Jaipur Travel and Tourism

Major Destinations in Rajasthan

The magical land set amidst the desolate desert beauty. The land synonymous with romance & chivalry. Immensely rich in culture, history & natural beauty. That’s Rajasthan. Always teeming with colour, joy & friendliness that are unique to this part of the country. Everything about Rajasthan fascinates from miles of golden stretches of sand to the kaleidoscope of magnificent forts, opulent palaces & marvelous havelis, each a splendid architectural creation having lend of its own.

The beautifully laid out gardens & lakes contrasting perfectly with the hilly ranges are a sight to gladden your eyes. The cities of Rajasthan still retain the medieval flavour keeping alive the timeless traditions in their rich art & crafts, colorful bazaars & vibrant people wearing multi-hued costumes & a bright smile. Camels, oxen & elephants are among the common modes of transport besides buses & cars a true blend of modernity & tradition.

Ajmer - A Perfect blend of Hinduism & Islam
Alwar - An ancient Rajput state
Barmer - The ancient camel trade route
Banswara - City of Hundred Islands
Bharatpur - The Favorite Bird Retreat
Bikaner - Royal fortified city with a timeless appeal
Bundi - The Undiscovered Splendor
Chittaurgarh - The Epitome Of Romance And Valour
Churu - The Haveli Place
Dungarpur - Famous Wildlife and Architecture
Jaipur - The Pink City
Jaisalmer - The Sun City Of Rajasthan
Jhalawar - Princely state of the Jhalas
Jhunjhunu - Capital of Shekhawati
Jodhpur - Tales Of Grandeur And Great Heroes
Kota - Magic Along The Mighty Chambal
Kumbhalgarh - City inside thirteen mountain peaks
Mount Abu - Verdant Oasis In The Hills
Nagaur - The Gateway Township
Pushkar - The Pilgrim Place
Ranakpur - Hub of Jain Temples
Sawai Madhopur - Ranthambhor National Park
Shekhawati - The Open Air Art Gallery
Sikar - Feudal state
Udaipur - Venice Of The East

History of Princely State of Rajasthan

The history of India dates back almost five thousand years, and Rajasthan plays a crucial and unique role, especially with regard to the development of Indian culture. Its impressive story reaches through a heroic past. Its extravagant splashes of bright hues against the desert landscape and the purity of its dry and sandy reaches, the miniature elegance of its small villages and impeccably maintained forts brings alive the story of the yore. The appearance of its grand forts perched on rocky hills still tell the story of the bravery of its men and the stoic sacrifice of its women, and the chivalrous old world manners of all.

The Rajputs rose to prominence in the 9th and 10th centuries, and were a major force to reckon with medieval India. Passionately attached to their land, family and honor, the Rajputs treated war as a sport, and followed a strong chivalric code of conduct. Myths and legends of their velour, gallantry, sacrifice and courage are legion. There are many heroes among the Rajputs, such as Prithviraj Chauhan, who fought successfully against the invader Muhammad Ghori in the battle of Terrain (1191), although he died on the same battlefield in the following year. Or the great Rana Pratap of Mewar, who defiantly withstood the might of the Mughal, and continued to raid on them even after his defeat. He died in 1597, and his son, Amber Singh, took over the mantle of opposition to Mughal rule. Rana Pratap was the lone exception, as most of the leading Rajput clans finally married into Mughal royalty and nobility, and went into direct State service of the Mughal Empire. This was chiefly at the behest of the wise and farsighted Mughal emperor, Akbar, who was able to consolidate and expand his empire because of his close ties with the proud Rajputs, the men who made formidable enemies and also steadfast and loyal friends.

Overview of Rajasthan – The Reminder of Romance & Royalty

Rajasthan, situated in the north-western part of the Indian Union, is now the largest State of India. Largely an arid state for most of its part, Rajasthan emerged after Partition from a mosaic of eighteen feudal kingdoms, known in the British era as Rajputana.”Land of Kings”. Running northeast from Mount Abu, near the border with Gujarat, to within a stone’s throw of the ruins of ancient Delhi, its backbone is formed by the bare brown hills of the Aravalli Range, which divide the fertile Dhundar basin from the shifting sands dunes of the mighty Thar Desert, one of the driest places on earth. As the site of India’s recent nuclear tests, this western flank of the country, forming the sensitive border with Pakistan, has become one of the world’s most notorious geopolitical hotspots. However, the flat terrain, combined with the lure of the lucrative trans-Thar trade routes, rendered it vulnerable to invasion long before Partition. The State is girdled by Punjab and Haryana states in the north, Uttar Pradesh in the east, Madhya Pradesh in the southeast and Gujarat in the southwest. By taxing the movement of silk, spices and precious stones across their territories, successive rulers - from the Hindu Rajputs to their medieval Muslim overlords, the Mughals - amassed vast fortunes, which they poured into ever more ambitious building projects.

For visitors, however, Rajasthan’s strong adherence to the traditions of the past is precisely what makes it a compelling place to travel. Swaggering moustaches, heavy silver anklets, bulky red, yellow or orange turbans, pleated veils and mirror-inlaid saris may be part of the complex language of caste, but to most outsiders they epitomize India at its most exotic. Rajasthan s extravagant palaces, forts and finely carved temples today comprise one of the country’s richest crop of historic monuments, visited in greater numbers than any other apart from Agra. As an extension to the “Golden Triangle” of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur, the route stringing together these three cities has become the most trodden tourist trail in India. But these exotic Forts are far from the only legacy of the region’s prosperous and militaristic past. Nowhere is this traditional flamboyance more vividly expressed than at the annual camel fair at Pushkar, when hundreds of thousands of villagers converge on a sacred lake in the Aravalli Hills to buy and sell livestock, their almost luminous costumes striking against the muted hues of the desert.

Other incentives to venture into less frequented corners of the state are Rajasthan’s wonderful wildlife sanctuaries. Of these, Ranthambore, where you can watch tigers prowling around Rajput rums and lakeside jungles, is deservedly the most famous, but Sariska, between Jaipur and Agra, boasts almost as many big cats and equally serene landscapes. For sheer profusion, however, the Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur, on the eastern border of Rajasthan near Agra, is unmatched in South Asia. Literally hundreds of species of birds, from giant Sara’s cranes to tiny scarlet finches and incandescent kingfishers, feed here in the winter months, creating an unforgettable spectacle and a welcome respite from the frenetic cities that inevitably dominate most visitors’ itineraries in this state.