View source for Pokhran

{{about|the town|the 1974 nuclear tests|Pokhran-I|the 1998 nuclear tests|Pokhran-II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement <!--See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Indian cities]]-->
| name                     = Pokhran
| settlement_type          = Town
| image_skyline            = Pokhran Fort.JPG
| image_alt                = 
| image_caption            = Pokhran Fort in [[Rajasthan]], India
| nickname                 = 
| image_map                = 
| map_alt                  = 
| map_caption              = 
| pushpin_map              = India Rajasthan#India
| pushpin_label_position   = right
| pushpin_map_alt          = 
| pushpin_map_caption      = 
| coordinates              = {{coord|26.92|N|71.92|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = State
| subdivision_name         = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Rajasthan]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Jaisalmer district|Jaisalmer]]
| established_title        = <!--default="Established"-->
| established_date         = 
| founder                  = 
| named_for                = 
| government_type          = 
| governing_body           = 
| unit_pref                = Metric
| area_footnotes           = 
| area_total_km2           = 
| area_rank                = 
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 233
| population_total         = 28457
| population_as_of         = 2011
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_density_km2   = auto
| population_rank          = 
| population_demonym       = 
| demographics_type1       = Languages
| demographics1_title1     = Official
| timezone1                = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1              = +5:30
| postal_code_type         = <!--[[Postal Index Number|PIN]]-->
| postal_code              = 345021
| registration_plate       = 
| website                  = 
| footnotes                = 
| demographics1_info1      = [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]]
| leader_title             = [[Member of Legislative Assembly]]
| leader_name1             = [[Saleh Mohhamad]]
}}

'''Pokhran''' (official spelling '''Pokaran'''; {{Langx|hi|पोकरण}}) is a town and a [[municipality]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://urban.rajasthan.gov.in/content/raj/udh/nagar-palika-pokaran/en/home.html.html | title=Sectoral Portal }}</ref> located 112&nbsp;km east of [[Jaisalmer]] city in the [[Jaisalmer district]] of the [[States and territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Rajasthan]]. It is situated in the [[Thar Desert]] region. Surrounded by rocks, sand and five [[salt]] ranges, the word "Pokaran" (पोकरण) means "place surrounded by five salt-ranges" in [[Rajasthani languages|Rajasthani]]. The site for India's first and second underground [[nuclear weapon]] test is near Pokhran.

== Geography ==
Pokhran is located 112&nbsp;km east of [[Jaisalmer]] city, 172&nbsp;km northwest of [[Jodhpur]] and 225&nbsp;km south of [[Bikaner]] by road. It lies on Jaisalmer to Jodhpur railway line. It is situated at {{coord|27.095|N|71.753|E|}} and has an average [[elevation]] of 233&nbsp;metres (764&nbsp;feet). 

It has arid climate as it lies in the [[Thar Desert]] and receives a little rain in the monsoon months July to September. Pokhran has extreme climate. It has extremely hot and dry summers from April to June though monsoon months are also very hot. The temperature in summer can reach 46°C during the day. The night temperature in summer is more than 30°C, Pokhran has very cold winters with temperature dropping to 1°C.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Weather in Pokhran{{!}} Weather Forecast Pokhran {{!}} Weather Report AdoorPokhran-NativePlanet | url=https://www.nativeplanet.com/pokhran/weather/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902164617/https://www.nativeplanet.com/pokhran/weather/ | access-date=2025-03-31 | archive-date=2023-09-02}}</ref>

There is nothing much to see in Pokhran. Tourists may find winter pleasant during the day but they are not allowed near the nuclear test site.

== History ==
=== Fort Pokhran ===
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 Champawats, one of 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.

=== Sati Mata Memorial ===
On the outskirts of the town, the Satiyo Deval [[Sati Mata Memorial]], a royal cenotaph, is freely accessible.

=== Former rulers ===
* Seat of Chief of the Champawats, a sub-clan of [[Rathore (Rajput clan)|Rathore]]s of the state of [[Marwar]]-[[Jodhpur]].
* [[Bhawani Singh (politician)|Bhawani Singh of Pokhran]] (b. 1911) was the last [[jagirdar]] of Pokhran before Indian independence. He was Sessions Judge and was elected to the [[1st Lok Sabha]], the Lower house of [[Indian parliament]] from [[Barmer (Lok Sabha constituency)|Barmer]]-[[Jalore (Lok Sabha constituency)|Jalore]] constituency, after getting elected as an Independent candidate in the [[1952 Indian general election]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Pokhran (thikana) Genealogy | url = http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/p/pokhran.html | access-date = 2014-06-24 | first = Henry | last = Soszynski | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222170614/http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/p/pokhran.html | archive-date = 22 December 2015 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name=lok>{{cite web | title = Members Bioprofile: First Lok Sabha | url = http://164.100.47.132/lssnew/biodata_1_12/623.htm | publisher = [[Lok Sabha]] website | access-date = 2014-06-24 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140624083100/http://164.100.47.132/lssnew/biodata_1_12/623.htm | archive-date = 2014-06-24 }}</ref>

== Demographics ==
According to 2011 Indian [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Pokhran had a population of 28,457 within Pokaran Municipal Board territory. 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 Test Range ==
<!--Linked from [[Pokhran Test Range]]-->
{{Infobox military test site
| name          = Pokhran Test Range (PTR)
| nearest_town  = [[Jaisalmer]]
| country       = India
| image         = 
| caption       = 
| map           = 
| map_caption   = 
| type          = [[Nuclear testing|Nuclear test site]]
| coordinates   = {{coord|27.095|N|71.753|E|display=inline}}
| operator      = {{Army|India}}
| status        = Active
| dates         = 1970–{{small|present}}
| nuclear_tests = 6
| subcritical_tests = N/A
}}

The '''Pokhran Test Range''' ('''PTR''') is a key component of [[India and weapons of mass destruction|India's nuclear programme]] which is located outside the Pokaran Municipal Board jurisdiction and is controlled by the [[Indian Army]]. The army base is located 26&nbsp;km north-west of Pokhran town and 4&nbsp;km north of ''Khetolai'' village.<ref name=khetolai1>[https://scroll.in/article/664440/forty-years-after-pokhran-nuclear-tests-villagers-complain-of-frequent-cancer-deaths Forty years after Pokhran nuclear tests, villagers complain of frequent cancer deaths], Scroll.in, 18 May 2014</ref> 

The army base 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 of India|Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]], it hosted the detonation of India's first nuclear device.

===Nuclear testings===
{{main|Smiling Buddha|Pokhran-II}}
The [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] designated the test "Pokhran-I", but it is also known as "Smiling Buddha". It was India's first successful [[nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]] [[Nuclear weapons testing|test]] on 18 May 1974.<ref name="Nuclear files archives">{{cite web|url=http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/timeline/timeline_page.php?year=1974|title=1974 Nuclear files|last=FIles|work=Nuclear Age Peace Foundation|publisher=Nuclear files archives|access-date=14 January 2013|archive-date=14 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514074542/http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/timeline/timeline_page.php?year=1974|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name= "Smiling Buddha">{{cite web| url= http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/India/IndiaSmiling.html| work = India's Nuclear Weapons Program | title = Smiling Buddha, 1974|publisher=Nuclear Weapon Archive}}</ref> The bomb was detonated on the [[:Category:Indian Army bases|army base]] [[#Pokhran Test Range|Pokhran Test Range]] (PTR), in [[Rajasthan]], by the Indian Army under the supervision of several key Indian generals.

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

== See also ==
*[[Pokaran railway station]]
*[[Pokaran Assembly constituency]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Nuclear power in India}}
{{Jaisalmer district}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Jaisalmer district]]
[[Category:Nuclear test sites]]
[[Category:Indian nuclear test sites]]
[[Category:Environmental disasters in India]]
[[Category:Controversies in India]]