Travel-India

Rajasthan

Located in northwest India, the state of Rajasthan is the largest state in India, in terms of area. Known world over for its rich culture, age-old traditions which the locals still adhere to, colourful ethnic attires, exquisite heritage, opulent palaces and indomitable forts, Rajasthan is high in the list of top most tourist destinations in the world.

Rajasthan is simply beautiful! While one end of the state is lined by the Aravalli hills, one of the oldest ranges in the world, the other has vast stretch of shimmering golden sands of the daunting Thar Desert.

Rajasthan is bordered by Punjab in the north, Haryana and UP in the north-east, Madhya Pradesh in the east, Gujarat in the South and in the west across the Great Indian Desert is the neighbouring country Pakistan.

The sultry Thar Desert has its own beauty and charm and is the only desert of the Indian subcontinent. Also, the Thar is one of the harshest terrains in the world and hence acts as a sentinel for guarding India from its neighbour.

The arid and barren Thar also boasts of Mount Abu, a hill station popular for its flora and fauna.

Between the extremes of the Thar Desert in the west and The Aravalli hills in the south east lies admirable topographical diversity. The rocky range of Amber, the river basin of Bharatpur, the hilly range of Mewar and the fertile Aravalli range... all make Rajasthan a unique state!

Pre-independence, Rajasthan was known as ‘Rajputana’ or the home of the Rajputs, a clan which ruled over the region for centuries. The stories of courage and valour of the Rajputs are narrated to the kids even today in Indian households.

This ‘Land of kings’ is known to be the land of the bravehearts and continuing the age-old tradition, many Indian soldiers are recruited from the region.

The state is rich in culture, heritage and traditions which give it a distinct flavour. As one enters the state, he is mesmerised by the golden sand dunes, isolated long roads, locals dressed in typical colourful Rajasthani attires… turbanned men with big moustaches and veiled women in colourful attires and heavy jewellery.

Aptly named the Desert Jewel of India, Rajasthan is simply awesome and lures tourists from all over the world.

Forts, Palaces and Museums

History of Rajasthan, the land of the kings, is echoed by the various historical monuments in which once the royal families lived in splendour. Today few have become ruins while many stand relatively much stronger and many others have been converted into heritage hotels.

The present cities of Udaipur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ajmer and Alwar… all have some exquisite historical buildings worth visiting.

Havelis of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is known for its splendid havelis. Havelis are private mansions which served as residences of landlords and royal ministers in the medieval era. Huge with many rooms and wide courtyards, havelis are part of the heritage of Rajasthan.

Havelis of Jaisalmer and Udaipur are few famous havelis, giving the visitors a feel of the splendour the royal courtesans once lived in.

Rajasthani Music

Rajasthan’s folk music is simply divine! Even for those who do not understand a word of the local language, music is soulful and ethereal!

Often sung with musical instruments like dholak, sitar, sarangi etc. the Rajasthani folk songs are either ballads singing love stories or heroic deeds or devotional songs sung in praise of Hindu Gods or local deities.

Listening to the folk music of Rajasthan is really an experience in itself!

Dances of Rajasthan

Like almost all other places in the world, dance is an expression of celebration, happiness and festivities in Rajasthan.

The state of Rajasthan has many beautiful dances all of which are thrilling and unique. Some of the dances of Rajasthan are Ghoomar, Kalbeliya, Raika, Jhoria, Gauri, Chari, Terah Taali and Gair. Of these Ghoomar, the traditional dance of Rajasthan’s royal families and Kalbeliya said to belong to snake charmers have gained international recognition.

Besides the above, there are various other dances like Kachchi-Ghodi, Kathputli (puppet dance), drum dance and fire dance.

Fairs and Festivals of Rajasthan

Rajasthan rejoices with whole of India in all the major festivities and celebrations. However, the state celebrates few festivals which are entirely its own. Some of Rajasthan’s important and popular festivals and fairs are:

Camel Festival at Bikaner in January, Elephant Festival in Jaipur in January or February, Desert Festival of Jaisalmer in February, Gangaur celebrated all over Rajasthan in March or April, Mewar Festival in Udaipur in March or April, Teej during August and Pushkar Fair in November.