Capital of
Rajasthan: Jaipur
Must See:
Hawa Mahal, Jaisalmer Fort
Best Time
To Visit: October To
March
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Tourism in
Rajasthan
Rajasthan, this wild desert land invites you
to a memorable tryst with itself. Savor
Rajasthan's unique culture that is a blend
of the ancient and the modern. Travel
Rajasthan, check out must visit forts,
palaces and monuments; enjoy a luxurious
stay at famous heritage hotels of Rajasthan
or take a heritage tour of distinct cultural
heritage sites of Rajasthan.
To the east of the Aravallis, Rajasthan is
Cotton Country where peacocks dance in
celebration of rain. Kipling must have been
thinking of Rajasthan when he labelled India
the 'land of camels and snakecharmers'. Even
today, Rajasthan retains its medieval charm
with the sounds of desert music wafting from
the distant sands and mounds of red chillies
drying in courtyards ready to be pounded.
Rajasthan is bound on the west and northwest
by Pakistan, on the north and northeast by
Punjab , Haryana , and Uttar Pradesh , on
the east and southeast by Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh , and on the southwest by
Gujarat . Each of its cities is a great
tourist attraction with pride of place going
to Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur and
Ajmer. Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Umaid Bhawan,
Jantar Mantar, Pushkar, Ranthanbhore
National Park are musts on every tourist's
itinerary.
CAPITAL OF
RAJASTHAN
Jaipur, the capital, is pretty in pink.
Vegetable marts, jewellery shops,
camel-riding locals make it a busy and
crowded metropolis. It sits on a dry lake
bed in a somewhat arid landscape surrounded
by barren hills surmounted by forts and
crenellated walls. The language spoken is
mostly Rajasthani and Hindi
History of
Rajasthan
Archaeological and historical evidence shows
a continuous human habitation of the area
dating back 100,000 years. Between the 7th
and the 11th century AD, several dynasties
arose, with Rajput strength reaching its
peak at the beginning of the 16th century.
Emperor Akbar brought the Rajput states into
the Mughal Empire; by early 19th century,
they allied with the Marathas. Later, the
British established supremacy in the region.
Rajasthan soon emerged as a centre of Indian
nationalism. When the new constitution went
into effect in 1950, Rajput princes
surrendered their powers to the Indian
Union.
The Rajasthani
People
There is majesty in every man of Rajasthan;
they are afterall the sons of kings.
Rajasthan is a harsh, scorched land of
savage summer heat but also full of the
brightest colours. Countering the barren
landscape with vibrant hues in their
everyday wear and charming murals painted on
their drab sepia-coloured mud homes, for the
people, life is one big carnival, even in
the face of sure death. Here are many tales
of desperate courage written of men donning
saffron robes and riding out to confront the
enemy and womenfolk preferring death to
dishonour. Even in everyday life today, the
Rajput's sense of honour, family and
tradition come foremost.
Culture in
Rajasthan
Rajasthan has made its contribution to
Indian art; there is a rich literary
tradition, especially of bardic poetry.
Chand Bardai's poem on Prithvi Raj Raso or 'Chand
Raisa', the earliest manuscript of which
dates to the 12th century, is particularly
notable. A popular source of entertainment
is the 'khyal', a dance drama composed in
verse with festive, historical, or romantic
themes. The typical folk dance of Rajasthan
is the 'ghoomar', which is performed on
festive occasions only by women. The 'geer'
dance (performed by men and women), the 'panihari'
(a graceful dance for women), and the 'kacchi
ghori' (in which male dancers ride dummy
horses) are also popular.
Handicrafts of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan, especially Jaipur, is one of the
finest centres in the entire region for
beautiful prints - specially on cotton
fabrics and has perhaps India's largest
centre of semi-precious / precious gems and
stones. Tie-and-die fabrics and sarees;
Sanganer prints; brocades; marble
statuettes, ivory carving; stone-set and
semi precious jewellery; enamel work… there
is no end to what Jaipur offers to shoppers.
CLIMATE OF
RAJASTHAN
There is a wide range of climate, varying
from extremely arid to humid. Except in the
hills, the heat in summer is great
everywhere, with a mean daytime maximum
temperature hovering at about 43º C in many
locations. Winter temperatures vary from
20º-24º C. Hot winds and dust storms occur,
especially in the desert tract, where
rainfall averages 4 inches annually. In the
southwest, rainfall is higher, in part owing
to the summer monsoon winds off the Arabian
Sea and Bay of Bengal.
More
Information on Rajasthan click here
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India
Travel Guide / States / Rajasthan Travel Guide
