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, the place
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 :
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: 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 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: 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: 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:
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 43: C in many locations. Winter
temperatures vary from 20:-24: 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.
The best time to visit is around Mid-October to Mid-March. During the monsoons,
Rajasthan is a delight.

POPULATION : 50 million.

Festivals: Desert Festival in Jaisalmer and Nagaur Fair in February; Pushkar
Fair in November; Elephant Festival in Jaipur in March are popular events. The
18-day Gangaur festival is the most popular festival for girls, especially
married women. Urs in May in Ajmer; Teej or the Swing Festival in August;
Marwar Music Festival in October and Shilpgram Crafts Fair in December are
among other major festivals.

TOURIST OFFICE:
Government of India Tourist Office, State Hotel, Khasa Kothi, Jaipur 302 001,
Rajasthan.

Central Reservation Office : Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, Hotel
Swagatam Campus, Near Railway Station, Jaipur.

Department of Tourism, Art and Culture, Paryatan Bhawan, Government Hostel, M I
Road, Jaipur