District Magistrate / Collector
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu
Bhilwara district
Know Your District
Bhilwara
Textile city with Bagor archaeology and Phad traditions
Last verified: 2026-05-06
Bhilwara district is under Ajmer division and had a 2011 Census population of 2,408,523. Its history reaches back to Bagor, described as one of India's richest lithic sites, with an earlier phase dated to 5000 BC-2800 BC. The district is better known as a textile city, while Shahpura is identified as a centre of Phad painting.
District at a Glance
| 2011 Census population | had a 2011 Census population of 2,408,523. |
|---|---|
| 2011 male and female population | had 1,220,736 males and 1,187,787 females in the 2011 Census. |
| Area | covered 10,455 square kilometres according to the 2011 Census area figures. |
| Population density | had a population density of 230 persons per square kilometre in 2011. |
| Sex ratio | had a sex ratio of 973 females per 1,000 males in the 2011 Census. |
| Child sex ratio | had a child sex ratio of 928 in the 0-6 age group in 2011. |
District Administration
Current officeholders — sourced from public records.
Additional District Magistrate
Ranjeet Singh
Bhilwara district
Superintendent of Police
Dharmendra Singh
Bhilwara district
District and Sessions Judge
Abhay Jain
Bhilwara Judgeship
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Damodar Agarwal
Bhilwara Lok Sabha constituency
Bharatiya Janata PartySince 2024
Member of Legislative Assembly
Ashok Kumar Kothari
Bhilwara Assembly constituency
IndependentSince 2023
Member of Legislative Assembly
Jabbar Singh Sankhala
Asind Assembly constituency
Bharatiya Janata PartySince 2023
Mayor
Rakesh Pathak
Bhilwara Municipal Corporation
History — Ancient → Medieval → Modern
Bagor Stone Age
Excavations at Bagor revealed a Stone Age culture with an earlier phase dated to 5000 BC-2800 BC.
Bagor Lithic Site
Bagor is described in the District Census Handbook as one of India's richest lithic sites.
Riverbed Mounds
Proto-historic mounds in Bhilwara district occur on old river beds of the Kothari and Khari.
Protohistoric Sites
Agoocha in Hurda tehsil, Ojayana in Asind tehsil and Hurda are listed as notable proto-historic sites.
Nandsa Yupa
The Nandsa Yupa Stambha records the performance of a Sasthiratra sacrifice in the 3rd century AD.
Bijoliya Inscription
The rock inscription at Bijoliya is described as an important Gupta-period epigraph.
Early Temples
Bhilwara district has old temples dating from the 9th to 12th centuries AD.
Medieval Temple Art
Medieval temples at Bijoliya, Tilaswan, Dhor, Menal and Mandalgarh are cited for art and architecture.
Bhil Settlement
One traditional explanation says Bhilwara was named because the area was mostly inhabited by Bhils in old days.
Bhiladi Coins
Another explanation links the name Bhilwara to coins called Bhiladi minted in present Bhilwara city.
Bhiladi Mint
The Bhiladi mint in Bhilwara city was closed in 1870.
Rajput Kingdoms
In ancient times Bhilwara district was part of Guhil and Chauhan Rajput kingdoms.
District Formation
Bhilwara district came into existence in 1949 after the merger of Mewar State, Shahpura Thikana, Mandalgarh and associated chiefships.
Defence Chowkis
Mandalgarh, Mandal, Pur and Sanganer served as defence chowkis during Mughal attacks.
Art, Culture, Heritage & Tourism
Old Temples
Bhilwara district is rich in old temples dating from the 9th to 12th centuries AD.
Temple Architecture
The medieval temples at Bijoliya, Tilaswan, Dhor, Menal and Mandalgarh are cited as examples of art and architecture.
Phad Centre
Shahpura in Bhilwara is identified as a centre of Phad painting.
Folk Hero Scrolls
Phad paintings are long cloth paintings depicting folk heroes.
Handmade Colours
Natural handmade colours are used in Phad paintings.
Wall Painting
Wall versions of the paintings are called patt chitrakari.
Phad Artists
The DCHB names Lal Joshi and Badri Lal Joshi as famous artists of this art.
Bahrupiya Swang
Bahrupiya and Swang art involve one person performing multiple get-ups and roles on special occasions.
Swang Performer
Janki Lal Bhand is named as a globally known performer of Bahrupiya and Swang art.
Music Institution
Sangeet Kala Kendra was established on 2 October 1953 in Bhilwara.
Classical Music
Sangeet Kala Kendra aims to revive, preserve and develop Indian classical music.
Lakh Bangles
Traditional Lakhara families make lakh bangles in Bhilwara.
Mozri Craft
Artistic leather shoes called mozri are made at many places in Bhilwara.
Wooden Toys
Jahazpur is noted for wooden toy craft.
Local Fairs
Popular fairs listed for Bhilwara include Sawai Bhoj Mela at Asind and Phool Dol Mela at Shahpura.
Geography, Climate & Ecology
Open Plains
Bhilwara district has a north and south-western open plain with intermittent hillocks.
Undulating Terrain
The south and north-eastern portions of Bhilwara district have undulating lands and hills.
Aravalli Ranges
Aravalli ranges intersect Bhilwara district at several places.
Mandalgarh Hills
Many Aravalli hill areas in Bhilwara district lie in Mandalgarh tehsil.
Upermal Plateau
The Bijoliya-Mandalgarh region is known as Upermal because it lies on a plateau.
Daragarh Hillock
A hillock near Banera village, Daragarh, is recorded at 581 metres.
Gangapur High Point
The highest hillock listed in the DCHB is 689 metres south of Gangapur.
River Network
The important rivers of Bhilwara district include the Banas and its tributaries Berach, Kothari and Khari.
Minor Rivers
Other small rivers listed for Bhilwara include Mansi, Menali, Chandrabhaga, Mez, Aeru and Nagota.
Banas Entry
The Banas enters Bhilwara district near Duriya village in Bhilwara tehsil.
Banas Course
The Banas flows north and then north-east along the western side of Jahazpur tehsil before entering Tonk district.
Natural Lakes
The DCHB records no natural lake in Bhilwara district.
Man-made Lakes
Nahar Sagar, Ummed Sagar, Mandal, Guria, Paten, Govta, Nagdepaten, Arjungarh and Karera are listed as man-made lakes.
Dry Climate
Bhilwara district has a dry climate with large temperature variations and scanty rainfall.
Forest Belts
Forest areas in Bhilwara district are mainly in Jahazpur, Mandalgarh and Bijoliya tehsils.
Economy — Sectors, Industry, Energy
Agrarian Economy
Bhilwara district economy is described as mainly dependent on agriculture.
Textile City
Bhilwara has emerged as the Textile City of Rajasthan.
Textile Identity
Bhilwara is described as better known as the textile city in the country.
Mineral District
Bhilwara district is an important mineral district of the country.
Mica Mining
Bhilwara district was a leading mica mining centre producing about 70 percent of Rajasthan's mica.
Mica Reserves
Bhilwara district had an estimated mica reserve of 6.30 lakh tons.
Mining Centres
Mica mining centres in Bhilwara include Bhanas and Pratapura in Asind tehsil and Danta in Bhilwara tehsil.
Building Stone
Building stone locally called Balua is mined at Mandalgarh.
Stone Slabs
Bijoliya is noted for stone slabs used in building construction.
Soapstone Deposits
Soapstone in Bhilwara district is associated with dolomitic limestone at Chainpura, Bagwasa and Kishangarh.
Granite Deposits
Granite deposits have been discovered in Asind, Raipur and Mandal tehsils.
Granite Plants
Eighteen granite tile plants were recorded at Bhilwara, Gangapur and Badnor.
Limestone Reserves
Good limestone reserves are recorded around Mandalgarh in Bhilwara district.
Political & Administrative Setup
Lok Sabha Result
Bhilwara Lok Sabha constituency elected Damodar Agarwal of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2024.
Final Result Sheet
The 2024 Form 20 result is for election to the House of the People from 23-Bhilwara Parliamentary constituency.
Asind Constituency
Asind is Assembly constituency number 177 in Bhilwara district.
Asind Representative
Jabbar Singh Sankhala represents Asind in the 16th Rajasthan Assembly as a BJP member.
Mandal Representative
Mandal is represented in the 16th Rajasthan Assembly by Udai Lal Bhadana of the BJP.
Bhilwara Representative
Bhilwara Assembly constituency is represented by Ashok Kumar Kothari as an Independent member.
Sahada Representative
Sahada is represented in the 16th Rajasthan Assembly by Ladu Lal Pitliya of the BJP.
Shahpura Representative
Shahpura (SC) is represented in the 16th Rajasthan Assembly by Lalaram Bairwa of the BJP.
Jahazpur Representative
Jahazpur is represented in the 16th Rajasthan Assembly by Gopi Chand Meena of the BJP.
Mandalgarh Representative
Mandalgarh is represented in the 16th Rajasthan Assembly by Gopal Lal Sharma of the BJP.
Statutory Towns
Bhilwara had seven statutory towns in the 2011 DCHB: Asind, Bhilwara, Gangapur, Gulabpura, Jahazpur, Mandalgarh and Shahpura.
Governance Initiatives & Schemes (2025-26)
Tap Water Access
Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide a functional household tap connection to every rural household.
Rural Water Norm
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, the rural service level target is 55 litres per capita per day.
Cost Sharing
Government of Rajasthan and Government of India share Jal Jeevan Mission project cost in a 50:50 ratio.
Chambal Package
PHED lists a sanctioned Jal Jeevan Mission surface-water scheme named Chambal Bhilwara Package II.
Water Supply Project
PHED records the Chambal-Bhilwara Water Supply project Phase II for Bhilwara district under Jal Jeevan Mission.
PYQ One-Liners (RAS / RPSC / RSSB)
Verify exact options from official RPSC / RSSB question papers before any examination use.
RPSC कॉलेज व्याख्याता चित्रकला-1 2016
Q. Rajasthan folk paintings are especially identified with the Phad paintings of which place?
A. Shahpura
RSSB स्नातक समान पात्रता परीक्षा 2022
Q. Which local deity and main pilgrimage pair in the paper included Devnarayan Ji with Asind in Bhilwara?
A. Devnarayan Ji - Asind
RSSB कनिष्ठ लेखाकार 2023 प्रश्नपत्र-1
Q. In the matching question, Meja Dam Pariyojana was associated with which district?
A. Bhilwara
RSSB कनिष्ठ लेखाकार 2023 प्रश्नपत्र-1
Q. In the matching entries, Moral Dam Pariyojana was listed with which district?
A. Bhilwara
Test yourself — 10 questions
A quick self-check drawn from the district reference above. Bilingual, no login required.
Question 1 of 8
Which district is known as the Textile City of Rajasthan?
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bhilwara called Bhilwara?
One tradition links the name to old Bhil habitation; another links it to Bhiladi coins minted in the city.
What is Bhilwara best known for?
The DCHB says Bhilwara is better known as the textile city in the country.
Which major rivers flow in Bhilwara district?
The Banas, Berach, Kothari and Khari are listed as important rivers.
Does Bhilwara district have natural lakes?
The DCHB states that there is no natural lake in the district.
Where is the centre of Phad painting in Bhilwara district?
The DCHB identifies Shahpura in Bhilwara as the centre of this art.
When was modern Bhilwara district constituted?
The DCHB states that the district came into existence in 1949.