Geography
Shekhawati is in a desert area of Rajasthan and has special importance in the history of India.
The natural climatic conditions in the region are very harsh and extreme. The temperature ranges from below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter to more than 50 °C (122 °F) in summer. The summer brings hot waves of air called loo. Annual rainfall is at around 450 to 600 mm. The groundwater is as deep as 200 feet (60 m), and in some places, the groundwater is hard and salty. The people in the region depend on rainwater harvesting. The harvested rainwater from the monsoon season (during July and August) is stored in pucca tanks and used throughout the year for drinking purposes. Bawdis and johads are traditionally constructed for storing rainfall in this arid region of Rajasthan. The bawdi is constructed in such a design that it is wide at the top and gets narrower at the bottom. The water stored in it is cool and used for drinking purposes. On average, every third year is drier than usual, and every eighth year the region experiences famine. The famine of 1899 is considered to have been the most severe. During famine years it becomes very difficult for animals to survive, and the cattle population declines drastically.
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