Get to Know Rajasthan

Rajasthan

• Hector Dsouza

Rajasthan is a story of sand dunes, battered forts, heritage resorts and striking locals, while its history is replete with tales of courage and valor. For close to a thousand years, the state was ruled by the Rajputs – a community known for its daredevil bravery. With the arrival of the British all princely states came under one umbrella. The collection of Kingdoms came to be known as `Rajputana.' Over the years Rajasthan began to evolve, though its experiment with tourism began many decades ago. A positive identity was created, today it attracts many tourists and the reasons are not hard to find. For instance, it has a moderate day time temperature of around 19-27 Celcius during the winter months, while at night the temperature hovers between 9-14 Celcius (though it gets colder in the Thar Desert as well as Mount Abu). Rajasthan has an air of openness that is hard to replicate, often it's only the large open desert, tracts of semi-arid land or lush green forest in the Aravali region that `becomes' your traveling companion. This monotony is broken by the sight of dramatic forts perched on hill tops in different parts of the state.

Scenes change dramatically at village entrances or marketplaces where a riot of colors can be seen all around. Women wear loose flowing bright colorful outfits; the men are normally clothed in white with a colorful turban wrapped around the forehead. This often has a mesmerizing effect on the visitor, leaving a lasting impression. In addition, Rajasthan has a series of monuments; rugged forts, opulent palaces traditional mansions -`havelis'. All serving as stoic reminders of a regal past. Entrenched in a history, these massive monuments of stone and marble, have a uniqueness and richness that unleashes a feeling of actually going back in time.

Geographically, Rajasthan is located in Western India, bordering Pakistan to the east; Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana from south to north. One of the oldest mountain ranges, Aravalli runs across from Bundi in the east to the Mount Abu in the southwest. The Thar Desert covers a vast expanse of Western Rajasthan. To the east lie two spectacular nature parks, Keoladeo Naional Park and Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary.

In terms of exploring Rajasthan, there's no better way than to discover the Thar Desert on Camel back. Camel Safaris in the vicinity of Jaisalmer are a humbling and unique experience, lasting from one to seven days. `Highs' are mainly due to the varied topography of the vast unassuming desert, unpredictable behavior of the camel riders and near faultless performance by the camels who have an uncanny sense of direction and are amiable. The stillness and sight of a billion stars hovering around in the sky of the silent desert, the unhurried walk of the camel, afternoons spent lazing under the shade of the Khejra tree and the sight of the setting sun from the back of a camel, all contribute in bringing an enthralling as well as unforgettable experience that is both enriching as well as satisfying.

Moving east, Jaisalmer also known as the `City of Gold' formed part of the ancient trading route, where Bhatti Rajputs lived off levies on the great caravans that crossed their areas en-route to Delhi. Today its one of the tourist hotspots of a magnanimous state. Standing in solitary splendor and best seen from afar by the rays of the setting sun, Jaisal Fort offers a riveting experience, the fort in itself is well worth a half days visit, an audio guide provides accurate and interesting details. Northeast of Jaisalmer lies Bikaner built by Bika Rao in 1846 A.D. unravaged by influences of the modern world. It offers a Camel Breeding Farm (one of its kind) and the Karni Mata Temple – where rats are worshipped and found in abundance. Jodhpur forms the lower end of the Desert Triangle, 250 kms southeast of Jaisalmer. This city is associated with the Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhavan Palace and Royal Cenotaphs. One of India's best-preserved forts – Mehrangarh houses a fascinating museum consisting of riding gears, palanquins, cradles and musical instruments. On the periphery of fort walls lie an assortment of cannons and guns. Best of all is a stunning birds eye view of the city. Amidst fading street sounds, the painted blue houses never fail to meet the eye.

Rajasthan is also about experiences and living the life of a Maharaja. For instance, your dreams are fulfilled at the Khimsar Castle built in 1523 A.D. an hour drive away from Jodhpur. Many such awesome holidays can be had different destinations across the state, making comparisons of residing in palace hotels an interesting task! Then there are breathtaking villages as well as small palace hotels exhibiting traditional rural lifestyles, making city life seem distant. Luni, Ghanerao, Sodawas, Ossian and Bundi are names that come to mind, catching the imagination of the wanderer. With its impressive murals, paintings on exteriors the Havelis of Shekawati owned by the rich merchants in the Northern Rajasthan often leave art lovers bewildered. With variety ranging from meticulous paintings with gold, silver leaf, depicting the life of Krishna to Victorian Aircraft, motor cars, Edwardian Themes, the reasons are not hard to find. Often merchants described their journeys across oceans and destinations they visited on these walls.

A wish list for many tourists is complete while moving South from the Shekawati region to the cosmopolitan glittering capital city of Jaipur. Housing impressive monuments – Amber Fort, Nahargarh Fort, City Palace, Albert Museum, Observatory – Jaipur attracts millions of visitors each year. Forming part of the renowned Golden Triangle Route comprising of Delhi, Agra; Jaipur is renowned for markets dabbling in precious gems, jewelry, spices, textiles, & handicrafts. Besides it boasts of a number of eye-catching malls as well. Jaipur offers dual attractions: array of well-preserved monuments and bargain shopping.

Tourists keen on spotting wildlife in its purest form travel 100 kilometers south to the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Southern Rajasthan, bird lovers flock to Bharatpur National Park on the Jaipur Agra Route. Both are rarely disappointed with strict conservation policies followed by park authorities while Jungle Safaris offer invaluable rewards in form of sightseeing's, observations and findings. Bundi, medieval town en-route to Udaipur offers charming attractions like the Bundi Fort; romanticists on the other hand are bowled over by the bejeweled beauty of City of Lakes, Udaipur. Home to the City Palace on the banks of Lake Pichola, the majestic palace has the magnificent Peacock Courtyard filled with glass mosaics that decorate its walls. Some of the finest hotels in the world are located in Udaipur, including Lake Palace, sitting pretty in the middle of Lake Pichola.

A fine way to complete a majestic journey of the state is by visiting two outstanding and contrasting neighboring attractions, lying almost equidistant to Udaipur and Jodhpur. The Kumbalgarh Fort standing atop Aravali Hills resembling the Great Wall of China, symbolizes chivalry and valor while only an hours drive away lies the Jain Temple of Raunakpur filled with a superb range of carved temples including the Sun Temple standing on 1444 intricately designed pillars, no two of which are alike. Rajasthan, we are sure will have offer many enchanting moments for you!