Category:Rajasthan

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Rajasthan is a region in the North West of India.

Contents 1 Touristy Places 2 Non Touristy Places 3 Culture of Rajasthan 3.1 Costume 3.2 Language 3.3 Staple Food 3.4 Local Deities 3.5 Music and Dance 3.6 Fairs and Festivals 3.7 Tribals 3.8 Vices 3.9 Transportation 3.10 Electricity and Water supply 4 References

Touristy Places

Best cities to visit in Rajasthan are:

• Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Pushkar, Bundi, Mt.Abu

Non Touristy Places

Lesser known but equally interesting places are:

• Nagaur for cattle fair,Osian for ancient temples,Bharatpur for bird sanctuary,Banswara for Beneshwar tribal fair,

Ranthambore for national park,Kheechan for bird sanctuary,Khumbhalgarh for majestic fort,Deshnok for rat temple near Bikaner,Sariska near Alwar for Tiger reserve,Chittaurgarh for invincible fort etc.

Culture of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is very rich in culture and heritage.It has following features:

Costume

Women wear a long skirt known as Lehnga,blouse(kanchli),and Odhna(long stall).Man wear Dhoti,Kurta and turban.Turban is significance of caste and region.

Language

The language is Rajasthani which is different in every region like Marwari(in Jodhpur),Mewari(near Udaipur),Dudhani( near Jaipur)

Staple Food

The staple food in urban areas is Dal(lintels),Roti(wheat) and green vegetables.In rural areas millets and maize are staple food and sogra(thick roti) made of millet and maize are eaten with garlic or red chilly chutney.

Local Deities

Baba Ramdeo,Gogaji,Hadbuji,Pabuji,Gangaur,Eloji,Jumboji ,Bhuwal Mata are some of the popular local deities of Rajasthan.On special days based on lunar calender there is fair held at their birth place every year.

Music and Dance

Folk instrument like Rawanhatta,Ektara are played on every celebration.Maand is classical music of Rajasthan.In dance Ghoomer,Gair,Bhawai,Terahtali are very popular.

Fairs and Festivals

Pushkar fair and Jaisalmer desert festival have brought Rajasthan as important travel destination on map of world.Beside this summer festival at Mt.Abu,Nagaur cattle fair,camel fair at Bikaner,Teej and Gangaur at Jaipur and Dhinga Gavar at Jodhpur are also famous.

Tribals

Rajasthan has many tribes having unique customs which could be of great interest specially to a Anthropologist.Main tribes are Bhil,Girasia,Meena ,Raika etc.They are located near Mt.Abu and Udaipur.

Vices

Dowry,child marriages,domestic violence towards women,caste system,veil,gender discrimination,female infanticide are still in practice in rural areas of Rajasthan.

Transportation

Though all villages are connected by road and public transport is available,still bullock cart and camel carts are used in villages as means of transport.

Electricity and Water supply

Unfortunately many villages of Rajasthan do not have electricity,safe drinking water,primary school & public health center.

Camel safari

Sikar tourist attractions Shekhawati is known for fresco paintings. Sikar has a lot of grand Havelis with fresco paintings. Khatu is the nearby village where the temple of Khatushyamji is situated. Thousands of the devotees come from all over India in its annual fair. Also LohaGarl is a famous piligrimage. After battle of Mahabharata, Pandavas are said to have visited this place.

Sikar is also famous for Harsh Hill which is a part of famous Aravali Range. There is a very ancient Lord Shiva Temple here and some other small temples. Aurangzeb invaded this range and destroyed the ancient statues there but still the remains exists. Today there are a few windmills on this hill which give a pretty appearance to Harsh Hill. Also famous is Lord Hanumana's temple in Salasar Balaji where millions of devotees from all over India come. Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu are collectively called Shekhawati region. Major language here is Marwari. Sikar is also famous for its Bhandej work.

Famous market here is Tabela Market. There are many wholesale and retail cloth merchants in this market. The places to visit in the city are Ghantaghar(Clock Tower), Raja's Mahal, Havelis, Maroo Park, Nehru Park.

References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthan
• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0628_040628_tvrats.html
• http://www.rajasthaninfo.org/kumbhalgarh.htm
• http://www.rajasthanholiday.com/india/kheechan/
• http://www.rajasthantravelguide.com/city/ranthambhore.html
• http://sariska.com/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJFPqOkNsio

--Vipingoyal 20:11, 14 March 2009 (UTC)