[8] It is located about 240 kilometres (149 mi) south of the state capital, Jaipur, on the banks of Chambal River.

[10][11] Kota is known for its coaching institutes for engineering and medical entrance exams, such as JEE and NEET.

Each year, over 200,000 students move to Kota to prepare for these competitive exams, earning it the nickname Coaching Capital of India.

[16] The history of the city dates back to the 12th century CE when Rao Deva, a Chauhan Rajput chieftain belonging to the Hada clan conquered the territory and founded Bundi and Hadoti.

[18] Soon Kota outgrew its parent state to become bigger in area, richer in revenue and more powerful.

Although initially being a general of Kota's army, he rose to the regent of the kingdom after the king died leaving a minor on the throne.

[19] In the 1940s, social activist Guru Radha Kishan organised trade union activities and campaigned against the colonial government.

He left Kota after the local administration learned of the arrest warrant issued against him for his participation in Indian Independence activities.

Kota lies along the banks of the Chambal river on a high sloping tableland forming a part of the Malwa Plateau.

Summers are long, hot, and dry, starting in late March and lasting till the end of June.

[24] The monsoon season follows with comparatively lower temperatures, but higher humidity and frequent, torrential downpours.

Pre-monsoon showers begin towards the middle of June with post-monsoon rains occasionally occurring in October.

The winter is largely dry, although some rainfall does occur as a result of the Western Disturbance passing over the region.

[38] The city is the trade centre for an area in which cotton, millet, wheat, coriander and oilseeds are grown; industries include cotton and oilseed milling, textile weaving, distilling, dairying, and the manufacture of metal handcrafts.

Since last 15 years Kota has emerged as an Education hub of the country as producing excellent results in IIT-JEE and medical entrance exams.

[40][41][42] Kota is known as a major center for competitive test preparation, attracting around 150,000 students each year, as reported in 2023.

These students come from across the country to enroll in coaching institutes that prepare them for national entrance exams for engineering and medical colleges.

[43] The coaching industry in Kota originated in the 1980s when Vinod Kumar Bansal, a mechanical engineer, began tutoring students after being diagnosed with a degenerative condition that confined him to a wheelchair.

Over time, other coaching centers were established by former colleagues and associates, eventually transforming Kota into an educational hub.

Kota is one of the industrial hubs in northern India, with chemical, cement, engineering and power plants based there.

The city is especially known in India as a centre for the preparation of various national level competitive examinations through which the students seek admissions in various engineering and medical colleges of the country.

Since 2000, the city has emerged as a popular coaching destination for competitive exams preparation and for profit educational services.

The Ministry of Education (India) has launched the UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Emphatize, Empower, Develop) scheme in view of the rising suicide cases in Kota.

[77][78] Some of the popular visitor attractions in and nearby the city include Chambal Riverfront, City Park Chambal Garden, Seven Wonders Park, Kishore Sagar Lake, Jag Mandir Palace, Garh Palace, Umed Bhawan Palace, Chatra Vilas Garden, Ganesh Udyan, Traffic Garden, Godavari Dham Temple, Geparnath Mahadev Temple, Garadia Mahadev Temple, Chattaneshwar Mandir, Kota Zoological Park, Abheda Biological Park, City Park(IL Oxizone), Chatrapati Shivaji Park, Maharao Madho Singh Museum, Kota Government Museum, Brijraj Bhawan Palace, Abheda Mahal, Royal Cenotaphs at Kshar Bagh, Kota Barrage, Khade Ganesh Ji Mandir, Shiv Puri Dham, Maa Trikuta Mandir, Kansua Shiv Mandir, Darrah National Park and Jawahar Sagar Dam.

[79][80][81][82][83] Kota is well connected with road and rail to all major cities within Rajasthan as well as those located outside the state.

The city is home to Jay Kaylon Cricket Stadium located in Nayapura area.

[91][92] The stadium also hosted RCL T20 2016, an inter state cricket league with six participating teams.

[94] A wide range of other Hindi, English, and other language channels are accessible via cable subscription and direct-broadcast satellite services.