Rajasthan
Padharo Mhare Rajasthan – Welcome to the Incredible State of India!!! Rajasthan is truly a royal marvel, with palaces and imposing forts; amazing wildlife and some truly unique experiences to offer.
Wanna walk through colourful cities, or the Temple of Rats (literally), or spot tigers in the depths of the jungle, or walk through the town of erstwhile millionaires, or marvel at palaces and forts and experience rich culture expressed through art, architechture, and spirit? You can do it all.
The pink city. The blue city. The golden city. The white city. So many! Colour me stunned 😉 Rajasthan is not called the colourful state of India for nothing. When I visited Rajasthan, I thought: what could be coloured about these cities? They all are modernised now!!! BUT the cities still have their old colours. You’ll need an experienced local guide and a walking tour to see them.
The colours are not just what the guides and tours can show you. The cities also hold deep historical and cultural wealth.
Jaipur
Jaipur, the Pink City, is also one of India’s two heritage cities, famous for the many royal palaces and fort. We kicked off our tour of Jaipur with a visit to a block printing factory, where we learnt the ingenious art of block printing and got to try it our ourselves on rough scraps of cloth.
We then toured the City Palace, Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal.
As we got to the old Jaipur city to visit the palaces, I began to see the “pink” city. I realised that while the new city where all the hotels were is not pink but is rather modern, but the old “heritage” city is the real pink city.
Udaipur
I explored Udaipur on a School trip. The White City of Udaipur is also known as the City of Lakes. Our teachers took us through Udaipur from boating on the famous Lake Pichola to the nearby Maharana Pratap museum and a memorial of Chetak, his faithful horse and eating at at many beautiful lakeview cafes.
Hey! Did you know that the second-longest wall in the world, is the Kumbhalgarh Fort wall? It is another hidden gem near Udaipur. We visited it and learnt how it had many defence mechanisms, like multiple barred gates, only one, heavily guarded entry, and a long wall which is the second-longest wall in the world.
Our guide explained the wall’s dynamics and how it was structured so soldiers standing guard could see kilometres in the distance. Fascinating!
Jodhpur
Jodhpur is by far the best coloured city with the most number of blue houses and their charming architecture.
We kickstarted our tour there with a city walk with a local guide. I had not seen any blue buildings at all yet, and was starting to doubt Jodhpur was the blue city at all, but this walk gave me a fresh perspective.
We walked through Old Jodhpur’s alleyways and started to see more blue structures. Our guide told us the reason the buildings were blue, how they had been built, their interior designs, and the layout of the old city. We were taken to some really cute, picturesque locations in the heart of the old city.
Such a tour is vital to truly cherish Jodhpur. We then went to a viewpoint and finally; I saw the real Blue City. It was mesmerising. Blue buildings covered the whole landscape, and tiny alleys snaked through them. The viewpoint was the highlight of our tour.
We ended the in the famous Ghantaghar market square, and for the rest of the day, went to the Merangarh Fort. We ate at a Train Restaurant, where your food gets delivered on a miniature working train! I really loved it.
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is literally the Golden City from first sight. Almost every single building you can see is made of yellow sandstone, which gives it a golden colour, especially during sunset.
Jaisalmer is the only city with a “living fort” which is like a little city within the fort walls, with markets and restaurants and hotels; where people still live to this day!
Jaisalmer, the golden city, is just so unique, with its own unique vibe; that I HAD to put it in a new blog, read about it here.
Bikaner
A small town nestled in the Thar Desert area of Rajasthan, just 4 hours away from Jodhpur by train, Bikaner is the home to the Junagarh Fort, Laxmi Niwas Palace.
The Karni Mata Temple near Bikaner is a one-of-a-kind temple where rats are not only welcome, but revered. They swarm in the thousands on the deities, archways, and literally everywhere. They are completely unafraid of humans and I touched baby rats as well! and is only 2 hours away from the famous Karni Mata Temple. Read about it in my blog on Bikaner and Karni Mata Temple.
Pushkars
Each year after Diwali, the town of Pushkar, a very spiritual destination, hosts the largest camel fair in the world. The fairgrounds have shops and carnival rides just like a normal mela, but also camel trading grounds and enclosures right next door.
The camels are all “designer camels” with fancy furstyles, decorations, and beads. The fair also has horses and other cattle. A must visit for a unique experience. Read more about the unique Pushkar in my blog here.
Shekhawati
The town of millionaires. This is a special region called “Shekhawati,” encompassing towns like Mandawa, Navalgarh, Fatehpur, Laxmangarh, and more which was home to rich merchants and traders on the silk route.
Their magnificent havelis with beautiful frescos and carvings are still standing making the region the World’s Largest Open-air Art Gallery; and none of the frescos have completely lost colour despite over 100 years passing! The towns are super picturesque and a haven for all history lovers and travellers alike. Read more about it here.
National parks and Wildlife
Rajasthan is famous for Ranthambore National Park (tiger sanctuary) which is a mush visit for wildlife enthusiasts and particularly for seeing the great Bengal tiger in wild.
Apart from the tiger reserves, I also visited the lesser-known “scrubland” parks, like Tal Chhapar and Desert National Park, which are home to the Great Indian Bustard, desert foxes, jungle cats, a variety of birds, and even King Cobras.
Experienced local tours are a must to safely see and enjoy wildlife.
My special connection with Rajasthan
Rajasthan for me is also not all about touristy destinations or off-the-beaten-track places: it’s also my dad’s native place.
In our culture, a new baby’s first haircut must be deposited in a special area in their native land to biodegrade there. So, I like the thought that a part of me will always be in Rajasthan, in the tiny alleys, surrounded by ancient homes, vibrant colours and protected by magnificent forts and walls.
Enjoy Rajasthan!
Mom Says:
The charm of the Pink city – Jaipur, Golden city – Jaisalmer and Blue city – Jodhpur is world famous now. People come here to peep into the history, imagine lives of the royalty and wonder at the magnificence of castles and forts. Well, we did the same, no point learning history only in the books. A piece of advice, ‘always hire guides at palaces, forts, or havelis,’ they will not only bring history alive but also help you get the best of the insta-worthy clicks.
dad Says:
If you are a wildlife enthusiast, Rajasthan is a must visit destination. Oh! I am not talking about only Jungles like Ranthambore or Jalana for Tigers and Leopards, nope! keep your eyes and ears alert and you will sight peacocks, drongos, rufous tree pies, Indian rollers, lapwings, ibis, sandgrouse, Nilgais all over Rajasthan. A lesser known but amazing wildlife you will spot in the woodlands of ‘Taal Chhappar’ too, so wait no more and plan a trip to Rajasthan for its amazing wildlife.
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Shekhawati
Dive into the town of millionaires, where there are ancient havelis at every turn, and 100-year-old frescos in beautiful condition brighten the picturesque alleyways.
