Bahadamer

Bahadamer, later known as Barmer, lies in the dry country of western Rajasthan. Tradition attributes its foundation to Bahada Rao in the thirteenth century, and the name recalls his hill fort. The settlement became a centre of the Mallani region, later part of the Rathore state of Marwar. Sand, rocky hills and sparse vegetation surround the town, where water storage and livestock have long shaped life on the desert margin.