Rajasthan is a place of colour and art. People here celebrate the little joys of life. Each state in India has a different culture and tradition. Rajasthan has its unique tradition too. Their way of clothing and food habits, they differ from the rest of the country in every way. The dance form is elegant and their folk music is very delightful. Camel rides and desert safaris are an ecstasy.
A travel plan to Rajasthan will definitely be an interesting one. Rajasthan has a royal history and still preserves the sovereignty. There are temples, forts, palaces and lakes part from the deserts you must have most definitely heard of. The climatic conditions are on the extremes. It’s extremely hot during the summers and temperatures fall low during winters. The time from August to October is the best time to visit Rajasthan. They serve a lot of ghee in their food along with their love.
I’m going to give you a list of places that you could visit when you’re in this colourful state in India.
Jaipur:
This is the capital city of Rajasthan also called as the ‘Pink City’. This is one of the most visited places in India. The tourist attractions of Jaipur are:
Albert hall or Government Central Museum: This is one of the oldest museums in Jaipur and it displays the artefacts and paintings from the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and British times. It is very intriguing to have a look at them.
Hawa Mahal: This palace is made of red and pink sandstone. This building stands 50 feet tall. There is good cross ventilation of winds through the windows of the palace and hence its name, meaning “Palace of Winds”. This set up of the palace makes it pleasant to be at even during summers.
Jal Palace: This is a palace stands beautifully inside the Man Sagar Lake. The Palace’s architecture has a Rajput style. Surrounding the lake are magnificent hills. The Palace and the environment around is amusing to be at.
Forts: The forts that you should visit in Jaipur are Amer Fort, Nahargarh fort and Jaigarh Fort. These forts give insight into the Rajputana architecture.
Jantar Mantar: This is an equinoctial sundial. The stone sundial is used to measure the time of the day. This is a world heritage site.
Temples: A lot of Hindu and Jain temples are there in Jaipur. They display wonderful architecture too and give you information on people’s religious practices.
Udaipur:
This is a beautiful city called the “City of Lakes”. There are seven lakes around the city. The sunrises and sunsets at this lake are grandiose. The lakes that are most visited are Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake. There is a Lake Palace, now a Five-star hotel that is situated on an island in the Pichola Lake.
City Palace: This beautiful palace lies on the banks of Pichola Lake and is now a museum which is home to ancient paintings, articles and things. The Rajput era had the best of the palaces, and this is one of them.
Saheliyon ki Bari: This is a garden that has fountains, a lotus pool and marble structures inside. It is a very attractive tourist spot. It has historic significance too.
Monsoon Palace: This was built to monitor and forecast the weather. This palace is built with white marble. It has an amazing view of the city, the lakes and the surroundings.
There are Hindu temples of which Jag Mandir and Jagdish temples are most popular. The most popular Jain temple is Kesariya Ji Jain Mandir.
Jaisalmer:
Jaisalmer is also called “The Golden City”. The name comes from the sandstone architecture in the city. This place is known for the Forts, Camel Rides and Jain temples, not just recently built, but also the ones built during the 12th century. There is a Jain temple inside the Jaisalmer Fort which has profound art and architecture.
Tourists enjoy Camel rides here. The rides are very amusing. People of all age groups would love this. There is a Desert Festival organized every year. People celebrate it with music and dance. It is a fun time to be around in Jaisalmer then.
The Jaisalmer Fort, Akal Fossil Park Museum, Jaisalmer War museum are common Tourist attractions. The Bada Bagh is a historical garden. The spot of Battle of Longewala is also visited by many. These places give out the essence of Indian history.
Mount Abu:
This is the only Hill Station in Rajasthan. This place is located in the Aravalli hill range. It has got rivers, lakes and forests.
Nakki Lake is the most popular lake. You can go to the Achalgarh Fort from there too. The view at the lake is wonderful and being at the forts is always intriguing.
Talking about the temples here The Arbuda Devi Temple is the most popular Hindu temple. The temple is made of a solid rock thus increasing our curiosity to be there.
The Dilwara or Delwada Jain temple was built around the 11th and 15th century with white marble. It has magnificent architecture and the marble carvings are so detailed.
Mount Abu is an escape spot from the desert heat waves across Rajasthan. For the shoppers- you get lovely crochet clothes here.
Jodhpur:
Jodhpur is a city that has forts, lakes, temples, gardens and museums. There are a lot of places you could visit here. I am listing out my favourite ones down for you.
MehranGarh Fort & Museum: This fort is one of India’s largest forts. It has a museum inside with the richness and historic artefacts of history and wars. A part of the museum also which displays palanquins. This fort should surely be visited in case you are at Jodhpur.
Jaswanth Thada: This is a cenotaph that was built in Maharaja Jaswanth Singh’s honour. The mausoleum is carved and made of marble. There is a like inside this place. There are three cenotaphs and they display portraits of the Maharaja.
Bal Samand Lake was designed as a reservoir. It is a popular picnic spot in Jodhpur. Ranisar Lake is a scenic place with the Mehrana Garh fort adjacent to it adding to the beauty of the lake.
Mandore Garden: This place is home to the ruins of the Mandore Fort, an old temple and a lot of cenotaphs.
Toorji ka Jhalra bavdi: This is a step-well so amazingly built in the 1740s by the queen. This step-well provided easy access to water throughout the year. This place is surely worth a visit to appreciate the long term thinking of the people back then.
Machia Biological Park: You can go on a safari here and enjoy the best of the flora and fauna around. People of all age groups would enjoy here. You can capture great photographs too.
Umaid Bhawan Museum: This is a part of the Umaid Bhawan Palace. It comprises of historical paintings and decorations. A part of the palace is now operated by the Taj Hotels.
Along with the wonderful tour you get into the Indian history, Rajasthan has amazing and delicious food, full of ghee and love to offer. Bandini design of fabric is most famous here. They are very colourful and bright and make one look very beautiful in it. I would recommend you to buy them for your mothers, sisters or friends. Boys, do try the turban look too. You can buy one of the camel toys as a souvenir. Stay hydrated while you are here because you need to stay fresh and happy while you visit this magnificent charm of India.