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| Rajasthan |
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 Without
doubt Rajasthan is the ultimate destination for lovers of music,
culture, art and adventure. So steeped is this state in royal
splendour and tales of mighty kings that it has earned itself
the name Rajasthan, meaning the place of kings. Hundreds of
tales of valour and heroism are passed on from generation to
generation through traditional songs and dances. There is hardly
any city or town that does not boast of palaces, forts and majestic
Havelis (magnificent mansions). While the rugged forts convey
a feeling of strength and safety, the magnificent marble palaces
leave one wondering how the heroes, so ruthless in battle, could
have had such taste for architectural finesse. It is surely
a land of paradoxes, what with miles of barren desert on the
one hand and lush green forests on the other. It also comes
as a surprise that Rajasthan is home to one of the most beautiful
hill stations of India, the Mount Abu. |
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| GETTING
HERE |
Jaipur is the
capital of Rajasthan and it is linked by air to many cities
of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Aurangabad and Jodhpur.
Jaipur is also linked by rail and road to major cities of North
India.
Ajmer/Pushkar: The nearest airport is in Jaipur.
From there one can travel to Ajmer by road or rail. From Ajmer
Pushkar is approachable by road. Ajmer is linked to Delhi by
road and rail.
Bharatpur: By rail, Bharatpur is linked with several cities
like Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra. A network of bus services
links Bharatprur with several cities within and outside the
State.
Bikaner: It is directly linked by
rail with cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kolkata. By
road it is linked to all major cities of Rajasthan.
Chittaurgarh:
Udaipur is the nearest airport. There are regular buses from
Jaipur to Chittaurgarh. It is also connected by road to Delhi.
Chittaurgarh has rail links with Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Jaipur
and Delhi.
Jaisalmer: Jaisalmer can be
reached by train, bus or car-taxi from Jodhpur or by bus from
Bikaner and Jaipur. Jaisalmer is also linked by rail and road
to Delhi.
Jodhpur: It is connected by
air to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur. Jodhpur is also well
linked by rail to major cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Jodhpur is linked
by road to all major Indian cities.
Sawai Madhopur:
Nearest airport is at Jaipur. By rail Sawai Madhopur is well
connected with Jaipur as well as other cities. One can also
get there by road from Delhi and Jaipur.
Udaipur:
It is linked by air to Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai. Udaipur is
linked to many Rajasthan towns including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner,
Ajmer and Mount Abu by road. There are daily trains from New
Delhi and Jaipur.
Mt Abu: The nearest
railhead is Abu Road, about 25 kms from Mt Abu. One can catch
a train to Abu Road from Jaipur, Delhi and Jodhpur. From Abu
Road one can travel to Mt Abu by hired taxi or bus. |
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| WHAT
TO SEE |
Jaipur
Amer Palace (11 kms from Jaipur), City Palace, Nahargarh Fort,
Jantar Mantar (astronomical observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh),
Galta (10 kms, famous for temples), Sanganer (16 kms, beautiful
Jain temples), Hawa Mahal (the famous palace of winds, with
with no less than 953 windows), Government Central Museum, Bairath
(66 kms, archaeological site), Samode (40 kms, a magnificent
fort), Vidyadhar's Garden (beautiful vineyard), Gaitor (royal
cenotaphs), Birla Mandir, Jaigarh Fort (15 kms, housing the
largest cannon in the world), Sisodia Garden (8 kms), Birla
Planetarium and Sariska Tiger Reserve (107 kms from Jaipur,
jeep safaris available).
Ajmer
It is a popular place of pilgrimage for Hindus as well as Muslims.
Its major attractions are Adhai-din ka Jhonpra, Akbar's Fort,
Baghera (archaeological site), Jain rock images near Baghera,
Pushkar, Ana Sagar lake, Edward Memorial Hall, Foy Sagar lake,
Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's Dargah (the world famous tomb of sufi
saint Moinuddin Chisti), Kishangarh, Nasiyan Temple, Shah Jahan's
Mosque and Sola Khamba.
Pushkar
It is 11 kms from Ajmer and is a sacred place for Hindus because
of the Pushkar lake, believed to have been created by Lord Brahma,
and a temple of Lord Brahma.
Bharatpur
Bharatpur Government Museum, Lohagarh Fort or Bharatpur Fort,
Deeg Palace, Keoladeo Ghana National Park (bird paradise and
a world heritage site), Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj (two victory
towers).
Bikaner
Junagarh Fort (a fortress never conquered, with magnificent
palaces like Anup Mahal, Ganga Niwas and Rang Mahal and the
majestic temple called Har Mandir), Lalgarh Palace, Karni Mata
Temple (30 miles from Bikaner), Devi Kund (8 kms from Bikaner),
Kolayatji (50 kms from Bikaner, a temple complex), Gajner Wildlife
Sanctuary, National Research Centre on Camel (10 kms from Bikaner
city with a camel museum) and Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum.
Chittaurgarh
Chittaurgarh Fort, Meera Bai temple, Sita Mata Sanctuary, Vijay
Stambh (a nine storey tower, 37 m high), Kirti Stambh (22 m
high tower dedicated to Adinath), Padmini's Palace, Menal (48
kms, complex of beautiful Shiva temples), Jaimal and Fatta's
palaces, Government Museum (Fateh Prakash Mahal) and the Bassi
Wildlife Sanctuary.
Jaisalmer
Golden Fort (made of golden yellow sandstone), Royal Cenotaphs
at Bada Bagh (5 kms from Jaisalmer), Gadisar Lake surrounded
by small temples and shrines, Lodurva Jain Temples (15 kms from
Jaisalmer), Desert National Park and Wood Fossil Park at Aakal
(with 180 million year old fossils).
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Jodhpur
Mehrangarh Fort (with its beautiful palaces - Moti Mahal, Phool
Mahal, Sheesh Mahal), Balsamand Lake and Gardens, Mahamandir
Temple, Jaswant Thada (royal cenotaph), Umaid Bhawan Palace
(with a wonderful museum), Girdikot (handicraft bazar), Sardar
Market (another craft bazar) Jodhpur Museum, Mandore Garden
(8 kms from Jodhpur), Osian (65 kms, ruins of an ancient city
with many temples), Dhawa Wildlife Sanctuary (40 kms), Nagaur
(famous for Badal Mahal, Sheesh Mahal and Hadi Rani Mahal),
Rohit Fort (40 kms, now a heritage hotel), Fort Luni (20 kms),
Bishnoi Tribal Village (25 kms, a desert oasis with a tiny man-made
lake) and Kuchaman fort.
Mount Abu
Mt Abu is a beautiful hill station in Rajasthan. Its main tourist
spots are Nakki lake, Gaumukh Temple, Delwara Jain Temple, Ranthambore
National Park, Adhar Devi Temple, Shri Raghunathji Temple, Trevors
Tank, Achalgarh (beautiful fort with Jain temples), Guru Shikhar
(highest peak in Rajasthan 1722 mts.) and Mount Abu Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Sawai Madhopur and Ranthambore
Sawai Madhopur is 180 kms from Jaipur, known for Ranthambore,
a wildlife reserve, and for its historical importance.Major
places of tourist attraction are Ranthambore National Park,
Keladevi sanctuary, Sawai Man Singh sanctuary (together forming
the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve), Mansarovar and Surwal Lakes
(24 kms from Ranthambore Bagh, known for migratory birds), Jogi
Mahal and Ganeshji Temple.
Udaipur
City Palace (overlooking Pichola lake with a museum and exquisite
palaces like Manak Mahal or the ruby palace, Moti Mahal or the
pearl palace and the Chini Mahal), Crystal Gallery, Lake Pichola,
Jagdish Temple, Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandir (museum), Saheliyon-ki-Bari,
Jaisamand Lake and Jaisamand Sanctuary, Shilp Gram(museum of
diverse art, craft & culture), Pratap Memorial, Fateh Sagar
(an artificial lake with the Nehru Park in its centre), Ahar
(royal cenotaphs), Sajjan Garh Fort, Gulab Bagh (rose garden),
Eklingji (108 temples chiselled out of sandstone and marble),
Nagda (Jain temple), Nathdwara (48 kms renowned Vaishnavite
temple), Rajsamand Lake, Kumbhalgarh (65 kms, mighty fort, also
has Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary).
Shekhawati
Besides famous temples, the key attractions in Shekhawati are
the frescoed havelis and mansions built by rich businessmen
and landlords called thakurs. These buildings painted in rich
colours are fascinating because of their mural and mirror work.
Important places worth visiting are Dungarpur, Nawalgarh, Jhunjhunu,
Fatehpur, Sikar, Harsh Nath Temple, Jeen Mata Temple, Lachhmangarh,
Ramgarh, Khatu Shyam Temple, Sakambhari, Mandawa, Mukundgarh,
Dundlod, Bagad, Chirawa, Pilani, Surajgarh and Kajara, Alsisar
and Malsisar, Bissau, Mehansar and Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary
and Belavadi. |
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