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

Next day, we left for Udaipur, the city of lakes. As we reached there, the splendor of royal era grabbed our attention. The rolling hills, beautiful lakes and white marble palaces give Udaipur a special appeal.

We came across the spectacular monument-City Palace. Depicting the history of the city with honor, the palace boasts of its marvelous architecture.

Lies in the centre of Pichola Lake, Lake Palace is another beautiful monument of Udaipur. Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir are also lying nearby. We also came across some old monuments like Bagore ki Haveli and Maharana Pratap Memorial.These buildings still showcase the local culture and tradition. The exquisite glass and mirror work done on the interiors is amazing.

Pushkar Festival

On our afternoon trip, we explored the Monsoon Palace. It rewarded us with amazing views of the lakes and hills. In the evening, we witnessed the Rajasthani folk dance and music that made us drawn deep in its authenticity.

The day started with Pushkar visit. Though it is a small city yet is has its own charm and appeal. This city offers a more serene escapade to visitors as compared to any other tourist destination in Rajasthan. We got to know the famous Pushkar festival, when we visited the Pushkar Lake. It is said that huge livestock like cows, goats and sheep are sold in the fair.

Neha insisted us to visit Brahma Temple; we both agreed and moved ahead. Counted among the most significant Brahma temples, it has the shrine of presiding deity of Lord Brahma. Built in the 14^th century AD, this temple is dedicated to Lord Brahma.

Thinking of our next destination, we landed in the dream world.

Next day, we headed to Jaipur, the Pink City of India. It is the largest city of Rajasthan. It houses some magnificent forts and palaces which add to the place. Started from City Palace about which we had already heard a lot, we moved ahead inside the palace. Standing apart with its exemplary architecture, the palace complex covers a huge area. As we started walking ahead, we come across a series of gardens, buildings and courtyards.

Located near the boundary of the city palace, Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) is a worth visiting place. Khusboo was so excited to see this place that she could not help herself clicking some photographs. Named after Palace of Winds, this mahal boasts of its more than 950 huge windows. It was especially built in such a way to allow the royal women the views of the market areas.

Nahargarh Fort was another fort, which became a part of our exploration. Located on the aravali hills ridge, the fort was built by Jai Singh. This magnificent fort presents an enticing sight at night.

Chokhi Dhani

The most memorable thing of our Jaipur visit was Chokhi Dhani where we spend some time exploring the beauty of the place. Capturing the spirit of desert land, it ensures a perfect traditional Rajasthani experience. We enjoyed our food at this village resort. We relished authentic Rajasthani Food, which obviously had a lot of calories. Even I am very particular about my food though I could not help myself from enjoying the food with much ghee.

In the evening, there were some cultural programmes, which filled our heart with fun and enjoyment. The traditional performances and the puppet show just took away my heart.

With delightful memories, we left back for Delhi.

Lies in the centre of

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Rajasthan, the land of kings has always been my center of attraction. Its royalty, rich culture, glorious past, ancient monuments and warm hospitality have captivated my interest since my childhood. My most awaited dream came true when I embarked on this 14 days Rajasthan Tour with my two of my comrades-Khushboo and Neha.

We went to Rajasthan by car, and it took around five hours to reach there from Delhi. After reaching Mandawa, we took rest for sometime in our hotel. Then, we moved around the city to explore its fascinating havelis. The architectural splendor, the glorious past and the royal palaces just take you to a completely different world.

Our next halt was at Bikaner, which is famous for its magnificent forts and palaces. I was too eager to visit the Junagarh Fort for which I have heard a lot. We entered through the Suraj Pol or the Sun Gate, which is the main entrance of the fort. The fort includes 37 palaces and pavilions. It also houses a museum which has a rich collection of rare manuscripts, carpets, weapons, treaties, utensils and much more.

Lalgarh Palace Bikaner

While visiting the Lalgarh Palace of Bikaner, we were completely enthralled. Khushboo clicked some photographs at different locations. Some part of the palace has now been converted into a heritage hotel. The amazing filigree work and meticulous latticework speak volume about the fort. As I have already read a lot about the fort, so I was aware of the library that it houses. I could not believe when I saw the rare collection of original Sanskrit manuscripts. It reflects that how rich the city was in terms of education. People were really inclined towards education and got all the support from the kings in old era as well.

While relaxing at night, we all were sharing our knowledge about the forts and palaces we visited during the day. The magnetic charm of the attractions kept us delighted during the tour and soon we were in the next destination-Jaisalmer.

Popularly referred as the Golden City of India, it is situated in the heart of the Thar Desert. Neha had already been to Jaisalmer, so she decided for us the must visit places in the city. Trusting on her knowledge of Rajasthan Travel Guide, we followed her and reached Sonar Kila (Also known as Jaisalmer Fort or Golden Fort). We could see both the excellence of Indian artwork and the magnificence of military. Neha insisted us to go for a Camel Safari and her decision was good. Riding on a camel’s back is not only exciting but also it enables you to explore the glimpses of rippling sand dunes.

After taking rest in hotel, we moved forward to our next destination-Jodhpur. Mehrangarh Fort was the first attraction, we visited there. This huge fort is located just five km away form the town. It houses a museum that comprises an interesting collection of weapons, wood antique furniture, musical instruments, costumes, paintings and many more.

Umaid Bhawan Palace

When we reached Umaid Bhawan Palace, we felt as if we were in a royal era where all we could see the architectural splendor. Sprawled across 26 acres of land, the palace boasts of a marvelous architectural of ancient time. It has 347 rooms which reflect the marvel of the Indo-colonial and art deco style of the olden times.

A lie to the left of the fort complex is Jaswant Thada, a royal cenotaph. It is built of white marble. Some unique portraits of the earlier rulers of Jodhpur can also be seen here.

Enjoying each moment of the tour, we fell asleep and retired ourselves on the bed.

To be continued…

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City Palace Jaipur

Having read about Rajasthan in several books and heard a lot about the grandeur of Forts and Palaces of Rajasthan, I too wanted to experience an oasis. My wish got fulfilled when I set forth to get a wonderful trip to the princely state of Rajasthan. This time, a group of my colleagues accompanied me on the trip.

The forts and palaces of Rajasthan have been living testimony of this heroic ground. The state is admired for wonderful destination cities like Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner and Chittorgarh. Embellished with rich architectural heritage, the forts and palaces of Rajasthan have made it achieve glory in the nation as renowned tourist spot. The forts of the place showcase distinct blend of Hindu as well as Mughal architectural styles. Expressive of the bygone era, these monuments are acknowledged for the great Rajasthan history.

A mark of rich traditions and culture, the monuments in the Rajasthan are one of the best ways to experience the royalty of this princely state.

Starting our journey from Delhi, we reached Mandawa in Rajasthan. After taking rest, we all were excited to experience the forts and palaces of Rajasthan, so we arrived at Bikaner.

Bikaner Fort
Bikaner fort is also referred to as the Junagarh Fort. Built by Raja Rai Singh. The fort comprises 37 bastions that are nicely complimented with different palaces, pavilions, towers and temples.

There is also an exquisitely carved Chandra Mahal. Adorned with mirrors and art works, it creates a beautiful scene. We also went to a museum inside this fort and came across a wide collection of ancient manuscripts, gems, carpets and royal weaponry.

Khimsar Fort
This 16^th century old grand fort is a unique example of traditional Rajasthani architecture. This yellow coloured fort is now transformed into a heritage hotel. It offers a world-class accommodation with modern amenities for a royal experience.

Jaisalmer Fort
Built in 1156 A.D., the Jaisalmer fort is renowned as the second oldest fort in Rajasthan after Chittaurgarh. The interior is decorated in typical Rajput style. The bastions, ramparts and the long-stretching walls of the fort dazzle amazingly during dawn and at dusk.

Mehrangarh Fort
As we entered in this wonderful fort in Jodhpur, we were stunned to see the marvels of architecture.

This majestic fort is among the finest forts of the royal land known for its imposing structure over 125 meters above rocky cliffs. It is sprawled over an area of 5 sq. km. For an easy access, there are seven gates.

City Palace
Situated in Udaipur, the City Palace is a heritage building. It showcases the finest elements of ancient Rajput culture and the arts. We entered through the ‘Elephant Gate’, which is popularly referred as the ‘Hathi Pol’. The architecture of this palace displays aesthetic beauty of the exquisite artwork.

Other Attractions of Udaipur, which we visited, include Jagmandir Palace, Saheliyon-Ki-Bari, Jagdish Temple and Folk Art Museum.

Chittorgarh Fort
On our Udaipur excursion, we reached Chittorgarh. We visited The Chittaurgarh Fort which is among the famous forts of Rajasthan. Located on a 180 meter high hill in the Chittor District, this fort boasts of the finest glimpses of architectural wonder. This fort has a majestic construction that just captivated our attention.

Amber Fort
Situated in Jaipur, Amber fort is a majestic and stately fort. Built by Raja Man and completed by Sawai Jai Singh, this fort is made in while marble and red sand stone. The fort houses a famous temple Jai Mandir which has Sheesh Mahal. When we entered in the mahal, we saw a beautiful hall of mirrors which are artistically set and illumine the hall amazingly.

Hawa Mahal
This architectural marvel is situated in Jaipur. Renowned for its five-storied pyramid-shaped facades, this palace has 953 small windows. These windows are referred as ‘Jharokha’ and adorned with tiny lattice work.

The tour experience of Rajasthan still fills my heart with delightful memories.

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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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Rajasthan Battlefields

Battlefields and war scenes of the cinema, the vista of chaos, actually drive me crazy. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies. My next trip, luckily, took me to a marvellous journey to India’s finest forts & battlefields. It was Rajasthan tourism. Though I had explored this desert land earlier, but it was worth visiting again & again.

This land of royals has a rich past and magnificent heritage. While going through the Rajasthan travel guide, I came to know that great personalities ruled various regions of Rajasthan and left marks of bravery, grandeur and valor. During my trip to the cities like Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur or Bikaner – I’d explored the classical monuments like City Palace (Jaipur & Udaipur), Chittaurgarh Fort, Jaisalmer Fort, Taragarh Fort, Junagarh Fort, Mehrangarh Fort, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Hawa Mahal and Sheesh Mahal. Therefore, I decided to go for the conventional battlefields this time.

I started from Bharatpur, where the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary adjoins Deeg & Dholpur – the core elements of the Jat history of Rajasthan. Later I drove to Karauli, en route visiting Khanwa, where the Battle of Khanau was fought in the year 1527. This was the place where Babur defeated a formidable army raised by Rana Sanga of Mewar & established his rule over north India.

My next halt was Ranthambore where I first visited the Ranthambore Fort. After the defeat of the Chauhan King Prithviraj III by Muhammad Gauri in 1192, it was led by Govinda Raja, grandson of Prithviraj. Later after many battles & rulers, it came under the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar in the year 1559. Later I headed towards Udaipur, en route visiting Chittorgarh. A guide there told me that after the Mughal Emperor Akbar captured Chittorgarh in 1568, the capital was moved west to Udaipur, in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. Chittor Fort is a live example of the battles between the Ranas of Chittor & Alauddin Khilji, Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat & Emperor Akbar.

Next I visited the Victory Tower, built in 1440 AD by Maharana Kumbha to commemorate his victory over Mohamed Khilji. This 9-storyed tower is adorned by sculptures of Hindu deities and is the piece-de-resistance of Chittorgarh. After that, I continued to Udaipur, which was founded in 1568 by Maharana Udai Singh after his final unsuccessful attempt to defend the Mewar capital, Chittorgarh. Apart from the scenic & architectural beauty, it doesn’t have much to boast of. So I headed towards Kumbalgarh, the fort of Rana Kumbha that is surrounded by greenery & wildlife and is also within a short driving distance from the famous 15th century Ranakpur Jain Temples.

En route we also visited Haldighati (Gogunda) – the most famous battlefield of Rajputana where the most famous battle was fought in the year 1576 between Rana Pratap & the Imperial Forces of Emperor Akbar.

According to Rajasthan tour itinerary, Jaipur was next on my list. But I was running short of time, so I made a quick list of all the places to see in Rajasthan on my next trip. This short trip was quite exciting as well as informative. I never knew that addicted could be so pleasurable. I surrendered my soul!

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Desert Festival Jaisalmer

After a wonderful sightseeing tour of the havelis, temples and fort of Jaisalmer I and my three friends were all set to enjoy the colourful Desert Festival. It is the most vibrant festival of Jaisalmer celebrated every year in Jan/February. Attracting visitors from far and wide, this festival is organised by the Rajasthan State Tourism Corporation. A mirror to the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan, the festival is marked by several wonderful cultural activities.

When we reached the venue of the festival I felt as if the desert has come alive with the celebration of this festival. The sight of the decorated camels and rajasthani men and women in colourful attires was simply appealing. The festival offers an opportunity to tourists to acquaint themselves with the culture of the land of raja-maharajas. I interacted with some local people who told me a lot of things about the Rajasthani culture.

The first event that we saw was the turban tying contest. I was really amazed at the speed with which the participants were tying the turbans. It is a very much part of their tradition and no wonder they have long perfected this art. The other events that we saw were camel race, Mr. Desert contest and dance performance.

The fire dance is one of the striking features of the festival. It is performed on a ground covered with wood and burning charcoal. The performers walk through the fire in rhythm with the beats of drum. We were spell bound at the sight of the performers who were not at all affected by the flaming coals.

Another breathtaking experience was the finale of the festival. It was marked by the mesmerizing light and sound show amidst the sand dunes on a moonlit night. I felt as if I had been transported to a storybook of a desert. We also bout some fine handicrafts from the stalls such as wood and stone carvings and embroidered leather bags.

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