Nearly all the cities of Rajasthan
were once princely states in themselves and thus boast of forts and
palaces, temples and lakes, the excursion points and shooting points for
the royalty and of course, their own languages, cuisines, dances and
other art forms, fairs and festivals and a distinctive style of tying
turbans. Times changed and these princely states joined hands to be a
part of the state of Rajasthan under the patronage of Government of
India. This led to a the variety one can percieve in the picturesque and
colorful Rajasthan. The grandeur of the City Palace in Jaipur and the
matchless beauty of forever blossoming Saheliyon ki Bari in Udaipur,
lures the visitors. Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace has been chosen as a
favorite location in innumerable Indian movies. There are the sand dunes
of Jaisalmer and the Lake Palace of Udaipur. The pilgrimage sites at
Pushkar vie for its claim with the numerous World Heritage sites such as
Dilwara and Eklingi temples and the mighty forts that have fascinating
folklores attached to them.
Cradled amongst the barren hills, Ajmer in
indeed a green oasis with an interesting past. The city was named
after its founder, Raja Ajai Pal Chauhan, who founded it in the 7th
century.
Surrounded by Aravalli hills, the erstwhile
state of Mewat, Alwar is crowned by a magnificent fort that has been
a witness to many-a-battles and wars in the turbulent history of
Alwar.
In the heart of the scorching Thar Desert,
lies Bikaner of Rajasthan in India. The captivating desert scenery
with all the majesty of its sand dunes, hard, rocky soil and thorny
shrubs growing here and there, makes Bikaner endearing to nature
lovers.
Legends of medieval concepts of Rajput honor,
romance and valor haunts the ruins of the citadel of Chittaur where
one can see glimpses of the imperial glory of the bygone era in its
daunting forts, stylish palaces and fabulous 'chhatris'.
Conceived and built by the great and mighty
king, Sawai Raja Jai Singh, the name of the city ‘Jaipur’
has dual emphasis. ‘Jai’ means victory and and is also the
first name of its maker.
In the heart of Thar Desert, lies the
honey-colored mirage of Jaisalmer. The lonely cliff of Trikuta Hills
weathered dary winds and scorching desert sun for thousands of years
to win a magnificent fort of yellow sandstone as its crown in 1156
A.D.
Pushkar is one of the most famous Hindu
pilgrimage sites and it is said that a dip in the sacred lake of
Pushkar is akin to the visits to the four main Hindu shrines known
as ‘Chaar Dhaam’.
Romantic and divine, Udaipur is much more than
an oasis in the desert with its beautiful lakes, exquisite palaces
and architectural heritage and deserves the nickname of ‘the
Venice of the East’.
