What To Do In Rajasthan

1. Camel Safari: This is the ideal way to spend time exploring rustic
Rajasthan. A camel safari moves through the golden sands of the savage Thar
Deset passing through remote village. The fortified cities of Jodhpur,
Jaisalmer and Bikaner are the best areas for camel safaris. The camel carts
are fully equipped and visitors need not bother about comfort in the desert.
Ride or walk along leisurely with the safari and enjoy the desert scape. It
is better to try a one day safari before getting on to anything major.
2. Camel ride & Sun set: Take a camel ride out into the desert to
watch the sun set over miles upon miles of sand. Camp on a solitary oasis,
experience the dark starry nights and dance to musicians playing haunting
music.
3. Wild life: Tiger safari in The Ranthambore Tiger Nationaln Park is
a different experience altogether with every possibilities to see the Tiger
closely in natural habitant. Ranthambhore is the most liked place for Tiger
lovers.
4. Bird watching: Bharatpur is the real kingdom of avian fauna with
approximately 377 birds species already spotted. In early October the first
migrants arrive from central Asia, Mongolia and Siberia, the most eagerly
awaited of the lot being the gravely threatened Siberian crank. Get ready
for a sudden encounter with the elusive Siberian crane wintering here.
Bharatpur is one of the known wintering haunts of the Siberian Crane.
5. Rural People: Indians are hospitable people, respect religioun and
social customs. Indians always believe that "The guest is God".You may stop
your vehicle en-route , make friends and with permission you can take their
photrographs also.
6. Meet the royal families: Visit a heritage hotel where members of
the royal family, having turned their palaces into hotel, hobnob with their
guests. They are inclined to talk regarding their past and many revealing
tales will make your experience an interesting one.
7. Rajasthani music: Folk music is a vital part of Rajasthani
culture. Through songs the legendary battles of the Rajputs are told. The
music engenders both a spirit of identity and provides entertainment as
relief from the daily grind of wrenching a living from the inhospitable
land.
8. Rajasthani cuisine: The main Rajasthani meal is Daal - Bati -
Choorma which is also known as Picnic Food. The daal consists of a lentil
curry, bati is a round ball of bread baked in a charcoal fire with clarified
butter concealed within and Choorma is a sweet dish made with bread bruised
with jaggery or sugar and ghee. You can relish the most famous cuisine of
Rajasthan.
9. Enjoy fairs and festivals: Festivals hold an unusual lure for the
Rajasthanis and they find any number of reasons to celebrate. While some of
these are traditional festivals, there are also a large number which have
been recently introduced to showcase the heritage of a region.During your
tour you might come across to any fair or festival in which you can
participate and get the feeling.
10. Design your hands: Mehendi "Henna Coloring" has become the
inthing for women. No wedding is complete without Mehendi. The hands of the
bride are adorned with the lovely red hue of Mehendi. Popular traditional
images used in Mehendi designs are the Peacock- the national bird of India,
the lotus flower and an elephant with a raised trunk - a symbol of good
luck. The intricate patterns are dabbed with cotton balls doused in sugar
syrup and lime juice to make the Mehendi darker. You can also design your
hands in Rajasthan.
11. Visit forts and palaces: Rajasthan is famous for its forts and
palaces. These forts and palaces are once home to families that ruled over
India. Most of these forts and palaces are not converted into luxury hotels.
With a stay in these palace converted into hotels, you will feel like a
Maharaja.
12. Get married: marriages are symbolized by a host of rites and
rituals, traditions, pomp and festivity and numerous customs passed down
from generation to generation. Take a quick peek into the world of wedding
in all their glory by getting married at a luxurious heritage hotel. The
groom dresses in traditional attire and is welcomed by friends with flower
garlands by the bride's close relatives. The bride and grooms exchange
garlands during this ceremony. The mahurat or auspicious time for the
wedding ceremony is usually set after dinner. The couple walk around the
sacred fire. At the end of the ceremony, the newly weds touch the feet of
elders to take their blessings.
13. Celebration of good over evil: In October a ten day long festival
is celebrated to mark the victory of Prince Rama over the evil king Ravana.
Ram Lila - a drama which brings to life the legend of prince Ram is held in
various part of state. On the tenth day a huge effigy of Ravana, filled with
crackers is burnt. This becomes a most spectacular display of fireworks
which fills up the evening sky.
14. Visit to Artistes Village: Shilpgram in Udaipur, Chowki Dani in
Jaipur are some of the artist villages worth a visit. Here one can see
artists at work - be it pottery, embroidery, painting or various other art
forms.
15. Kite festival: Local people are great kite lovers. Makar
Sankrantri Festival is celebrated in the month of Janauary every year when
Kite festival is organized in Rajasthan. You can also enjoy the flying of
these paper birds.
16. Puppet & Puppetry: Puppetry is an ancient and popular form of
folk entertainment. No village fair, no religious festival and no social
gathering in Rajasthan can be complete without the kathputlis (string
puppets).With their exaggerated eyes and brightly coloured dresses, the
kathputlis are simply eye-catching.
17. Palace of winds: More famous by the name Hawa Mahal is one of the
Jaipur's major landmarks. This five storeyed building built in 1799 looks
out over the main street of the buzzing old city, is a stunning example of
Rajput artistry with its pink delicately hoenycombedsandstone windows of
which there are 953.
18. Walk in the Bazaars: Walking the narrow winding streets of
bazaars is in itself a novel experience. The bazaars are certainly not the
mall. Put aside any notions of peace and quiet and jump into the thick of
it. Walking in bazaar will give you a totally different experience.
19. In the footsteps of the Maharajas: These days one would find
golfers on the ground where royals once moved on their chargers. The Rambagh
Palace Polo & Golf Club in Jaipur is an eighteen - hole course with nine
green and nine browns. It overlooks the picturesque Moti Doongri Palace and
the historical Naharagarh fort. The fairway passes through the Rambagh Polo
Ground, which have seen some of the finest polo matches in the time of the
late Sawai Man Singh.
20. Mount Abu: Discover a tropical hill resort in the middle of the
Rajasthan desert. Surrounded by forests and flowering shrubs, Mt. Abu was
selected as the site of the most sacred mystic rites in the ancient times,
the sacrifice of the fire pit. Also, it is the centre of Jain pilgrimage.
Check out the intricate carvings of the marble at Dilwara Temples.
21. Mount Abu: The Lake Palace, Udaipur is one of the most beautiful
palaces in the world, arising out of the turquoise waters of the Pichola
Lake, an elegant fantasy in white marble. The palace was built in the 17th
century on a natural foundations of 4 acres of rock. The rooms are decorated
with cusped arches, inland stones of pink, green lotus leaves and painted
mirrors.This is a must see.
22. Eco Tourism efforts: While in Jodhpur, visit the Bishnoi village.
The Bishnoi clan holds a special significance in the culture of India. Their
commitment to the natural environment is extraordinary. The basic philosophy
of the clan is that all living things have a right to survive and share all
resources. The Blackbuck and the Chinkara are not afraid of humans here and
often seen near the village eating out of the villagers hands.
23. Palace on Wheels: Rated among the ten best journeys of the world,
Palace On Wheels the fully airconditioned and vestibulated train has saloons
designed on the themes of different provinces of Rajasthan.With all
facilities on board the night stays are given in palatial rooms on board.
The Palace on Wheels Tour is the wonder of wonders.
24. Paintings: The history of painting in Rajasthan can be traced to
the prehistoric period, as evidenced by the discovery of painting in rock
shelters in the Chambal valley. Fragments of paintings found on pottery
shards recovered from Kalibangan, Ahar and Gilund among other places
indicate the antiquity of its pictorial art tradition. The most
characteristic paintings of Rajasthan are miniatures, small paintings
crammed with detail and executed in vegetable and mineral colours generally
on handmade paper, but also non ivory, marble wood, cloth and leather.
25. Textiles: Rajasthan is famous for its vibrantly colored textiles
. Cotton cloth is produced by the Julaha or weaver cast. The cloth from the
village of Kaithoon, in Kota district is the most highly prozed. It is known
as Masuria and is woven from both cotton and silk. Saris made of this cloth
fetch top prices around the country.
