Tourist Guide to Rajasthan, India

Rajasthan is the most sought after travel destination in India, both for Indian travellers as well as those arriving from overseas. The reason for that lies in its unique cultural identity which has been reasonably preserved, and its monuments, the forts, palaces and temples, which are as grand as they ever existed anywhere in the world, and as unique as they would if they belonged to an ancient civilisation.

Rajasthan is also the largest province in India. It has many attractions. To cover them all may take many weeks, so depending upon the time available you need to make your choice. The capital city is Jaipur, a booming city which holds in its heart an old township. As most structures of the old town are pink, so it is also called the 'Pink city'. The old township is a marvel in town planning. Built in seventeenth century, its roads and sewerage systems are still claimed as better than modern time constructions. Its famous jewels include the 'Amber Fort', a twelfth century structure, with a palace inside, and a newly constructed 'Jaigarh Fort' with the first indigenous gun factory. Then there is 'Hawa Mahal', many palatial hotels and a sprawling market for those looking to indulge in exotic shopping. India tours

The next most famous place in Rajasthan is Jaiselmer, the only Indian city with a desert and sand dunes. It is very popular with foreigners, not the least because of its colourful folk dances which are one of the biggest attractions. The most famous dance is 'Kaldera' - a treat to watch even for those with no interest in folk culture.

Other places include Jodhpur, Bikaner, Chiitorgarh, Kota, Ajmer,Bharatpur, Sariska and Sawai Madhopur. All of them have some unique attractions in addition to their monuments and rich history. Rajasthan which was called 'Rajputana' was the abode of Rajput princes, famous for their chivalry, and their attachment with honour, in some ways very similar to the Japanese Samurai class. For them, it is said, death was like a game as was life. They ruled large parts of India and their period of glory was between seventh and twelfth century A.D. Unfortunately they were not the greatest strategists, and so in their focus on chivalry and valor, they sometimes could not built great empires.

The best time to visit Rajasthan is between November to March. December and January are cold with temperatures often falling to zero degree Celsius, but days are pleasant and one can have campfires in the night.For those travelling to Rajasthan, a guide is a must as there is so more than meets the eye. To have a feel of the place you need to hear about it.