Wonders of RajasthanVibrant Rajasthan – Travel to the Land of History, Legends, Valorous Warriors And Heritage Hotels….

The land of sheer natural beauty
A testimony to the glorious history
A treat to the sore eyes
That’s Ranthambhore National Park!

I am sure you must have been to National Parks but a visit to Ranthambhore National Park can never leave you disappointed. Recently I visited this Park, which enjoys a wide variety of wildlife and captivating natural beauty. It is located in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, and is 130 km from Jaipur. Once the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Jaipur, this Park is now a world famous wildlife destination where tourists come from across the globe.

Popular for its tiger population, the Park is also a home to a variety of wildlife such as Nilgai, Leopard, Indian hare, Mongoose, Sambhar, Chital, Jackal, Antelope, Langur, Black buck, Monitor Lizard and many more. The Park also provides shelter to crocodiles and beautiful birds.

Offering picturesque views, the Park is surrounded by Banas river, Chambal river and hills of Aravali range. Sprawling over an area of 392 sq km, the Park was declared a Project Tiger Reserve in 1973. There are three lakes flowing through this Park, namely Raj Bagh lake, Malik Talab and Padam Talab. These lakes are the promising sites for sighting both birds and animals as they come here to quench their thirst. Jeep and canter safaris are organized twice daily and each safari lasts for three hours.

One of the interesting attractions inside the Park is Ranthambhore Fort
whose history dates back to the 10th century. It is considered as one of the oldest forts of Rajasthan built by the Chauhan Rajputs in 944. The Jogi Mahal within the fort has the second largest Banyan tree in India. The fort offers amazing views of the Park.

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It was the end of May, the scorching summer was at its peak,and I was far

Shopping in Udaipur

away from the noise, pollution, dust and the mad rush of hi-tech metros.

Although it was quite hot in Udaipur as well but the climate was bearable, in fact a bit pleasant, because of the cooling effect of the charming lakes. In Udaipur, my lungs loved the air. The city sounded uncannily quiet. What could be more interesting activity than shopping to explore the ancient culture and traditions of the Rajputs dipped in vibrant colours?

I got to know that Udaipur has countless shops and many interesting local crafts. My mother told me on phone that the city is also famous for producing furniture covered with silver and inlaid with mother of pearl and bone. It was certainly a big deal to carry that huge furniture to my native place from Udaipur. But I could buy some small artifacts and traditional handicraft items. Therefore, I started my hunt from the stalls at the Lake Palace Road. I found a umber of traditional Rajput-Mughal-style miniature paintings there. Those were designed in a variety of mediums such as bone, paper, silk, marble, and wood. The shops next to the Rang Niwas Palace Hotel and the Jagdish Temple are also famous for such artifacts and beautiful images of Gods and Goddesses.

My driver took me to ‘Hathi Pol’, which is the biggest market area of Udaipur. I bought a few exquisite items such as colorful dyed fabrics and hand printed textiles, wooden folk toys and silver jewellery for my mother and sister. The animated colors and themes painted on the wall hangings are famous all over the world, but I found them very costly. Clock Tower, Chetak Circle and Bapu Bazaar are other famous market areas, which are known for the best of traditional articles and handicrafts. The best attractions of these market areas were Bandhej sarees & suits, traditional jewellery, handmade papers, painted wooden box, marble and wooden carved doors, brasswares, beadwork and precious & semi precious stones.

I was surprised to see the wealth of ethnic crafts that constantly reminded me of Mewar’s royal traditions and ethnic grandeur. Rajasthali and Sadhna are two government emporiums that offer all the products under a single roof. You are offered the best deals here and you can capture the most of Rajasthan in these emporiums. There is a great opportunity for bargaining also. Shopping in Udaipur was an enchanting cultural experience as I interacted with incredibly talented folk artists.

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Before leaving for my tour to Rajasthan my family members had handed me a list of the shopping items they wanted from Jaipur. In fact they were more

excited than me about my tour. After experiencing the royalty of the bygone era by visiting the palaces, forts and monuments in the city, I decided to dedicate one complete day to shopping. There is so much to see and buy at the bustling bazaars of the city. So on your tour to Jaipur, the fascinating city of Rajasthan, don’t forget to pamper yourself with a variety of colorful handicrafts. I explored quite a few markets in the city and finally bought wonderful handicrafts.

Some of the famous handicrafts of Jaipur are:

Blue Pottery
Famous around the world for its beauty, Blue pottery is one of the special handicrafts of the city. The blue pottery consists of objects like mugs, surahi, jug, plate, tiles, flower pots, ashtray, lamp shades and other decorative articles.

Metal Ware
A variety of beautiful metal objects are available in the city but the objects carved out of brass are simply unmatched. Lacquered brass and carved brass are the two types of brass work done in the city.

Wood Work
You can buy amazing wooden furniture such as table, chair, drawer chest, picture frame, mirror frame, carved doors and windows from the bazaars. Carved in traditional style and available in different shapes and designs, these objects can really give traditional touch to your house.

Carpets and Durries
Available in various fabrics, sizes and designs, carpets and durries of the city are famous for their quality and beauty.

Paintings
Shopping in a royal city like Jaipur is incomplete without buying the miniature or folk paintings. Made on various themes, the paintings look awesome.

Rajasthani Textiles
Tye and Dye fabric and Block printed textiles are a big hit in the city. Their grace, color and beauty attract not only Indian tourists but also foreigners. These textiles are available in a variety of patterns.

Marble Work
Meticulously carved marble statues of the Hindu deities, animals, human figurines, bowls, vases etc make a good buy in Jaipur.

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The unfading pride of Jaipuris in their rich culture tastefully

reflects in their culinary delights. My trip to Jaipur, a city occupying a significant place on the itineraries of tourists from across the world, was a great delight. Being a foodie I was quite euphoric about trying out various specialties of this Pink city. I really wonder how these people add such a great flavor to the dishes by using just the most basic of ingredients. No wonder cuisine has always been a serious business in Rajasthan since the era of Raja-Maharajas.

The mere mention of dal-bati-churma makes my mouth water as this is one of the Rajasthani dishes which tops my menu. I was seated in a restaurant which was decorated in a traditional style, which added more charm to my dining experience there. Before placing the order for dal-bati-churma I flipped through the pages of the menu which featured names of the tempting dishes such as Biryani Rumi, Lal Maas, Safed Maas, Kesaryia Bhaat and the list seemed endless. I also relished a big glass of butter milk(lassi) and I was completely full. But I had heard that one must not miss the sweet dishes of this royal state. So how could I leave the restaurant without rounding off my hearty meal by a sweet dish. I ordered Ghevar, which is one of the specialties of Jaipur. I also got some misri mawa packed to have it later.

The staff at the restaurant, wearing a warm smile, treated me like a friend. How sweet of them!It clearly shows hospitality runs in the blood of Rajasthanis. Be it vegetarian dishes or non-vegetarian delicacies, Jaipur’s menu has choices to tempt everyone.

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After getting high on entertainment in the wonderful Elephant festival in Jaipur, I with full enthusiasm was ready to see the fascinating architectural masterpieces of this pink city. As soon as I entered the unique and charming Hawa Mahal, I was greeted by the wonderful sights of Rajput style of architecture. The walls of the mahal are pierced with around 953 small windows boasting of beautiful lattice work. Carved flawlessly out of pink sandstone, these windows are commonly known as ‘Jharokhas’. They are fashioned in such a unique style that the building resemble a huge honeycomb. Air circulation through the windows keep the mahal cool even in summers. Another interesting feature of this mesmerizing establishment is the arched roofs with hanging cornices, which add more charm to its beauty.

I had read in books that these windows were constructed to facilitate the queens and princess of the royal family of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh to watch the processions taking place in the streets below without being seen themselves.

Other such arresting establishments which I visited in Jaipur were:

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

It is the brainchild of the intelligent Maharaja Jai Singh who built it during the period between 1727 to 1733. One must see this largest stone observatory in the world. It houses a great collection of architectural astronomical instruments, which are used for measuring altitude, time, movement of the stars and planets and several other astronomical events. It is one of the National Monuments of India.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Standing tall as the pride of Jaipur,
Amber Fort offers amazing views of
the beautiful Maota Lake. Maharaja Man Singh constructed this fort by combining the Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. The most exciting mode of reaching the fort is an elephant ride which is quite common here. The captivating chambers like Sheesh Mahal, Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Aam and Ganesh Pol will surely leave you spell bound.

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