Rajasthan - Land Of Maharajas

Rajasthan, the land of the Kings, in India at its exotic and colourful best with its bettle-scarred forts, its palaces of breathtaking grandeur and whimsical charm, its riotous colours and even its romantic sense of pride and honour. The state is diagonally divided into the hilly and rugged south-eastern region and the barren north-western Thar desert, which extends across the border into Pakistan. There are also a number of centres which attract travellers from far and wide, such as Pushkar with its holy lake, and the desert city of Jaisalmer which resembles a fantasy from the The Thousand & One Nights. Rajasthan is one of India's prime tourist destinations. Nobody leaves here without priceless memories, a bundle of souvenirs, and an address book full of friends.HISTORY OF RAJASTHAN"Padharo" the word rings out from the desert and palaces of Rajasthan. It means 'welcome', welcome to a land famous for its chivalry and its etiquette and even more so for its hospitality. It was a land that held the guest supreme and even enemies were treated with grace on its soil. What better greeting could a prospective visitor hope to hear. But despite wars and the constant fear of attacks from neighbouring states, the Rajas left their mark on the landscape of the desert. Studiously planned and beautifully built cities arose from the hot dusty plains, cities that till today are considered architectural gems, putting Rajasthan on the tourist map for eternity. In peace the Rajas gave expression to their fantasies, encouraging craftsmen and painters, weavers and sculptures, poets and musicians to migrate to their kingdoms and contribute towards the cultural and artistic enhancement of their cities. Today every town worth its name is renowned for either its architecture, miniature painting, printed textiles, jewellery, weaving, leather goods and even cuisine.
The first brush with royalty could be had on the Palace on Wheels, the tourist train run by the Rajasthan Tourism Department, which once had actual saloons used by the erstwhile Maharajas, but now has carriages refurbished to look like the originals but which are still named after the Rajput states. Folk traditions and music received the patron- age of the Rajas in Rajasthan and so developed into a popular genre, breeding communities that to this day practise their age-old forms. Due to the patronage of the rulers, art and handicrafts flourished at the courts and these age-old traditions have turned Rajasthan into a shoppers' paradise. Bundi, Kishangarh, Mewar and Kota have contributed greatly to the style of miniature painting in India. Fair & Festivals No one can leave Rajasthan without being part of some festival or celebration, because it is said that if there are seven days in a week there are eight festivals in Rajasthan. The Rajasthani loves his ritual and his festivity. The year begins with Sankranti, signifying the end of winter.
Rajasthan ..... The Land of Fort & Palaces ....

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The Republic of India, commonly known as India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world. India has a coastline of over seven thousand kilometres, bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east. India borders Pakistan to the west;[1] the People's Republic of China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia.
Home to the Indus Valley Civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped India's variegated culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early 18th century and colonised by Great Britain from the mid-19th century, India became a modern nation-state in 1947 after a struggle for independence marked by widespread use of nonviolent resistance as a means of social protest.
With the world's fourth largest economy in purchasing power and the second fastest growing large economy, India has made rapid progress in the last decade, especially in information technology. Although India's standard of living is projected to rise sharply in the next half-century, it currently battles high levels of poverty, persistent malnutrition, and environmental degradation. A multi-lingual, multi-ethnic country, India is currently led by democratically elected Prime Minister and President - both are from religious minorities in India. Just like the people it self, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.