table for Barmer district listed 385 gram panchayats.
Governance Initiatives & Schemes (2025-26)
PMFME ODOP Scale
The PMFME scheme adopts the ODOP approach to build scale in input procurement, common services and product marketing.
Value Chain Support
Under PMFME, ODOP provides the framework for value-chain development and alignment of support infrastructure.
Micro Unit Support
Under PMFME, preference for capital investment support goes to existing individual micro-units producing ODOP products.
Bajra Mission
In 2025-26, Barmer was among 28 Rajasthan districts included for bajra under the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission.
Dhan-Dhanya Yojana
Barmer was one of the Rajasthan districts selected under the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana for aspirational agricultural districts.
PYQ One-Liners (RAS / RPSC / RSSB)
Verify exact options from official RPSC / RSSB question papers before any examination use.
PYQ one-liners for Barmer 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
According to the District Census Handbook, Barmer became a separate district after which 1949 event?
Frequently asked questions
How did Barmer get its name?
The name Barmer is linked to Bahada Rao, also called Bar Rao, who is said to have founded the headquarters town in the 13th century.
What is Barmer's position in Rajasthan by area?
The District Census Handbook gave Barmer an area of 28,387 sq km and described it as Rajasthan's third-largest district by area after Jaisalmer and Bikaner.
Why is Kiradu important in Barmer's history?
An 1161 AD inscription at Kiradu says the place was called Kiratkoop and had once been the capital of the Panwars.
Which major cattle fair is associated with Barmer?
The Tilwara Cattle Fair is described as Barmer district's only major cattle fair and is held at Tilwara in the bed of the Luni River.
What is Barmer's ODOP product?
As of 25-07-2025, Rajasthan's ODOP list identified Barmer's district product as Kasheedakari.
Which petroleum basin covers Barmer?
The Barmer-Sanchor petroliferous basin covers Barmer, part of Jalore and Balotra districts.