Rajasthan ( ; literally, "Land of Kings") is
India's
largest state by area ( or 10.4% of India's total area). It is located on the western side of the country, where it comprises most of the wide and inhospitable
Thar Desert (also known as the "Rajasthan Desert" and "Great Indian Desert") and shares a border with the Pakistani provinces of
Punjab to the northwest and
Sindh to the west, along the
Sutlej-
Indus river valley. Elsewhere it is bordered by the other Indian states:
Punjab to the north;
Haryana and
Uttar Pradesh to the northeast;
Madhya Pradesh to the southeast; and
Gujarat to the southwest. Its features include the ruins of the
Indus Valley Civilization at
Kalibanga; the
Dilwara Temples, a
Jain pilgrimage site at Rajasthan's only
hill station,
Mount Abu, in the ancient
Aravalli mountain range; and, in eastern Rajasthan, the
Keoladeo National Park near
Bharatpur, a
World Heritage Site known for its bird life. Rajasthan is also home to two national
tiger reserves, the
Ranthambore National Park in
Sawai Madhopur and
Sariska Tiger Reserve in
Alwar.