Glimpses of Rajasthan and Sample Itinerary: Pictorial Travelogue, #13

By Ansusekhar Guin

Rajasthan is the country of Rajputs. Once, it was known as Rajputana. Its skies are filled with Bhajans (songs) of Meerabai and stories of heroism and valour of Rajput heroes in the skies of Rajasthan. The resistance put up by Rajput kings to the Muslim invasions with their warfare and chivalry for centuries is well-known. There are palaces after palaces in the whole of Rajasthan, created by different Ranas, and they are extreme examples of mastery of architecture and sculpture. Similarly, the forts of Rajasthan are the haven of dreamland. The most attractive places for tourists are Pink City Jaipur, Lakes and Palaces of Udaipur, Museum Town of Shekhawati, Golden Fort of Jaisalmer, Poems on Marble in Dilwara and Ranakpur near Mt. Abu, Sights of heroism and valour in Chittorgarh, and three National parks of Ranathamvor, Sariska and Keoladeo. In 1956, Ajmer, Marwar and 22 princely states combined and established Rajasthan, the most significant state of India. Until 1970, these princely state kings got financial help from the Indian Government, which was abolished. The kings converted their palaces into museums and hotels to cope with the economic crisis. Another treasure of Rajasthan is the Marble of Makrana, which was used to create the Taj Mahal of Agra and the Victoria Memorial of Kolkata.

Rajasthan is bordered Punjab and Haryana are in the in the North, Uttar Pradesh in the East, Madhya Pradesh in the East and Southeast, and Gujarat in the South and Southwest. A large part of Rajasthan is covered by the dry and inhospitable Thar Desert, or Great India Desert, bordered by Pakistan. Rajasthan capital Jaipur is the largest city of Rajasthan. There are ruins of Indus Valley Civilisation at Kalibangan and Balathal. The handicrafts of Rajasthan are famous for Kundan and Meenakari jewellery, Pottery, brass, bone, Bandhni Sari and textiles, Sanganeri block print and beautiful handcrafted shoes. Rajasthan has a considerable number of places as tourist attractions. Without proper planning, travelling through Rajasthan systematically and adequately will be challenging.  I have created a Google My Map showing almost all the must-see places.

At the end of the book, there are two travel plannings with cost: (1) Sample Itinerary (Complete Rajasthan) for 2 persons and (2) Low-Cost Sample Itinerary (Only Important places of Rajasthan) for 2 persons by Public Transport.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ansusekhar Guin
• Release date: Apr 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224980604

Ansusekhar Guin

Ansusekhar Guin, retired from Govt. service in the year 2006, and Madhuri Guin are addicted to travelling and regularly travel within and outside India. They also operate a YouTube travel channel " The Bong Explorers", where they share videos of their trips. So far, they have uploaded 90 travel videos. Madhuri Guin operates an e-commerce business, named www.dollsofindia.com, where she is marketing Indian art and culture through paintings, sculptures, posters, Textiles, jewellery, fashion items, unique crafts and puja items. They just started writing picture travelogues and itineraries on their experience of travel in different countries. The list of their travelogues is: Switzerland: The Dream Destination: Budget Travel in Switzerland, Glimpses of Italy and Sample Itinerary, Around the World through some sample itineraries, Madhya Pradesh: Heartland of India, Glimpses of Himachal Pradesh with Sample Itinerary, Budget Travel in Dubai, the Shining Gem of Arabian Desert, Glimpses of Karnataka (Sample Travel Plans), Glimpses of Gujarat Visit: Sample Itinerary, Glimpses of Uttarakhand with Sample Itinerary, Glimpses of Sikkim Visit: Sample Itinerary, France: The Country of Love and Art.

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Chapter 1: Glimpses of Rajasthan and Sample Itinerary

Rajasthan is the country of Rajputs. Once, it was known as Rajputana. Its skies are filled with Bhajans (songs) of Meerabai and stories of heroism and valour of Rajput heroes in the skies of Rajasthan. The resistance put up by Rajput kings to the Muslim invasions with their warfare and chivalry for centuries is well-known. A combined Rajput kingdoms under Mularaja II of the Chaulukya dynasty defeated the Ghurids in 1178. Next, in the First Battle of Tarain in 1191, Prithviraj Chauhan assembled the Rajput clans and defeated Muhammad Ghori again. However, in 1192, Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj at the Second Battle of Tarain, and part of Rajasthan was under Muslim rule. The most prominent and influential state of Rajasthan was Mewar, and they continued their resistance to Muslim Turks since the 13th century, which continued this resistance till the Mughal era. Tughlak dynasty occupied a large part of Rajasthan, but Rana Hammir Singh defeated the Tughlaq dynasty and recovered most of occupied Rajasthan. Rana Kumbha of Mewar defeated the Sultans of Malwa, Nagaur and Gujarat, making Mewar India's most powerful Rajput Kingdom. Again,  Rana Sanga overwhelmed the Lodi Empire of Delhi and also defeated the Sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat. But the first Mughal Emperor Babur defeated Rana Sanga who tried to create an Indian empire. Even then, the Rajput kings came to power. Some of the heroes are Rao Maldeo Rathore, Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Rana Udai Singh II, Rao Chandrasen Rathore, Maharana Pratap, and Rana Amar Singh I and their valour rings in the air till now through stories and songs.

Similarly, the sacrifice of Panna, the midwife, by handing over her son to the killer to save the new born Rana, remains in the pages of history. When the Rajput forces felt that defeat was sure to come, all the male fighters wore Saffron coloured gowns and fought to their end. And the ladies performed Jawahar and self-immolated themselves in the fire.

There are palaces after palaces in the whole of Rajasthan, created by different Ranas, and they are extreme examples of mastery of architecture and sculpture. Similarly, the forts of Rajasthan are the haven of dreamland. The most attractive places for tourists are Pink City Jaipur, Lakes and Palaces of Udaipur, Museum Town of Shekhawati, Golden Fort of Jaisalmer, Poems on Marble in Dilwara and Ranakpur near Mt. Abu, Sights of heroism and valour in Chittorgarh, and three National parks of Ranathamvor, Sariska and Keoladeo.

In 1956, Ajmer, Marwar and 22 princely states combined and established Rajasthan, the most significant state of India. Until 1970, these princely state kings got financial help from the Indian Government, which was abolished. The kings converted their palaces into museums and hotels to cope with the economic crisis. Another treasure of Rajasthan is the Marble of Makrana, which was used to create the Taj Mahal of Agra and the Victoria Memorial of Kolkata.

12 % of the population of Rajasthan comprises old tribes like Bheel, Meena, Lohar, and other tribes. The rest are Brahmins, Jath, Gurjar, Mewatis, Gadra, Patel and Ahir. All of them are well mixed and reflected in their colourful dresses, social culture, and festivals.

Rajasthan is bordered Punjab and Haryana are in the in the North, Uttar Pradesh in the East, Madhya Pradesh in the East and Southeast, and Gujarat in the South and Southwest. A large part of Rajasthan is covered by the dry and inhospitable Thar Desert, or Great India Desert, bordered by Pakistan. Rajasthan capital Jaipur is the largest city of Rajasthan. There are ruins of Indus Valley Civilisation at Kalibangan and Balathal. The handicrafts of Rajasthan are famous for Kundan and Meenakari jewellery, Pottery, brass, bone, Bandhni Sari and textiles, Sanganeri block print and beautiful handcrafted shoes.

Rajasthan is famous for its Sat Bar Nau Tauar, or nine seven-day festivals. Holi, Dusserah, and Diwali have become their state festivals, and the 18-day-long Gangur festival is just after Holi, where people, especially women, take part in colourful dresses. The procession includes elephants and camels. The Statue of Goddess Parvati, Wife of Lord Shiva, leads the procession. Similarly, Teej is another famous festival from August to September, with other festivals being the Desert Festival of Jaisalmer, Uras of Ajmer, Kolayat fare of Bikaner, and Puskar fare. Miniature paintings originated from Mughal art and are based mainly on Indian mythological stories, Krishna-katha, war scenes, and processions. They are very famous and are another tourist attraction.

Rajasthan has a considerable number of places as tourist attractions. Without proper planning, travelling through Rajasthan systematically and adequately will be challenging.  I have created a Google My Map showing almost all the must-see places. We visited the areas with the black map locator, and those with the brown map locator are also the places to be visited.

Rajasthan Map with must-see places (Courtesy Google My Maps)

You can visit the link below to see the expanded view of the map:

https://bit.ly/48A7XCi

We started our tour from Delhi and started from Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park and took a circular trip through Rajasthan to minimise the travelling distance. The name of the places in that order is given below:

Rajasthan must see Places.

Transportation in Rajasthan:

Airport services:

Jaipur International Airport is Rajasthan's Largest, busiest, and only International airport. It offers airport service to Dubai, Bangkok, Sharjah and Muscat. There are five domestic airport services in Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner and Jaisalmer. The airports in these cities have connections to Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

Railways:

The train connection in Rajasthan is quite good, and Jaipur is the headquarters of the North Western Railway. Jaipur, Ajmer and Bikaner are the busiest rail stations in Rajasthan. Almost all the important cities of Rajasthan are connected by railways. More than 140 railway stations in Rajasthan connect the most popular tourist destinations well. Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto express trains run in Rajasthan. There are Luxury trains running in Rajasthan like  Palace on Wheels, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Maharajas' Express and The Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey. The complete timetable is available in Indian Railways’ Trains At A Glance book. It is available in both print and e-Book format. Please visit the following IRCTC's website for more details:

www.irctc.co.in

www.irctctourism.com

Roadways:

Public Road transport in Rajasthan is controlled by RSRTC or Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation. Its headquarters is in Jaipur, offering ordinary, express, and deluxe services. They have got 4100 buses and 52 depots across Rajasthan. Tickets can be reserved in all the bus stations, and online tickets can also be booked for Airconditioned, Deluxe, Semi-deluxe and express services from the websites of RSRTC and Abhibus. Please visit their websites given below:

https://www.abhibus.com/

https://rsrtconline.rajasthan.gov.in/

However, the best and most independent way to travel in Rajasthan is to hire a taxi with a driver and travel to your selected destinations. It may be costlier than rail and bus journeys but less time-consuming. A 38-day itinerary by Maruti Swift Dezire car for two persons may cost around INR 2,68,000, with the total driving distance covered as 3750 km. One can select his own itinerary, put all the places to be covered, the type of car required, and the number of days needed and the website will provide the pricing. Please visit the links below for complete information:

https://www.clearcarrental.com

https://suritours.in/outstation-taxi-charges.php

Accommodation:

One can opt for hotels, homestays, B&Bs, tents, or apartments in Ladakh. I prefer the following websites for booking accommodation online:

1. https://www.trivago.com/: (For comparison of rents)

2. https://www.booking.com/

3. https://www.makemytrip.com/

Another excellent option is Accommodation provided by Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. They have got good places to stay at a reasonable price. They have online booking facilities, and one can visit the link below:

https://rtdc.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/Client/HotelList.aspx

They have categories like Hotel, Motel and Heritage. Their Accommodations are available in Non-AC, AC and Suite options at the following places:

Ajmer, Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Chittorgarh, Fatehpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kota, Mt. Abu, Nathdwara, Pali, Puskar, Ranakpur, Sariska, Sawai Madhopur, Siliserth and Udaipur.

Chapter 2: Alwar and Nearby

The places we will cover in this chapter are Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park, Deeg, Neemrana Fort-Palace, Alwar City, Siliserh Lake, Kesroli, Sariska and Abhaneri Step Wells. The Map showing the places to be visited is given below:

Map of Alwar and surroundings with must-see places (Courtesy Google My Maps)

You can visit the link below to see the expanded view of the map:

https://bit.ly/48A7XCi

Bharatpur:

Bharatpur is 200 km from Delhi, the National Capital of India. We are starting our tour of Rajasthan from Bharatpur. Maharaja Suraj Mal of Jat State of Bharatpur established his Capital at Bharatpur in 1730 on the Rivers Banganga and Ruparel shores. In 1733, he constructed Louhagarh, the Bharatpur Fort, which is 11 km long with 45 metres wide walls and 15 metres deep Moats. There are two entrances, Ashtapati Gate in the North and Lohia Gate in the South. Lohia gate is the memory of Delhi's victory over Suraj Mal in 1765. Today, the walls of the fort do not exist. The Jat Kings built Three palaces inside the fort between 1730 and 1850. Maharaja Palace is famous for its Jafri work in marble windows, beautifully painted walls and the Hammams. Towards the west is Kamra Palace, now converted into a Museum in 1944, which has a good collection of Jain sculptures, arms, manuscripts in Arbi and Sanskrit, and some collections from the Kusan Era. Other attractions are Lachman Temple, Gangaji Temple, Nehru Park and Gandhi Park. One can also visit the Golbag Palace, built in 1905, at a distance of 1.5 km from the city.

Accommodation in Bharatpur with a rating better than 3.5/5 for two persons per night and costing less than INR 2,000 (www.makemytrip.com):

Hotel Apple inn

Sanctuary Tourist Lodge

Hotel Nihal Palace

Hotel Comfort Regency

Hotel Pratap Regal

Hotel Maggo

Budget Restaurants:

Sharma Sweet Corner, 321001, Bijlighar Rd, Gopalgarh, Bayana, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321401

Happy Sharma, 6G83+35H, Patpara Mohalla, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001

Jodhpur Misthan Bhandar, near Power House Circle, Patpara Mohalla, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001

Dagur Restaurant, Agra Rd, Patpara Mohalla, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001

Jeet Chicken, NH 11, Krishna Nagar, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001

Deviram Kachori, CHAUBURJA BAZAR, KRISHNA MOBILE CENTRE KE PASS, Rajasthan 321001

Kohinoor Hotel, Front of Old Power House, Rajasthan 321001

Vandey's cafe(pizza shop), Bijli Ghar Rd, Chouraha, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001

Shahi Zaika Restaurant, Bajrangnagar Colony, U.I.T Colony, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001

The Courtyard, 848, Vijay Nagar colony, Rajendra Nagar, Bharatpur, Rajasthan 321001

Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park:

Keoladeo National Park, or Keoladeo Ghana National Park, is the world-famous Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. It is only 7 km from the city of Bharatpur. There are thousands of