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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.