Welcome

Hadoti Tourism Development Society

South-east Region of Rajasthan is known as Hadoti, - the land of the Hadas. Hada Rajputs are a major branch of the Chauhan Agnikula (fire dynasty) Rajputs. They had settled in the hilly terrain of Mewar, at Bambaoda, near Bijolian in the 12C. Bundi was conquered in 1241 by Rao Deva Singh from the Meena tribe. This was the first step in the establishment of Hadaoti, when the Hadas moved down from the ‘Pathar’ around Bambaoda.

Bundi takes its name from the Bando Naal or the narrow passage, between the rugged hills. The town of Bundi is nestled in the cleft of the hills and has a special medieval flavor quite untouched by time. Prince Jait Singh of Bundi captured Kota in 1264 , and Kota became a part of Bundi as the Jaghir (land grant) of the eldest prince of Bundi. Kota became a separate state in 1624. The state of Jhalawar was formed in 1838 out of Kota territory.

The domain of the Bundi and Kota Hadas extended from the hills of Bundi in the west to the Malwa Plateau in the east. With a similar expanse to the north and to the south. Hadaoti is an expanse of fertile plains having rich black-cotton soil. It is watered by several rivers giving it a verdant look. The largest and the only perennial river of Rajasthan is the River Chambal. It rises in the south and flows north to Kota. At Kota the river turns east to join the River Jamuna beyond Agra.

River Chambal is a very ancient river which finds mention in the Upanishads and this is also evident from the great 60 mile (96km) long gorge it has cut through the rock in its relentless flow through the millennia. It has several tributaries, the chief ones being the River Kalisind, River Parvan and the River Parvati.

The Aravalli Hills are the most ancient folded mountain range in India. They rise near Mt. Abu in south of Rajasthan. One arm crosses Bundi in a south to north direction, while another arm cuts across Kota from the southwest, roughly separating the plains of Hadoti from those of the Malwa Plateau. These hills and the surrounding areas were once thickly forested and teemed with wildlife including tiger, for which Hadoti was once famous. Scenes of hunting in Hadoti have been captured in the beautiful miniature paintings of the Kota ‘kalam’ (school).

Hadoti has been the abode of early man as is clearly evident from several well-preserved upper Paleolithic period cave paintings dating back to 20,000 B.C. Legend links it to the epic periods of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Being a fertile and prosperous area, it was the ancient battleground between invaders like the Hoons (Huns) and the Sakas (Scythians) and the entrenched empires of ancient India like the Imperial Guptas and Harsha Vardhana.

During the medieval period Hadoti attracted the attention of practically every powerful monarch of Delhi. For this region was one of the keys to the gates of the rich kingdoms of Gujarat and Malwa. Scores of beautiful temples sculpted in stone are spread over for miles in the wilderness of Hadoti.

Hadoti Tourism Development Society (HTDS) was formed on September 27, 2005 for promoting of Tourism in Hadoti with the help & support of The Department of Tourism, Govt. of Rajasthan at Kota. We the Member’s of Hadoti Tourism Development Society wish to welcome all visitors to the Hadoti Region of South East Rajasthan - i.e. Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, & Baran Districts.