Introducing Rajasthan
From the cackle of its colour-charged cities to the luminous splendour of its sun-kissed desert, Rajasthan is romantic India wrapped in gaudy royal robes. Here the fearsome Rajput warrior clans ruled with gilt-edged swords, plundered wealth and blood-thick chivalrous codes.
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A vast and wonder-laced state with treasures more sublime than those of fable, the Land of the Kings paints a bold image. Compiling a must-see list in Rajasthan can cripple the fussy traveller: Meherangarh looming over bright blue Jodhpur, the giant gold sandcastle at Jaisalmer, the palaces and pageantry of Udaipur, Pushkar’s reverent yet carnival charm, the storybook whimsy of Bundi and the havelis (traditional, ornately decorated residences) sprinkled through Shekhawati – see them all, and you’ll see a month fly by faster than the express bound for Pakistan. Like a microcosm of Mother India, there’s also abundant wildlife and warm people, glitz and camels, soulful music, glittering saris, tottering turbans and a surprisingly rich cuisine.
Yet Rajasthan’s largely rural population has grown tired of its own backward-looking image. Jaipur, the dusty pink capital, has rapidly become a fast-paced, modern Indian city, and literacy has made a rapid rise in the region. While the land is invariably harsh and droughts are a constant menace, imaginations are now fixed firmly on the future.
The state is diagonally divided into the hilly southeastern region and the barren northwestern Great Thar Desert, which extends across the border into Pakistan – now accessible via train. The highest point is reached at the pleasant hill station of Mt Abu.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Tips & articles
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Top 5 destinations for photography
7 October 2010
This column originally appeared in Lonely Planet Magazine India whose chief consultant photographer Dhaval Dhairyawan reveals his top five photogenic...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Varanasi to Delhi
by 10yearitch 14 September 2011
Here is suggestion ... Why don't you skip Rajasthan since you don't have time and focus on MP. It is a lovely state with plenty to see…
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Side trip from Delhi
by voyager123 13 September 2011
Hello! I have about 8 days at the beginning of October and I'm heading to Delhi for a few days and then to see the Taj. I'm not sure…
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RE: Puskar to Jodhpur
by Anchay 13 September 2011
I took a government bus from Pushkar to Jodhpur from the bus station that is located to the north of the town near the track that takes…
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Rajasthan
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Rajasthan Overview
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Our Top Picks For Rajasthan
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1 Deshnok
Rajasthan's rats run riot in the famous Karni Mata temple, near Bikaner
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2 Jaisalmer
The Golden City hosts a sand castle–like fort, glorious havelis (traditional mansions) and camel safaris in desert dunes
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3 Jodhpur
The Blue City is a sea of blue buildings spreading out beneath Meherangarh, one of Rajasthan's finest forts
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4 Mt Abu
A holiday hill station among dramatic Aravalli hills, home to the miraculous marble-carved Dilwara Temples
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5 Udaipur
Rajasthan at its most romantic: bone-white buildings, palaces and lakes set in an amphitheatre of hills
Fast Facts about Rajasthan
- Main languages
Hindi and Rajasthani
- Area
342, 239 sq km
- Population
56.5 million
- Capital
- When to go
mid-October to mid-March
Our favourite Rajasthan Blogs (beta)
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5 Things To Do in Udaipur
Blog: A Wandering Mind - 13 January 2012
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Achalgarh - of a Fort and Temple, Bulls and Demons....
Blog: A Wandering Mind - 12 January 2012
A bull which drove away invaders, three buffaloes said to be demons, a lake once said to have been filled with ghee and a temple once covered in lime to protect it – we couldn’t help but smile as we listened to these stories about Achalgarh. We had a day free at Mount Abu and were in the mood to explore, so we headed out for the tourist circuit, trusting our driver to take us to some interesting places.
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What is Chai
Blog: Indian Bazaars - 6 January 2012
And, why is the chai so much a part of our lives? In India, we believe that time is cyclic and in the many years we live before we are reborn again, the chai is at the core of our existence. It is the cup of chai (tea) that helps us mark time in our homes, in our streets, in our marketplaces. Every home offers its guest a cup of tea. Every street corner offers its visitors a glass of chai. In the marketplace, the chai creates the social space that people need as an introspection, an interaction or a sharing of experiences.
