Rajasthan is the largest state in the Indian Union. Geographically, the land of Rajasthan is more varied than any other region. It is a region of lofty rocks, rolling sand dunes, of burning heat and freezing cold, of fertile plains and deep wild glens and jungles. The Aravalli range, which is the oldest folded range in the world, divides the area into two natural divisions-North-West and South-East. North-West area is a sandy and ill watered tract emerging gradually from a mere desert in the west and North-West to comparatively fertile land towards the East and North-East in the neighborhood of the Aravallis and the track bordering Haryana. The South-Eastern division which is more elevated and fertile than the North-West, has a very diversified character with extensive hill ranges, pockets of woodland, several large rivers, fertile tablelands and stretches of excellent soil. The Arid high plateau of South-Western Rajasthan is broken by wild cliffs and hill ranges. Irrigation dams or deep wells are the source of water for the fields in the oases lying within the Valleys.
TOURISM
JODHPUR
Jodhpur, the second largest city of Rajasthan, situated on the fringe of the Thar desert was once the capital of the Marwar state. It was founded in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodha-chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs who claimed to be descendants of Rama - hero of the epic 'Ramayana'. It has 9 kms in circumference wall which keeps out the desert sands. The great fort, temples and palaces are the main attraction of the tourists.
Mehrangarh Fort
'Mehrangarh', meaning the Majestic Fort is one of the largest forts in India. Located at the centre of the city the fort spreads over 5km atop a 125m high hill. The magnificent fort was originally started by Rao Jodha in 1459, but most of the fort which stands today dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-78). The fort with walls up to 36m high and 21m wide houses some of the most intricately adorned palaces with exquisitely carved panels, latticed windows and brilliant stained glass. There are three gates, (originally seven) each built to commemorate a particular victory. Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana are some of the important palaces and apartments. The fort museum, in a series of palaces has a collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The canons, placed strategically on the ramparts are well preserved and impressive. We get an excellent view of the city from the ramparts of the Fort.
Open daily 9am to 1pm and 2 -5pm. to know more
Entry fee -Rs.50
Jaswant Thada
A collection of royal crematorium including that of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, in white marble, is situated near to Mehrangarh fort. Built in 1899, the cenotaph also houses the portraits of the rulers of Jodhpur. There is some beautiful marble lattice work.
It opens daily from 0800 to 1800. Entry - free.
Umaid Bhavan Palace & Museum
Built by Maharaja Umaid Singh in 1929 and completed in 1943, this exquisite palace also known as Chhittar Palace is a splendid example of Indo-Colonial art deco style of 30s. The palace designed by HV Lanchester was originally started as a famine relief project which gave employment to more than 3000 people, for 16 years. Part of this magnificent sand stone and marble palace containing over 300 rooms have been converted into a museum, deluxe hotel and a royal residence. The architecture makes this palace unique in the state. The building was constructed without using cement. It is made of interlocking blocks of sandstone. The central dome of the palace is 183 feet high. It has its own theatre, eight dining rooms, banquet hall and a Ball room. The museum inside the palace displays weapons, antique-clocks, crockery and hunting trophies belonging to the Maharaja. It has a collection of miniature paintings, crafts and royal finery. The royal family still occupies part of it. Museum opens from 9am to 5pm.
Girdikot and Sardar Market
These colourful markets are located in the heart of Jodhpur. Narrow alleys lead to quaint little shops selling textiles, antiques, silverware and a wide range of handicrafts. Nearby is the clock tower which is a prominent landmark.
Government Museum
Located in the Umaid Public gardens this museum has a collection of weapons, textiles, miniature portraits, local crafts and images of Jain Tirthankars. There is also a library and a zoo.
Village Safaris
It has become a popular tourist attraction. Many agencies are offering a trip by jeep to the surrounding villages to see the local way of life. Settlements of the Bishnoi Tribal Community who are famous for their reverence for plant and animal life can be seen in the villages. These trips offer good opportunity to buy rugs and handicrafts. Visitors are shown how villagers make dhurries and can try making pots, grinding grain and firing slingshots.
Places Around Jodhpur
Mahamandir
The temple located 2km north-east of the city on the Mandore Road, is an architectural splendour built in 1812, supported by 84 carved pillars ornamented with detailed designs.
Balsamund Lake and Palace
Located 7kms from Jodhpur is the Balsamund Lake surrounded by garden built in 1159.A European style palace constructed in 1936, looms over the lake. Although its internal structures are in a European style, it has entirely traditional and beautifully carved red sand stone facade. The lake a popular excursion spot has been converted into a public park and bird sanctuary. The Balsamund Palace offers comfortable accommodation in a peaceful surrounding.
Mandore Gardens
Mandore, the ancient capital of Marwar lies 8 kms north of Jodhpur. The extensive gardens is beautifully laid with high rock terraces. Garden is open to visitors daily from sunrise to sunset. The 'Hall of Heroes' here contains 16 gigantic figures carved out of a single rock wall. The vividly painted figures represent Hindu and folk deities or local heroes on horseback. This garden also had a small museum. It houses the royal cenotaphs of the Maharajas, of which the temple shaped memorial of Maharaja Ajit Singh is the largest and the finest. The sculptures from 5th to 9th century, ivory and lacquer work are displayed here. The Shrine of 33 Crore Gods painted with figures of gods, spirits and divinities is also worth seeing. The museum opens from 1000 to 1600, Saturday to Thursday and Friday is a holiday.
Osian
The ancient town of Osian situated 65km from Jodhpur is an archaeologists delight. The 16 Brahmanical and Jain temples belonging to 8th and the 11th century are beautifully sculpted and designed. The largest and the best preserved among them are the Mahavir Jain temple dedicated to Mahavira, the last of the Jain Thirthankars and Sachchiya Mata temple (11th-12th Century dedicated to Goddess Durga). The early 8th century Surya temple with beautifully carved pillars has fascinating images of Durga, Surya and Ganesh. Once a great trading centre, Osian is now a desert oasis, home to numerous peacocks.
Rohet
A picturesque settlements of the Bishnoi Tribal Community- 40kms south of Jodhpur. Bishnois are famous for their reverence for plant and animal life. Rohetgarh, a peaceful heritage hotel here has a beautiful lake side environment. Jeeps, horse and camel safaris are organised.
Sardar Samand Lake and Palace
This lake about 65kms south east of Jodhpur attracts pelicans, flamingos, cranes, egrets and kingfishers. The palace formerly the Maharaja of Jodhpur's summer palace has now been converted into a hotel. On the route to this wildlife centre, Rajasthani village life and vibrant cultural colours can be seen.
JAIPUR
Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan, also known as 'Pink City' is sorrounded by an ancient 20ft high wall and eight gates. The city is situated 261 kms away from Delhi. It was a state of warring factions locked in deadly warfare, thousands of royal ladies consigning themselves to flames preferring death to dishonor.Today, Jaipur is the personification of the old order influence the new. An inherent feel for color and design percolated ever stratum of society, and jewelry, crafts and architecture became objects of delight equally between prince and peasant.Jaipur is also the main tourist and transport hub of Rajasthan tourist circuit. You can venture out to places like Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Pushkar, and many more such destinations from Jaipur. Jaipur is also a part of famed Golden Triangle tourist circuit of India with Delhi and Agra. The best time to visit Jaipur is winter (mid September to March). |
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Hawa Mahal
This 'Palace of the Wind' (Hawa Mahal) is a part of the city palace. This is the most famous building in Jaipur. It is build for the ladies of the harem by Sawai Pratap Singh. The monument was originally conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and royal processions of the city.
The City Palace-Jaipur Palace
The citadel of the Kachchawah Rajput rulers of Jaipur. The palace houses a museum with a superb collection of costumes and armoury of Rajputs & Mughals. The vast complex occupies one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur and is wonderful blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture.
Jantar Mantar (Observatory). It is literally known as 'Instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens. It was built between 1728 to 1734 by Jai Singh. Each instrument of this observatory is used for a particular function and gives an accurate reading. The differnt Yantras placed in clockwise at the observatory is narrated below. The Samrat Yantra is a large sundial (the triangular structure) marked with hours and minutes. The arc at the left side will show the time from sunrise to midday and the right side will show the time from midday to sunset. The time is read, where the shadow is sharpest. The sundials are constructed on latitude 270 North. To adjust the reading to Indian standard Time (IST), between 1 minute 15 seconds to 32 minutes must be added according to the time of year and solar position. The Dhruva Yantra locates the position of 12 Zodiac signs and the Pole Star at night. The traditional unit of measurement is the human breath calculated to be of 6 seconds duration. Thus 4 breaths = 1 pala (24 seconds), 60 palas = 1 gati (24 minutes), 60 gatis = 1 day (24 hrs). The Narivalya Yantra is a sundial with two dials. The first dial facing towards south, to read time when the sun is in the south hemisphere (21 September to 21 March) and the other one is at the north facing towards the north for the rest of the year. At noon the sun falls on the north-south line and the time is read in normal way. Next is Jai Singh's seat (Observer's seat). The Kranti Yantra is used for direct measurement of the longitude and latitude of the celestial bodies. The Raj Yantra is the King of Instruments used only once in a year to calculate the Hindu calendar. The Unnsyhsmsa yantra is used for finding the altitudes of the celestial bodies and Disha yantra points to the north. The Dakshina yantra used for observing the position and movement of heavenly bodies when passing over the meridian. The Large Samrat Yantra operates on the same principal of Samrat Yantra. However, it is ten times larger and accurate to 2 seconds instead of 20 seconds than the samrat yantra. The sundial of this yantra is 27.4 meters high hence, the observer could climb the steps to make the reading. During Guru Purnima, the holy full moon, in the month of July/August, this yantra is used to predict the length and heaviness of the monsoon for the local area. The Rashivalayas Yantra has 12 sundials for the signs of the zodiac and operated in the same way of Samrat Yantra. The instruments enable readings to be made at the instant each zodiacal sign crosses the meridian. Hindus believes that their fated souls move with the rhythms of this zodiac. The Jai Prakash Yantra act as a double check on all the other instruments. The Chakra yantra gives the angle of an object from the equator.
Albert Hall Museum
It is erected in the middle of Ram Niwas Garden of Jaipur. It was built in 1876 to mark the visit of Prince of Wales to the city. The building is made of sandstone and marble in Indo- saracenic style. It contains a fine collection of sculptures, paintings, decorative art objects, natural history specimens, an Egyptian mummy and a celebrated Persian Garden Carpet. Timings : 10.30 - 16.30 hrs.
Statue Circle
The full length exquisitely carved statue of Sawai Jai Singh in white marble in the centre of the circle is a landmark in a newly planned residential area to pay homage to the founder of Jaipur. The big circle attracts large crowds in the evenings.
Ram Niwas Garden
Was built in 1868 by Swai Ram Singh. It is located in the center of modern Jaipur, it spreads over 33 acres of land. It houses the Albert Hall Museum, the state Zoo, Ravindra Manch Theatre and several cafes and picnic spots in its premises.
Timings : 1000 - 1630 hrs.
Jal Mahal
A picturesque palace amidst the Man Sagar lake. It was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 A.D for royal duck shooting parties. During winter, a large number of migratory birds arrive at the lake. The red sandstone palace is located 6.5 kms from Jaipur on the road to Amber. A causeway from the main land, leads to the palace.
Jaigarh Fort
One of the few military structures of medieval India built in 1726 by Sawai Jai Singh. Situated north of Jaipur, on a cliff and surrounded by huge battlements with inside walkways, the fort houses the 'Jai Ban' the largest cannon in Asia, supposed to have been test fired only once. This fort of Victory has a museum which displays a collection of weapons and cannons used by the Rajput rulers. There are fine views of the Amber fort. Timings : 0900 - 1630 hrs.
Nargarh Fort
Located 6km north west of Jaipur, on the rugged Aravali Hills. Nahargarh meaning 'abode of the tigers' was built by Jai Singh II in 1734 to bolster the defense of Amer. There is a wonderful view of the Mansagar lake and the Jal Mahal Palace from the fort. Timings : 1000 - 1800 hrs.
Govinddev Ji ka Mandir
The presiding deity of Jaipur is Govindeoji, Lord Krishna. The temple is located between the Chandra Mahal and the Badal Mahal in the city palace complex, so that the rulers of the state could view the temple from their residences. The temple attracts large number of devotes specially on the 'Janmashtmi', the day of Lord Krishna’s birth.
Rani Sisodia's Garden and Palace
The terraced garden is located 8 kms from Jaipur on the Agra route. Sawai Jai Singh built it in 1728 for his Sisodia Queen from Udaipur. The beautiful landscaped garden laid in Mughal style have murals of the life of Lord Krishna in the interior apartments.
Amber Fort and Palace
Is one of the most magnificent destinations in Jaipur located on the hills just 11km out of Jaipur. It was built by Raja Man Singh in 1600 AD, continued by Raja Jai Singh and then completed to its present form by Sawai Jai Singh in the eighteenth century. The fort is an example of a fascinating blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture built in red sandstone and white marble.
Galtaji
An ancient pilgrimage centre lying beyond the gardens amidst low hills. Temples pavilions and holy kunds (natural spring and water tanks) along with lush landscape make it a delightful spot. The small temple of the sun god built by Diwan Kriparam on the top of the highest peak is visible from all parts of the city.
Ramgarh
25 Kms from Jaipur. An ancient site now famous for its huge artificial lake created by constructing a high bund amidst tree converted hills where the citizens throng in a large number for picnic in the rainy season. |
JAISALMER
This ancient city lies in the heart of the Thar desert. There is facility for camel safaris into the desert. This walled city has intricately carved golden buildings and havelis.
Fort The fort is surrounded by a 30 ft high wall. There are gateways at the east and west of this fort. Jain and Hindu temples, palaces and charming havelis can be seen inside the fort. The Juna Mahal (Old Palace) is a seven storied building. It stands under a vast umbrella of metal that is mounted on a stone shaft. The historic spot of the Satiyon-Ka-Pagthiya (step of the Sati) is situated at the entrance of the palace. There are 8 Jain temples in the fort. These temples were built from 12th to 16th century. There are thousands of carved deities and dancing figures housed here. Inside the temple there is a Gyan Bhandar (Jain Library). It contains more than 1000 old manuscripts- some of them from the 12th century and written on palm leaf . It has also a collection of Jain, Pre-Mogul and Rajput paintings . Entry : Daily from 0800 to 1700. Jain temple is open to visitors daily from 0700 to 1200, Entry free. The Library opens daily from 1000 to 1100.
Havelis You can see five havelis outside the fortress. These havelis were built by the Patva brothers in 1800. Two of the havelis are now owned by the government. These havelis are open to the public. The interior of the other three havelis can also be seen with an offer of small fee to the present residents. The Nathamal Ki Haveli was built by two brothers. The design of the havelis are remarkably harmonious. The Salim Singh Ki Haveli is a six-storied structure with 38 balconies and elaborate carvings.
Folklore Museum. It is behind the main bus stand. Opens daily from 0900 to 1200 and 1500 to 1800. This museum narrates the back-ground of local history and culture of Rajasthan.
Pushkar
Pushkar lake This lake is one of India's most sacred lakes. It has a superb view at sunset and sunrise. There is a Brahma Temple at the end of the lake. This temple is one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma. The pilgrims visit this shrine throughout the year.
Cattle Fair The cattle and camel fair is considered as one of the greatest mela (fair) of India. The mela is conducted in the month of November on Kartik Poornima ( full moon day). Over 2,00,000 visitors; pilgrims and hordes of cattle and camels with their semi-nomadic tribal drivers crowd the town for this fair. Here farmers, camel traders and breeders buy and sell their animals, leather whips and shoes .Items for women, bangles, clothes, pots, necklaces of glass beads from Nagaur and printed cloth from Jodhpur and Ajmer are also sold here.
UDAIPUR
The city has planned gardens and island palaces on artificial lakes. It was founded by Maharana Udai Singh in mid-16th century.
Lake PalaceS
Jag Niwas This palace now converted to a Hotel is named Lake Palace Hotel. The white-marbled building stand in the middle of Pichola lake. Boats are available from the jetty and at base of City palace museum. Visit : Daily from 1400 to 1800. 1/2 hour cruises on the lake are also available. Entrance is through the restaurant. Inside the palace there are apartments, courts, fountains and gardens. The Jag Mandir Palace is situated at the southern end of the lake. This is a three storied building, built of yellow sandstone. Its inner lining is made of marble. The dome of this palace looks like a crown. The interior of this palace is decorated with coloured stones.
Sahelion Ki Bari (Garden of the Maidens) This garden is at Saheli Marg. Opens daily from 0800 to 1900. This garden has colourful fountains. The fountains with monolithic marble elephants works on water pressure. The good monsoon shower fill water to the lake which gives adequate pressure to run the water from mouth of elephants and fountains. There is a children's museum near this garden.
Bharatya Lok Kala Mandal This Mandal is near to Chetak Circle. Visit : 0900 to 1800 Closed in April to August. This museum has a collection of dolls, masks, folk dresses, puppets, ornaments, paintings and musical instruments. Puppet show is conducted every evening from 1800 to 1900.
City Palace Museum It is at City palace complex. Visit from 0930 to 1630. This palace was built by Udai Singh and extended by subsequent Maharanas. The sprawling structure of the place has preserved its harmonious design. The octagonal towers are surmounted by cupolas. All the rooms of the palace contains beautiful paintings, inlay glass work, antique furniture and colourful enamel. Guides are available in the palace.
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur This National Park is 55 Km west of Agra. This park founded by Suraj Mal, in 1733. It has a area of 29 Sq.Km of forest and wet land. The water bird sanctuary harbours several species of birds. It gives shelter to birds in the winter season. There is a road that runs from the entrance gate to the center of the park . By using this road you can watch the birds .Many animals and reptiles are also found in this park. It includes spotted deer, otters, blue bulls and rock pythons. November to February is the best season to visit. Opens from 0600 to 1830.
Shilpagram This is a rural arts-and-craft village. It is at 3kms away from Udaipur. The complex is filled with recreation huts from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Goa. Every December this village celebrate the Shilpgram Utsav. The artists and craftsmen from all over the country come down to this village to display and sell their products. |
