Thar Desert or Great Indian Desert, extensive region of sandy desert in northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. The desert is bounded on the northwest by the Sutlej River, on the east by the Arâvalli Range, on the south by the salt marsh known as the Rann of Kutch, and on the west by the Indus Valley. The largest part of the desert is located in Râjasthân State, India. The Thar Desert is about 805 km (about 500 mi) long and about 485 km (about 300 mi) wide. The terrain consists mainly of rolling sandhills, among which are found scattered growths of shrub and rock outcroppings. The altitude ranges from about 457 m (about 1500 ft) in the lower reaches of the Arâvallis to about 61 m (about 200 ft) near the Rann of Kutch. Rainfall is sparse, averaging from 127 to 254 mm (5 to 10 in) annually, and temperatures rise as high as 52.8° C (127° F) in July. A large irrigation and power project has reclaimed areas of the northern and western desert for agriculture. The small population is mostly pastoral, and hide and wool industries are prominent. In 1974 India detonated its first nuclear device here.
This site is dedicated to Punjabi Language and India.