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Cities
Jaswant Thada, JodhpurJaipur - the state capital
Ajmer , Bikaner - famous for its sweets , Bundi - fort city off the
beaten track , Kota
Jaisalmer , Jodhpur - the Blue City, site of the spectacular hilltop
Mehrangarh Fort
Pushkar , Tonk , Udaipur , Karauli , Osiyan , Mount Abu alt 432 ,
Nathdwara , Ranakpur , Ranthambhore National Park
History of Rajasthan
Rajasthan has a rich and colorful history making it one of the most
popular tourist destinations in India. Historical traditions are
that Rajputs, Nath, Jats, Bhils, Ahirs, Gujars, Meenas and some
other tribes made a great contribution in building the state of
Rajasthan. All these tribes suffered great difficulties to protect
their culture and the land. Millionsof them were martyred for this
land.
Rajasthan includes most of Rajputana, comprised of a number of
Rajput kingdoms as well as Jat kingdoms and a Muslim kingdom. The
Jats were rulers in Bharatpur and Dholpur. Tonk was ruled by a
Muslim Nawab. Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur, and Jaipur were some of the
main Rajput states. Rajput families rose to prominence in the 6th
century CE. The Rajputs resisted the Muslim incursions into India,
although a number of Rajput kingdoms eventually became subservient
to the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire during those empires'
peak of expansion.
The Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur was built by Rao Jodha in 1498.Mewar
led others in resistance to Muslim rule: Rana Sanga fought the
Battle of Khanua against Babur, the founder of the Mughal empire;
and Maharana Pratap Singh resisted Akbar in Haldighati. Other rulers
like Raja Maan Singh of Amber were trusted allies. As the Mughal
Empire weakened, the Rajputs reasserted their independence. With the
decline of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century, Rajputana came
under attack from the Marathas and Pindaris, and the Maratha general
Scindia captured Ajmer. The Rajput kings concluded treaties with the
British in the early 19th century, accepting British sovereignty in
return for local autonomy. Following the Mughal tradition as well as
its strategic location Ajmer became a province of British India,
while the autonomous Rajput states, the Muslim state [Tonk]), and
the Jat states (Bharatpur and Dholpur) were organized into the
Rajputana Agency.
Rajasthan's formerly independent kingdoms created a rich
architectural and cultural heritage, seen today in their numerous
forts and palaces (Mahals and Havelis) which are enriched by
features of Hindu, Muslim and Jain architecture.
Get in
By plane
Rajasthan is one of the larger Indian states and distances are long,
making planes a fairly good option for getting in. Jaipur, Jodhpur
and Udaipur all have airports with direct links to many major
cities, though if coming from a smaller city, one has to go via
Delhi.
By train
Overnight trains from Delhi and Mumbai reach most of Rajasthan's
major cities. For points further out, like Jaisalmer, you'll be
looking at a second day on the train as well. The Shatabdi and
Rajdhani express are excellent trains and have excellent service.
Another option is Palace on Wheels which is a week long luxury train
ride through Rajasthan.
By road
The National Highway 8 which runs through Rajasthan is excellent and
connects Delhi to Mumbai. Though Mumbai may be too far away, this is
the most popular way to travel to travel to Jaipur from Delhi as the
road is in excellent condition and the drive can easily be completed
in under 4hrs.
Get around
All the cities have public transports in form of buses.Also
available are jeeps on hire. Beware of jeep drivers who charge a
bomb from tourists. Otherwise from Delhi various private travel
agencies organise trips to Rajasthan but they are rather costly. But
if you do not travel alone, it is better to hire a car with a driver
(for example a car from Delhi International Airport to Neemrana
Village costs 4000 INR for five persons). Besides these government
tourism department runs luxury buses to a couple of cities in
Rajasthan. The buses originate from Dr. Ambedkar Terminus in the Old
Delhi region.
Railways can be the better travel mode as it is quick and the
service on most trains is excellent. But in Rajasthan, road may be
more enjoyable for short distances as the sights of the desert with
the hills to be seen are beautiful and the roads are but bearable. A
popular road drive is from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, which is because
the flight takes longer overall and the road is excellent.
A very popular option is Palace on Wheels which is a week long
luxury train ride through interiors of Rajasthan.
See
Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destination to
observe Indian heritage and royalty closely. A fortnight should
suffice to be able to glimpse the splendor of the state. It has a
lot of natural and man made tourist destinations, which include:
Amber Fort in Jaipur
Jal Mahal in Jaipur
The Pink City in Jaipur
Camel fair in Pushkar
Chittorgarh Fort - A massive structure with numerous gateways, the
fort is an outstanding example of Mauryan architecture.
Mehrangarh Fort - Located in Jodhpur. Set on the hill top,
Mehrangarh Fort is a humongous royal mansion.
Junagarh Fort in Bikaner
Pichola Lake in Udaipur
Bundi Fort in Bundi
Jaisalmer Fort - Located in Jaisalmer. This fort is constructed with
sand stones and is an important landmark of Jaisalmer city.
The Desert landscape in Jaisalmer
Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur
Wildlife Sanctuary in Ranthambhore National Park
Do
Many of the cities and towns in Rajasthan offer a chance to do a
camel safari.
Another great experience is to explore Rajasthan on horseback.
Beginners can go on shorter rides while experienced riders can join
horseback safaris running from a couple of days up to 3 weeks.
Lady travelers can get brilliant, intricate henna patterns done on
their hands and/or feet.
Visit the bird sanctuary at Bharatpur and the wildlife park at
Ranthambore. Make sure you take the tiger safari at Ranthambore.
Shop at the bazaars(local markets) located in most cities in narrow
alleys and lanes. You can pick up traditional puppets, tie-and-dye
clothes/apparel, kota(also a place) textiles, accessories.
Visit fairs arranged for traditional festivals, where you get to see
the locals in traditional finery;watch camel races;enjoy traditional
folk music.
Buy
Avoid shopping at outlets guided by the local auto/ricksha
drivers or even with the local tour guide you may have hired as
these outlets all claim to have some assosiation with the Rajasthan
government or the actual artisans which are generaly fabricated
claims and you end up paying anywhere between 20-40% above the
actual price (including a hefty commission parted by the shopkeeper
to the guide/auto driver). The guide is more keen to show you all
these shops rather than the places you have travelled to see.
Eat
Food is generally very spicy - to be enjoyed in moderation for first
timers. Dairy based sweet products are very popular in this part of
the country. Restaurants are mostly vegetarian. Finding restaurants
serving good non-vegetarian food could be difficult, and in general,
non vegetarian stuff in road side eateries should be avoided. Bread
- both leavened and unleavened is readily available.
A typical Rajasthani fare would include daal-baati-churma. Daal is
lentil curry;baati is round balls made out of wheat flour and baked
in charcoal fire;churma is a dessert made out of crushed wheat balls
rolled in jaggery/sugar and topped with ghee.
Stay safe
As always, be careful when traveling alone, and avoid venturing out
late at nights and beware of touts. One of the safest way to travel
around Rajasthan is by having a driver who know their ways around
Rajasthan.
Spitting, urinating and dumping garbbage at public places and
streets is very common and you need to watch out for this. Also
beware of traffic coming in from the wrong side of the street when
walking/driving.
Stay healthy
There are many clinics and hospitals in major cities which provide
quality treatment at affordable prices. Also health tourism is on
the upswing.
Flora and Fauna
Though a large percentage of the total area is desert, and even
though there is little forest cover, Rajasthan has a rich and varied
flora and fauna. The natural vegetation is classed as Northern
Desert Thorn Forest (Champion 1936). These occur in small clumps
scattered in a more or less open forms. Density and size of patches
increase from west to east following the increase in rainfall.
Some wildlife species, which are fast vanishing in other parts of
India, are found in the desert in large numbers such as the Great
Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), the Blackbuck (Antilope
cervicapra), the Indian Gazelle (Gazella bennettii) and the Indian
Wild Ass.
The
Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, spread over an area of 3162 km², is
an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert, and its
diverse fauna. Great Indian Bustard, Blackbuck, chinkara, desert
fox, Bengal fox, wolf, desert cat etc. can be easily seen here.
Seashells and massive fossilized tree trunks in this park record the
geological history of the desert. The region is a haven for
migratory and resident birds of the desert. One can see many eagles,
harriers, falcons, buzzards, kestrel and vultures. Short-toed Eagles
(Circaetus gallicus), Tawny Eagles (Aquila rapax), Spotted Eagles (Aquila
clanga), Laggar Falcons (Falco jugger) and kestrels are the
commonest of these.
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