Pokhran

Pokhran is a village and a municipality located in the Jaisalmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a remote location in the Thar Desert region and served as the test site for India's first underground nuclear weapon, ballistic missiles.

This article is about the town. For the 1974 nuclear tests, see Pokhran-I. For the 1998 nuclear tests, see Pokhran-II.

Pokhran
City
Pokhran Fort
Pokhran
Pokhran
Coordinates: 26.92°N 71.92°E / 26.92; 71.92
State India
StateRajasthan
DistrictJaisalmer
Elevation
233 m (764 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total28,457
Languages
 • OfficialHindi
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)

Geography

Surrounded by rocks, sand and five salt ranges, its Hindi name Pokhran (पोखरण) means "palace of five mirages". It is located en route between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur or Bikaner at 27.095°N 71.753°E / 27.095; 71.753 and has an average elevation of 233 metres (764 feet).

History

Fort Pokran

Fort Pokhran, the 14th century citadel also known as "Balagarh", stands amidst the Thar Desert. This monument is the premier fort of the chief of the rathore, the clan of Rathores of the state of Marwar-Jodhpur. Fort Pokhran is open for visitors and is being currently run as heritage hotel by the royal family of Pokhran.

Shakti Mata Memorial

In the outskirts of the city, the [Shakti Mata Memorial], a royal cenotaph, is freely accessible.

The famous, touristic city and fort of Jaisalmer is a couple of hours away by road.

Former rulers

Demographics

According to 2011 Indian census,[3] Pokhran had a population of 28457. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Pokhran has an average literacy rate of 56%, lower than the national average of 74.0%: male literacy is 68%, and female literacy is 41%. In Pokhran, 19% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Pokhran Nuclear Test Range
Pokhran Test Range (PTR)
Near Jaisalmer in India
Coordinates27.095°N 71.753°E / 27.095; 71.753
TypeNuclear test site
Site information
Operator Indian Army
Statusactive
Site history
In use1970–present
Test information
Subcritical testsnot known
Nuclear tests6

The Pokhran Test Range, a key component of India's nuclear programme, is located in the municipality. The Indian Nuclear Test Site is located 45 km north-west of Pokhran town and 4 km north of Khetolai village.[4] The test range was built by the Indian Army Corps of Engineers and is under the control of Indian Army. It was built sometime before May 1974, when, following authorization given to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, it hosted the detonation of India's first nuclear device.

Pokhran-I
Main article: Smiling Buddha

The Ministry of External Affairs designated the test "Pokhran-I", but it is also known as "Smiling Buddha". It was India's first successful nuclear bomb test on 18 May 1974.[5][6] The bomb was detonated on the army base Pokhran Test Range (PTR), in Rajasthan, by the Indian Army under the supervision of several key Indian generals.

Pokhran-II
Main article: Pokhran-II

On 11 and 13 May 1998, twenty-four years after Pokhran-I, the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) conducted five further nuclear tests, dubbed "Pokhran-II", at the Pokhran range. Four AEC devices and, under the codename Shakti, a thermonuclear device were tested.

See also

References
  1. Soszynski, Henry. "Pokhran (thikana) Genealogy". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  2. "Members Bioprofile: First Lok Sabha". Lok Sabha website. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  3. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  4. Forty years after Pokhran nuclear tests, villagers complain of frequent cancer deaths, Scroll.in, 18 May 2014
  5. FIles. "1974 Nuclear files". Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Nuclear files archives. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  6. "Smiling Buddha, 1974". India's Nuclear Weapons Program. Nuclear Weapon Archive.
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