Rajasthan is located in northern India, on the border with Pakistan. This is a popular travel destination with amazing natural scenery, including the vast Thar Desert and the magnificent Arawali Mountains. Being the center of Rajput culture, Rajasthan is a wonderful place to explore the palaces and temples built by the kings of Rajput many centuries ago.

Rajasthan is the most colorful state of India, the largest, most unusual. You will understand that all these epithets are quite appropriate as soon as you step on this land blessed by history. Welcome to the land of noble knights - Rajputs and the legendary kingdom of the Maharajas with their magnificent palaces. India is dotted with beautiful fortresses and forts, but nowhere you will find fortresses so majestic, dominantly towering over desert landscapes like fabulous mirages of a bygone era. This is a region full of masterpieces of architecture, a land of sand dunes and jungles, caravans of camels and wild tigers, sparkling gems, vibrant colors, and deep culture. There are enough festivals here to occupy every day of the year and trade fairs to acquire everything you do not want — all this is Rajasthan.

History

Rajasthan It is home to the Rajputs, a clan of warriors who claim to be descended from the sun, moon, and fire, and who have controlled this part of India for over 1000 years. Although the Rajputs entered into marriages of convenience and entered into temporary alliances, pride, honor, and independence remained their top priority. That is why the discord between them never stopped, which led to their weakening and then to vassal dependence on the Mughal empire. However, the courage and sense of honor of the Rajputs were unparalleled. In many battles, the Rajputs fought to the last, even when there was no hope. Chivalry, combined with selflessness, gave rise to such a phenomenon as Jauhar (the custom of mass self-immolation of Rajput women from the upper strata of society in the event of an attack by the enemy). Self-immolation did not take place after the battle, and in order to avoid dishonor at the hands of the enemy, before the start of the battle, to fill the destitute spouses with rage and force them to lay down their lives in battle. Therefore, it is not surprising that having subjugated these lands, the Mughal Emperors controlled them with great difficulty.

With the advent of the British Empire, the Rajputs supported the British. For this, they received thanks from them in the form of recognition of the independence of each city and fortress. This predetermined the fall of the Mughal empire and the fragmentation of the Rajputs themselves, which were thus much easier for the British to control. These unions became the beginning of the end of the Rajputs. The rulers ’lifestyle guaranteed by the British crown led many of the Maharajas to spend their time in luxury and bliss, traveling the world with dozens of servants, occupying entire floors of expensive hotels. All this happened at the expense of the local population, so by the time India became independent, Rajasthan had the lowest per capita income and the highest mortality rate.

Upon gaining independence, for the consent of the Rajputs to join the new country, they were left with all the titles, castles, and even before 1970, a special allowance was paid commensurate with their status. Now, this is a real story, although the lifestyle in Rajasthan remains very archaic, at the same time it is the most colorful, and you can meet the descendants of the Rajputs today.

Geography

Rajasthan is India's largest state by area. The main geographic regions of the state include the Thar desert and the Aravalli mountain range, stretching from the southwest to the northeast of the state for more than 850 km. It separates the fertile Dhundar region from the desert. The capital of Jaipur is located 250 km west of Delhi.

Attraction of Rajasthan

The history of Rajasthan has predetermined a variety of attractions. The state is literally strewn with many ancient forts, forts, and palaces. Here, among the desert regions of Tar, many ancient civilizations have formed and colorful cities such as Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Udaipur have been built. The palette of colors here varies from city to city and is truly original. The city of Jaipur - the capital of Rajasthan, for example, is known as the "Pink City", due to the coloring of most building facades. Jodhpur with a labyrinth of streets, surrounded by a wall and a powerful fort rising above the city, is known as the “Blue City”, since most of the houses are painted in sky blue. A desert Jaisalmer because of the color of sandstone used in the construction, as the "Golden City". The lake city of Udaipur is also famous, especially its magnificent palaces.

Rajasthan is also famous for its wonderful wildlife reserves. The most famous of them is  Ranthambore, where you can see tigers strolling among watering holes and jungle. Less well known, but no less interesting is the Sariska National Park, it has a beautiful landscape, and in terms of the number of cats it is only slightly inferior to Ranthambore. By the diversity of birds in the whole country, there are no equal to the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur. Hundreds of bird species, from giant gray cranes to tiny red scarlet bindweeds nest here in the winter months, presenting an unforgettable sight to the lucky ones who visited here.

Wildlife

Rajasthan is a place with many exclusive and magnificent views of the wildlife. Rajasthan is one of the most attractive states in India. Rajasthan is wonderfully loaded with wildlife and is home to many mammals and birds.

The state is too famous for its plants and fauna, as well as the residence of several of India’s famous and major wild reserves and parks. Rajasthan offers half the green forests of Mount Abu, as well as the arid deciduous spiky forest Aravali t-Bharatpur. Rajasthan boasts three national parks and more than a dozen nature reserves. For those who seem to take risks, these Rajasthan wildlife sanctuaries provide the type of thrill that a flood of adrenaline causes.

Ranthambhor National Park is located near the outer border of the Thar Desert and is bounded by the Vindhya and Arawali ranges. This is mainly the well-known tiger in Project Tiger. The Bhensrod Garh Sanctuary is a completely new sanctuary, it was created in 1983 and covers a total area of ??229 square meters. Km of shrubs and arid deciduous forests.

Desert National Park has located 40 km from Jaisalmer. The park is full of wildlife, and some of the indigenous species inhabit the cinque.

Geiger Nature Reserve is 32 km away. From the city of Bikaner. In the sanctuary and in the scorching light there is a shining pond.

The Jaysamanda Sanctuary is famous for deer, wild boars, panthers, four-horned antelopes, cheetahs, chinchars and many species of birds. This sanctuary was founded in 1957 on a plot of 160 square meters.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park is just 7 km from Bharatpur. Saris National Park was approved in 1955. Park increased by 479 square meters. Km

Rajasthan has four famous wildlife parks and wildlife reserves, namely: Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and Desert National Park. Rajasthan most attracts all wildlife lovers - there are many safaris in which they can decide to enjoy the state’s wildlife. Do not be surprised if you come face to face with a tiger or other wild animals.

Shopping

An integral part of Rajasthan culture is jewelry. They are worn by everyone, even animals. It is not surprising that there are a lot of jewelry masters creating amazing works of art from stone. The most famous jewelry center in   Jaipur, where experienced emerald and diamond cutting craftsmen work and there are "jewelry" dynasties in which craftsmanship is passed down from generation to generation. The state is also famous for its paintings and traditional frescoes. Local carved wooden furniture, handmade carpets, embroidered sarees, ceramics, camel leather items are famous.

Foods

The cuisine of Rajasthani is rich, colorful and unique, as is its culture. Milk, plenty of clarified butter (ghee) and local spices are prerequisites for many local dishes. From the range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, sweet and savory delicacies, discover the typical Rajasthani dishes that you need to try. Dal Bati Churma, Gatte Key Sabzi, Laal maas, Ker Sangri, Ghevar, Rajasthani Kadhi, Kachori, Mircea Bud, Safed maas, Bhuna kukda, Mohan Taal, etc.

Fairs and festivals.

Rajasthan is a state of many bright and cheerful holidays: each season opens with a new fair or festival. This abundance is due to some differences in the traditions of this state. All festivals here are filled with local flavor, customs and imbued with the spirit of the Indian people. Among the most interesting are: the desert festival in Jaisalmer, the elephant festival in Jaipur, the Mewar festival and the Camel Fair in Pushkar.

Desert Festival in Jaisalmer (Desert Festival, February). Camel races, folk dances, and competitions, local craft fairs are arranged.

Elephant Festival in Jaipur (Elephant Festival, March). Dressed up and brightly painted elephants pass through the streets of Jaipur to the accompaniment of drums and trumpets. The festival concludes the tug-of-war competition between elephants and horsemen (mahouts) at the Chaugan Stadium in the center of the Old Town (Pink City).

Mewar Festival (Mewar Festival, March-April). Maharaja Udaipur celebrates the coming of spring (Holi). At this time, a sacred fire is lit and performance is organized with the participation of dance groups of local tribes and the famous bagpipes orchestra.

Gangaur (Gangaur, March-April). Originally a harvest festival. On this day, women pray for their husbands, and the girls are asked to send them a good spouse. Maharaja Jaisalmer holds a solemn procession with elephants, and in Mount Abu, images of Gauri (Parvati) and Isa (Isa, Shiva) - an ideal couple - are carried along the streets with pots of rice and flowers.

Urs Mela in Ajmer (URs Mela, October). The holiday is dedicated to the Sufi saint Muin-ud-din Chishti. Accompanied by performances by Indian and Pakistani qawwali singers.

Diwali (Diwali, November). The festival of lights, celebrated throughout India, but the most important for the merchant community, especially in Shekhavati, as it marks the beginning of the financial year.

Pushkar Camel Fair (Pushkar Fair, November). In this largest and most colorful festival of Rajasthan, more than 200 thousand people and 50 thousand camels take part. Camel races are arranged. Ablution these days in the sacred lake of Pushkar is considered especially favorable.

Best Time to Visit

Visiting the Indian state of Rajasthan is best between October and late March. In October, the air temperature begins to decline, and the thermometer rarely exceeds 30C. The ideal time for trips to Rajasthan is December - February, but, despite the favorable weather conditions, which allow for long walks, you cannot do without sunscreen during the day, and in the evenings it will be very useful to wrap yourself in a Kashmiri shawl or put on a light sweater. This time is also considered ideal because it is convenient to combine excursions through the Rajah lands with a beach holiday in Goa, these months on the coast of the Arabian Sea the peak of the season.

How to Reach

By Air: Airports are in the cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur.

By Train: The main railway stations are Jaipur, Bikaner, Kota, Piles Madhopur, and Bharatpur. Special trains have been launched on the railway for tourists, allowing you to travel through the main historical cities of Rajasthan.

By Road: Rajasthan is covered by a network of roads connecting most of the settlements.