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

Having a great interest in Indian Mythology, I read the literature off and on. While doing the same, I came across the importance of elephants. The animal is among the most revered animals.

Jaipur Elephant Festival

It was believed to be emerged from the ocean after the churning of the ocean took place between the demons and gods to attain the immortality.

Reading this, my memories of the tour to Rajasthan got alive. I was there with my husband during the time of elephant festival. Among the most popular festivals of Jaipur, it offers you the opportunity to view the grandeour of the city.

All royal guests were being taken to the renowned Amber Fort on elephant back. Not only this, but some special elephant fights were also conducted to offer entertainment for the guests.

This spectacular elephant festival in Jaipur is organized in March every year. The grand procession just enthralled us. The elephants were bedecked on their heads and the tips of tails with heavy jewellery, flowers and other ornamentation you could imagine.

To our surprise, they were also wearing anklets that tinkle once they walk down in all their glory.

We enjoyed being witness to the various games like polo, races and Holi. Splashing each other with bright colours, they create a wonderful scene.

What could be more fascinating than the performance of folk dancers! It felt like we were in a grand celebration that would never end.

Besides elephants, other decorated animals like horses and camels can also be seen there. The highlight of the procession was, it could be seen with all the original grandeur of the old era.

Rajasthani Folk Dance

With the end of the procession, we were invited to mount the elephants. Many other tourists like us also grabbed this wonderful opportunity and enjoyed a lot. Some enthusiastic visitors also started playing with colours.

We also joined in the parade. The whole atmosphere soon became jovial.

The musical notes of the folk performers also added charm to the festival. With much enjoyment and recreating the age-old legacy, the grandeur of the festival ended.

The memories of the elephant festival are still fresh and takes me to the world of royalty.

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My strenuous work schedule made me so tired that I felt like taking a break. To regain my energy, I thought of visiting Jaipur in Rajasthan. As history always interests me, what could be the better option than that of Jaipur. Renowned as the ‘Pink City’, this royal city has always captured my attention.

Jaipur City

The day when I embarked on Jaipur tour with my sister Ekta and a friend, Deepti was like a new day for me. We all three managed to take 3 days leave from our offices and got ready for a change. We took a bus from Delhi and reached there within six hours. The moment I entered the glorious city of Jaipur, my joy knew no bounds. The city is renowned for its Rajput heritage and culture.

Jaipur has numerous palaces that are renowned across the world for their architectural grandeur. The architecture beauty of these palaces showcases the perfect amalgamation of Rajputana and Mughal style. We stayed in a good hotel, which was equipped with all the modern amenities.

To see the buildings painted in pink color is an amazing experience in itself. Our exploration of the city started with a visit to Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds). Built in the year 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, it is the most striking palace of the city. Its five-stories, hanging cornices, arched roofs, 953 tiny windows and pyramid-shaped structure make it a worth-visiting site.

Hawa Mahal

The City Palace is among the most predominant landmarks of Jaipur. I won’t be wrong if I call it as a perfect illustration of architecture. The palace also exhibits museum which has a rich collection of royal costumes and Rajput weapons. Though we felt tired walking in the huge palace, yet the charm to see the other parts of the palace did not allow us to stop and we moved on. We explored the beautiful Art Gallery, Mukut Mahal, Chhavi Niwas and Shri Govind Dev Temple of the palace.

The old Amer fort was our next destination. It was truly a delight to watch the fort. We got to see a big wall of ancient times and the stunning Sheesh Mahal (the hall of mirrors), Sukh Niwas and Ganesh Pole. Ekta insisted us to go for an elephant ride. Taking a ride while sitting on elephant’s back was just wonderful and a great experience.

Another fort which we visited was, Nahargarh Fort. Perched high on the Aravali hills, the fort overlooks the city. It offers charming views that can be best seen at the time of sunset.

Sheesh Mahal Suite Samode Haveli Jaipur

Being a shopping freak, I could not help myself from shopping in Jaipur. Based on our experience, I can say that one must visit the lively bazaars of Jaipur. You can find here popular shopping items like brass ware, textiles, kundan, quilts and much more. I bought some jewellery and textiles.

At last, we decided to visit Samode as we had some time in our hand. Located at a distance of 42 km from Jaipur, it is a great place to see. During this, the famous Samode Palace became the part of our exploration.

Our tour was over and I was ready to get back to my hectic work routine but this time there was a big smile on my face.

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Jaipur Elephant Festival

Come March and tourists head in droves to catch the Elephant Festival in Jaipur. We were among those tourists. Jaipur is a princely city of Rajasthan which takes immense pride in its famous Elephant Festival which is celebrated in March during the festival of colors, Holi. In keeping with the tradition of traveling frequently, I along with my friends reached Jaipur one day before the festival. We were booked in the heritage hotel Alsisar Haveli, which is a wonderful hotel. After seeing this hotel it would be no exaggeration to say that we had traveled back in time to the era of raja-maharajas. The royal treatment was overwhelming and something which I will remember for long.

During the celebration of Elephant Festival, the Pink city of Jaipur gets transformed in to a “famous venue” as tourists from far and wide come here to witness the charm of the colorful and royal Elephant Festival. It is the most popular festival which is celebrated with great pomp and show in the princely city. Dedicated to Elephants, this festival recreates the royal splendor of the raja-maharaja era. Jaipur’s Elephant Festival is organized by Rajasthan Tourism every year.

On our way to the festival venue our guide Sukhvinder Singh said with strong conviction that we will surely enjoy the festival which is marked by elephant parade, polo match, tug of war, elephant beauty contest, folk dances and many more events.

As we entered the stadium we saw it was fully packed with visitors and tourists who had come to see this festival. The morning of this eventful day was marked by the procession of the breathtakingly decorated elephants in the Chaugan Stadium. Other animals like horses, cows and camels later joined the elephants in the parade. The music band was playing drums and elephants were marching royally. I was feeling as if we had stepped back in time to the era of raja-maharajas. The scene was perfectly royal. And then we treated our senses with wonderful folk dance performances. It was very uplifting. Everybody seemed to be in high spirits.

After the long procession ended, the exciting tug of war began. I found this session the most interesting as this war was between a female elephant and 18 tourists. I think it was not fair as the female elephant had to fight alone against 18 people. But this royal creature dragged the tourists and finally won. I was so happy to see that as I was on the side of this majestic creature. People, no offense please. I asked our guide how and when do the tourists sign up for this event. He said that one needs to apply for this 2-3 months before the festival and then around 18 tourists are selected from around the world.

Next event was the elephant polo match between two teams of Jaipur. In this match each elephant was controlled by a mahout who sat on the neck and the players sat on the back with a long stick to hit the polo ball. Well it was quite interesting. It was something unusual which we rarely get to see.

Now this last event was another session of the festival which I liked a lot. Holi on elephants! Sounds too exciting na! We sat on elephant’s back and threw powdered colors on the people below who were also busy playing with colors with each other. This day was full of fun, excitement and entertainment. It was one of the best trips of my life.

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Albert hall Museum, jaipur

Museums, being great centres for learning history, serve as entertaining & exciting place for all the history buffs. On my trip to Jaipur, I did not pay much attention to this element. But while making notes of pleasurable memories of my trip, I realized that the Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur was actually a great centre for learning. Serving as the oldest in Rajasthan, Albert Hall Museum showcases an exquisite collection of metal ware, decorative wares, miniature Rajasthani portraits, sculptures, and an Egyptian Mummy.

While glaring at the photographs, I started recalling each and every corner of the museum that mesmerizes countless tourists from all over the globe. Constructed in 1876, Albert Hall or the Government Central Museum offers a unique Indo – Sarcenic architecture. This veritable treasure trove was built by Maharaja Ram Singh under the supervision of Lt. Swinton Jacob (a British army officer), for his personal use.

When I arrived at Ramniwas Gardens (the place where Albert Hall Museum is located), I was amazed to see the age old Rajputana glory that is still retained in the monuments in the native area. Moreover, a zoo, greenhouse, aviary and a sports ground adjacent to the museum also add to the beauty of the place.

First thing I came across in the compound was a Rajasthan village scene that is made lively with costumes, furniture, pottery and brassware. Another amazing part of the museum is the Persian Garden Carpet, which is certainly among India’s finest art treasures. A guide there told me that this garden carpet was made in Kerman, Persia in 1632. It is so beautiful that people call it ‘the garden of paradise’.

The guide also took me to Rabindra Manch, which serves as an auditorium, a modern art gallery and an open air theater. It hosts a few cultural events on different occasions. In the inner courtyard, the galleries depict the uniqueness of the dresses and jewelery of all the classes and tribes of Rajasthani people. As I was running short of time, I started concluding my visit. But that was a superb experience. I had not been to any museum since I did my schooling. So it reminded me of my golden days as well.

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City Palace Jaipur

Stunned by the imposing facade of incredible Rajasthan I keep traveling to this land time and again. Completely absorbed by the royalty of the palaces of this land of raja-maharajas I decided to visit the famous City Palace of Jaipur. I had heard a lot about the architectural beauty and mind blowing interior decoration of this imposing structure. Now was the time to see it for myself.

Popularly known as the Pink City, Jaipur is a wonderful tourist destination of India. This capital city of Rajasthan is one of the most visited destinations of the country. Its colorful culture and glorious history make it internationally renowned. The City Palace is the most enchanting attraction of the city and is also a landmark of the city.

Exploring the City Palace was a great experience. It is a perfect combination of Rajasthani and Mughal art and architecture built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. Several new structures were added to the palace by his subsequent generations. The palace complex encompasses several beautiful structures. The courtyards, gardens and structures of the Palace have their own unique charm. Nakkarkhana-ka-Darwaza is the fabulous gateway of the palace which is adorned with stone elephants.

Once the abode of the erstwhile rulers, today the palace is a stunning museum. It is a treasure-trove of rare and beautiful attractions such as paintings, manuscripts, weapons and textiles. While exploring the attractions I came across two huge urns of silver, said to be the largest vessels in the world.

As I moved inside the Mubarak Mahal in the palace complex I was astonished by the beautifully carved marble gate with heavy brass doors. The museum inside the Mubarak Mahal houses royal belongings, such as saris, chairs, overcoats etc, of the erstwhile kings and queens. The robe of Raja Madho Singh was too huge and I think at least four people like me can easily fit into it.

As I moved further I saw the Diwan-e-Khas or the Hall of Private audience and the Diwan-e-Am or the Hall of Public audience. Both of them were intricately decorated. The huge art gallery deserves special mention as there is a lot to see in it. It has amazing paintings, marble crafts and metal artifacts.

I also saw the arresting Badal mahal and Chandra Mahal which have their own beauty. In fact every structure of the City Palace has its own beauty and charm. I was completely overwhelmed by its stunning architecture, royal aura, peaceful ambiance and traditional decorations.

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