Rajasthan - India
From Travel Information and Popular Attractions: TravelName.com
Literally the "Land of Kings," Rajasthan spans a wide, arid stretch of northwestern India. It is the largest state of India with Jaipur as its capital. The region is best known for its martial history- the indomitable Rajput warriors who defended themselves against invaders and divided the region into princely states. Rajasthan is equally famous for its exuberant festivals and colorful folk-art traditions. The variety of its landscape is unparalleled: the region is packed with awe-inspiring forts, sparkling palaces, soothing lakes and gardens, and exquisite temples and shrines. Travelers come from all over the world to visit its legendary cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer.
Location:
The state of Rajasthan lies in the northwestern part of India and it is 260 km from New Delhi and 240 km from Agra ( the city of Taj Mahal).
Climate:
The climate varies throughout Rajasthan. On an average winter temperatures range from 8° to 28° C (46° to 82° F) and summer temperatures range from 25° to 46° C (77° to 115° F). Average rainfall also varies, most of which falls from July through September during the monsoon season. The best time to travel to Rajasthan is during the winter, or cold season, which extends from December to March. January being the coolest month of the year.
Contents |
Popular Tourist Cities And Attractions Of Rajasthan
Jaipur:
Jaipur is one of the most well planned cities of the world of its time. This capital city of Rajasthan, popularly known as the Pink City, was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1727 A.D. The old Jaipur painted in Pink can grip any visitor with admiration. Jaipur was not always pink, the original city was light grey, edged with white borders and motifs. It was painted in pink in 1876 to honor the visit of the Prince of whales, which has been retained in the walled, old city.
Jaipur is worth halting for a couple of days. There are many tourist attractions in Jaipur, which will enchant you with their distinct architectural style and artistic designs. With its towering forts and impressive city palace, Jaipur is a good indicator of what to expect as you progress to interior Rajasthan.
Known as the Blue City, Jodhpur is situated at the edge of the Thar Desert and is the second largest city of Rajasthan. Jodhpur is known as the Blue City because of the color of the Brahmin houses and it is guarded by one of the most imposing fortress of the Rajputana. Because of its color , Jodhpur looks like a sea on the fringe of the Thar Desert. Jodhpur is encircled by a wall 9 Km around, which keeps out the desert sand. It is famous for its magnificent Forts and Palaces.
Jodhpur, once the capital of the Marwar kingdom for five centuries, was founded in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodha, chief of Rathore clan of Marwar who claimed to be the descendants of Lord Rama, hero of the ancient Hindu epic, The Ramayana.
Jaisalmer:
Jaisalmer is also known as the Golden City because of the honey color imparted to its stone ramparts by the setting sun. Founded in 1156 by Rawal Jaisal, Jaisalmer lies near the extreme western edge of Rajasthan. Its array of sandstone buildings are surrounded by the stark Thai Desert and illuminated in a gold hue by the penetrating sun. Jaisalmer is different from all the other cities of Rajasthan and is worth a visit if you want to see a different side of India and take a camel safari. Jaisalmer is defined by its carved spires and palaces, and the massive sand-castle-like fort that towers over the imposing wall that encircles the town.
Udaipur:
Udaipur, located around the shimmering clear blue water lakes is also known as - the city of lakes. It was founded in 1567 A.D. by Maharana Udai Singh who on the advice of a sage shifted his capital to the banks Lake Pichola, and named it after his name - Udaipur. Some have dubbed it as the Venice of the East. In his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Colonel James Tod described the valley of Udaipur as "the most diversified and most romantic spot on the sub-continent of India." The exquisitely carved marble palaces, impressively laid out gardens and the beautiful blue lakes make Udaipur look like a mirage in the desert.
Palace On Wheels - The Luxury Train
The famous Palace on Wheels has been rated as one of the ten best luxurious train journeys in the world. It offers a heart-rending trip to the splendid forts and palaces of Rajasthan in just seven days. It comprises of 14 fully air-conditioned deluxe saloons, equipped with world class amenities to enhance the pleasure of traveling.
Shopping in Rajasthan
Rajasthan's craftspeople have been famous for centuries for their jewel settings, stonework, blue pottery, enamel, lacquer, filigree work, tie-dye, and block-printed silk and muslin. Since You can find a range of items in Rajasthan right from handicrafts to paintings to gems and jewelry, it is truly a shoppers paradise. The land is traditionally rich in making handicrafts and handlooms. Since precious and semi precious stones are available in abundance here, it is also famous for its jewellery industry and it is one of the world's largest centre for hand-cutting of gems. It is India's important source for precious and semi precious stones like; Ruby, Emerald, Garnets, Agate, Amethyst, Topaz, Lapis lazuli, Carnelian, etc.
Almost all the major tourist cities of Rajasthan- Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer are famous for handicrafts to paintings to gems and jewelry. Be sure to keep some time and budget for shopping because you will get some unique and exclusive items here. Here are some of the main shopping areas, markets of the major cities of Rajasthan.
Transportation:
All the major cities of Rajasthan - Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer have airports, connecting them to most of the metros of India. Rajasthan has a good road network with good road conditions. Its railway network is also very good, connecting Rajasthan to almost all the major cities of India. Taxi's are easily available to move around the cities for sightseeing.
Palace On Wheels is a luxurious train and a good way of covering all the major tourist attractions of Rajasthan in a comfortable and worry free way. The Palace on Wheels is one of India's most fascinating journey covering the pink city of Jaipur, the sand dunes city of Jaisalmer, the city of Jodhpur, the National Park Ramthambhor, the city of Chittorgarh, the romantic city of Lakes Udaipur, the bird sanctuary of Bharatpur and the Mughal capital Agra before returning to Delhi.
Food:
Food in Rajasthan tends to be a little spicy for. Along with rice and vegetables, Rajasthani cuisine includes a lot of lentils and corn. Both posh and pricey restaurants and local dives are bound to serve regional food, so do try some local delicacies, sush as dal baati churma (lentils with wheat-flour dumplings), gatte ki subzi (dumplings made out of chick pea flour) and ker sangri (green beans). Breads include bajre ki roti (maize bread), makki ki roti (corn bread) and missi ki roti (chick pea and wheat flour bread). Desert is a highlight here, in some parts, sweets actually open the meal.
However, since Rajasthan is a popular tourist place, different cuisines are also easily available here.
Rajasthan Hotels:
Rajasthan has the most opulent hotels in India, perhaps in the world. Unique to Rajasthan, are the Heritage Hotels, a group of castles, forts, and havelis that have been converted to elegant accommodations. You can literally live like a King in one of the several converted palaces, surrounded by glittering mirrored walls, tiger skins, and stained glass windows. The best-known of these lush lodgings are Udaipur's Lake Palace and Udaivilas, Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace, and Jaipur'S Taj Rambagh Palace and Rajivilas.
Additional Information
Time Zone:
+ 5.5 hrs GMT
Currency:
Indian Rupee- INR (1 USD = 42 INR apx. as of year 2007) You can use Yahoo finance for latest conversion rate.
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=INR
Languages:
English and Hindi
Visa And Travel Tips:
All foreign nationals who travel to India require an entry visa prior to leaving their home country.
