CHAPTER 4

THE GREAT INDIAN DESERT

 • Also known as THAR
DESERT
THE • Located in the NORTH
WESTERN part of India.
GREAT
• Major part lies in
INDIAN RAJASTHAN.
DESERT • A part lies in
PUNJAB, PAKISTHAN, GUJ
ARAT and HARYANA.
 BORDERS

• West- INDUS RIVER PLAINS

• South- RANN OF KUTCH
• South-east- ARAVALLI RANGE
• North- PUNJAB PLAINS
• North-east- PUNJAB PLAINS
 Desert has undulating surface with
high and low sand dunes.

Winds move the sand dunes.

PHYSICAL
Dunes are in continuous motion
FEATURES and take different shapes and
sizes.

Sand dunes may rise to 500

feet high.
 SOIL
• Soil is not fertile.
• Due to WIND EROSION, soil is
blown away with the sand.
• DUST STORMS are common,
especially in the month of MAY
and JUNE.
WIND EROSION
 DUST
STORM

• DUST STORMS
are common in
the month of
MAY and JUNE.
 CLIMATE
• Region experiences EXTREME CLIMATE
• SACNTY RAINFALL
• Days are very hot and the nights are
very cold.
• Hottest months are MAY and JUNE. (
temperature rises up to 50° C)
• Coldest month is
JANUARY (temperature varies from 4°C-
10°C)
 VEGETATION
• Vegetation mostly
consists of herbs,
small plants and
thorny bushes.
• Hardy trees can be
seen.
• KHEJRI TREE
grows here.
 Khejri tree

• Hardy trees that grow

in desert region.
 • THE GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD
• BLACKBUCKS
• CHITAL DEER
• NILGAI
WILDLIFE • PARTRIDGES
• QUAIL
• GAZELLE
• DUCK
• GEESE
• HARDY CAMEL
NILGAI GAZELLE QUAIL

BLACKBUCKS
PARTRIDGES
CHITAL DEER
 ENDANGERED
SPECIES

• The Great Indian Bustard

CAMELS
Also called as 'THE
SHIP OF THE
DESERT'.

Camels do not sweat.

They have
PADDED FEET, so they
can walk on the
sand easily.
 USES OF CAMELS
• To carry loads.
• Pull carts
• Plough the fields.
• In the border areas, camels are used by the
armed forces for patrolling and guarding
the international boundary.
• People also domesticate camel for milk.
 They reside in the rural areas.
PEOPLE
They engaged in animal rearing

People are NOMADS.

They keep moving from one place to

another in search of food and water.

They belong to BANJARA COMMUNITY.

 • Sindhi
Languages • Marwari
spoken • Rajasthani
• Hindi
 OCCUPATION
• AGICULTURE is the main occupation.
(where water is available)
• Crops grown are: JOWAR, BAJRA,
WHEAT, MILLETS.
• CATTLES are reared for milk.
• SHEEPS are reared for wool.
 Natural resource- GRASS

• GRASSES form the

main natural
resource of the
desert. They provide
nutrition to the
animals and are also
used for making
medicines, oils and
soaps.
 WATER
• There is scarcity of water.
• Water from seasonal rainfall is
collected in tanks and reservoirs and is
used for drinking and domestic purposes.
• The groundwater is brackish and saline
and is unfit for drinking.
• CANALS are the important source of
water supply.
DEAR STUDENTS,
DO NOT WASTE WATER
 CANAL IN THAR DESERT
• INDIRA GANDHI CANAL
 RAJASTHAN
• Known as 'THE DESERT STATE OF
INDIA'.
• Because 70% of the state is covered by
desert.
• Capital- JAIPUR.
• Rajasthan means 'ABODE OF THE
RAJAS
 MAJOR RIVERS

CHAMBAL BANAS

BANGANGA LUNI
 • JAIPUR
• JODHPUR
• KOTA
• BIKANER
MAJOR • AJMER
CITIES • UDAIPUR
• ALWAR
• BARMER
• JAISALMER
AJMER KOTA

JAISALMER
MUSICAL
CHANG
FORMS
BHOPA
 • GHOOMAR- famous dance
performed by women.
Dance • GEER
Forms • PANIHARI
• KACHHI GHODI
• KHYAL
 GEER PANIHARI

KACHHI GHODI KHYAL

 MINERALS FOUND
RAJASTHAN is an important producer of
GEMSTONES like EMERALDS and
GARNETS.
Minerals found- LEAD, ZINC,GYPSUM,
SILVER ORE.

MARBLE, GRANITE and DHOLPUR

STONE are in abundance.
 • Sariska National Park in Alwar
• Desert National Park in
Jaisalmer
• Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Ajmer
TOURISM • Sam and Khuri Sand Dunes in
Jaisalmer
• Lake palace in Udaipur
• Amer Palace in Jaipur
• Bharatpur National Park
• Painted town of Shekawati
Sam and Khuri Sand Dunes in Jaisalmer
Lake palace in Udaipur
Amber fort in Jaipur
Bharatpur National
Pa
Painted town of Shekawati
 ECONOMY
• AGRICULTURE is the main
occupation.
• TOURISM also helps to earn good
revenue.
• Rajasthan is the major wool producing
state of India.
• COTTON and TOBOCCO are
the 2 important cash crops.
 TRADITIONAL
DRESS (WOMEN)

Ghagra with a
Ghagra-Choli long blouse and
and Odhani Odhni called
Poshak.
 DHOTIS

TRADITIONAL COLOURFUL
DRESS (MEN) TURBANS

KURTAS
 Textiles, Minerals, Wool,
Vegetable oil, Chemicals are
manufactured in Rajasthan.

INDUSTRIES
Handicrafts with marble
inlay work, jewellery,
pottery, brass work and
puppets (KATHPUTLI) are
very famous all over the
world.
jewellery
Puppets (kathputli)
POTTERY WORKS
FESTIVALS OF • GANGAUR
RAJASTHAN • TEEJ
• HOLI
• DIWALI
• EID
• PUSHKAR
FESTIVAL
TEEJ
GANGAUR
 It is a form of mixed religious
PUSHKAR festival and livestock fair.
FESTIVAL Farmers come here to sell their
cattle and camels