Rajasthan History | Rajasthan Tourist Places | Rajasthan Culture | Rajasthan Palace

                             Rajasthan

Rajasthan is India'slargest state by area (342,239 square kilometres (132,139 sq mi) or 10.4% of India's total area). It is located on the western side of the country, where it comprises most of the wide and inhospitable Thar Desert (also known as the "Rajasthan Desert" and "Great Indian Desert") and shares a border with Pakistan along the Sutlej-Indus river valley. Elsewhere it is bordered by other Indian states:Gujarat to the southwest  Madhya Pradesh to the southeast  Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north. Its features include the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization at Kalibanga  the Dilwara Temples, a Jain pilgrimage site at Rajasthan's only hill station, Mount Abu, in the ancient Aravalli mountain range; and, in eastern Rajasthan, the Keoladeo National Park nearBharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. Rajasthan is also home to two national tiger reserves, the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur and Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar.

The state was formed on 30 March 1949 when Rajputana – the name adopted by the British Raj for its dependencies in the region  was merged into the Dominion of India. Its capital and largest city is Jaipur, located on the state's eastern side.

Politics of Rajasthan is dominated by two parties Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress. The current government in Rajasthan is that of Bharatiya Janata Party. The Chief Minister is Vasundhara Raje

Occupation :-

Agriculture is the main occupation of Rajasthani people in Rajasthan. Major crops of Rajasthan are jowar, bajri, maize, ragi, rice, wheat, barely, gram, tur, pulses, ground nut, sesamum, etc. Agriculture was the most important element in the economic life of the people of medieval Rajasthan. In early medieval times, the land that could be irrigated by one well was called Kashavah, which is a land that could be irrigated by one Knsha or leather bucket Historically, there were a whole range of communities in Rajasthan at different stages of economy, from hunting to settled agriculture. The Van Baoria, Tirgar, Kanjar, vagri, etc. were traditionally hunters and gatherers. Now, only the Van Baoria are hunters, while others have shifted to agriculture related occupations.There are a number of artisans, such as Lohar and Sikligar. Lohar are blacksmiths while Sikligar do specific work of making and polishing of arms used in war. Now, they create tools used for agriculture.

·         Country       India

·         Established   1 November 1956

·         Capitl       Jaipur

·         Largest city    Jaipur

·         Districts          33 total

·         Governor     Kalyan Singh

·         Chief Minister             Vasundhara Raje (BJP)

·         Parliamentary constituency           25

·         High Court    Rajasthan High Court

·         Total Area      342,239 km2 (132,139 sq mi)

·         Area rank       1st

·         Population (2011)  Total     68,621,012

·         Rank      8th

·         Density    201/km2 (520/sq mi)

·         Culture     Art,Cinema,Cuisine,Literature,Music,Religion,Tourism

·         Religion    Hinduism,Islam,Jainism,Sufism

·         Language   Rajasthani

Divisions  and   Districts

·         Jaipur:  Jaipur,Alwar,Jhunjhunu,Sikar,Dausa

·         Udaipur:Udaipur,Banswara,Chittorgarh,Pratapgarh,Dungarpur,Rajsamand

·         Ajmer: Ajmer,Bhilwara,Nagaur,Tonk

·         Jodhpur:Barmer,Jaisalmer,Jalore,Jodhpur,Pali,Sirohi

·         Bikaner:Bikaner,Churu,Sri Ganganagar,Hanumangarh

·         Kota  :Baran,Bundi,Jhalawar,Kota

·         Bharatpur :Bharatpur,Dholpur,Karauli,Sawai Madhopur

Rajasthan Tourist Places

1.                Hawa Mahal

2.                keoladeo National Park

3.                Amer Fort

4.                Mehandipur Balaji Temple

5.                Mehrangarh Fort

6.                City Palace

7.                chittorgarth Fort

8.                Lake palace

9.                Jantar Mantar

10.             Umaid Bhawan palace

11.             Gangaur

12.             Jaisalmer Fort

13.             Jal Mahal

14.             Chand Baori

15.             Raj Mandir Cinema

16.             City Palace,Udaipur

17.             Brahma Temple,Pushkar

18.             puskar Fair

19.             Dilwara Temples

20.             Lake Pichola

21.             Nahargarh Fort

22.             Rambagh Palace

23.             Govind Dev Ji TEmple

24.             jaigarh Fort

25.             Taragarh Fort

26.             Pushkar Lake

27.             Junagarh  Fort

28.             Birla Mandir,Jaipur

29.             Jaipur Zoo

30.             jaswant Thada

31.             Fatech Sagar Lake

32.             Albert Hall Museum

33.             Jag Mandir

34.             Saheliyon-ki-Bari

35.             Ana sagar Lake

36.             Jagdish Temple,Udaipur

37.             Monsoon Palace

38.             Lalgarh Palace

39.             Shiv Niwas Palace

40.             Bagar

41.             Nakki Lake

42.             Deeg Palace

43.             Kaylana Lake

44.             Bada Bagh

45.             Lake Foy Sagar

46.             Sawai Mansingh Stadium

47.             Ghanta Ghar

48.             Moti Magri

49.             Gulab Bagh and zoo

City Name     Population

Jaipur       3,073,349

Jodhpur               1,138,300

Kota              1,001,365

Bikaner          647,804

Ajmer  551,101

Udaipur          474,531

Bhilwara  360,009

Alwar  341,422

Bharatpur      252,838

Sri Ganganagar           249,914  

Religion in Rajasthan State

  Religion   Percent     

Hinduism       88%

Islam   8%

Sikhism          1.4%

Jainism          1.2%

other religions  0.53%

Rajasthan Culture :

Rajasthan is culturally rich and has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. There is rich and varied folk culture from villages which is often depicted and is symbolic of the state. Highly cultivated classical music and dance with its own distinct style is part of the cultural tradition of Rajasthan. The music is uncomplicated and songs depict day-to-day relationships and chores, more often focused around fetching water from wells or ponds.

Rajasthani Thali.

Rajasthani cooking was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this arid region. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking. It is known for its snacks like Bikaneri Bhujia, Mirchi Bada, Pyaaj Kachori and ghevar. Other famous dishes include bajre ki roti (millet bread) and lashun ki chutney (hot garlic paste), mawa kachori from Jodhpur, Alwar ka Mawa(Milk Cake), malpauasfrom Pushkar and rassgollas from Bikaner. Originating for the Marwar region of the state is the concept Marwari Bhojnalaya, or vegetarian restaurants, today found in many part of India, which offer vegetarian food of the Marwari people.

Dal-Bati-Churma is very popular in Rajasthan. Traditional way to serve it is to first coarsely mash the Baati then pour pure Ghee on top of it. It is served with the daal (lentils) and spicy garlic chutney. Also served with Besan (gram flour) ki kadi . It is commonly served at all festivities, including religious occasions, wedding ceremonies, and birthday parties in Rajasthan. "Dal-Baati-Churma", is a combination of three different food items - Daal (lentils), Baati and Churma (Sweet). It is a typical Rajasthani dish.

"Up-down" dolls are found in the roadside shops of Jaisalmer.

The Ghoomar dance from Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer have gained international recognition. Folk music is a vital part of Rajasthani culture. Kathputli, Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindr, Kachchhighori, Tejaji, etc. are the examples of the traditional Rajasthani culture. Folk songs are commonly ballads which relate heroic deeds and love stories; and religious or devotional songs known as bhajans and banis (often accompanied by musical instruments like dholak, sitar, sarangi etc.) are also sung.

Traditional musical instruments of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colourful art. The block prints, tie and dye prints, Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, and Zari embroidery are major export products from Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and crafts, carpets, and blue pottery are commonly found here. Rajasthan is a shoppers' paradise, with beautiful goods at low prices. Reflecting the colourfulculture, Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females comprises an ankle-length skirt and a short top, also known as alehenga or a chaniya choli. A piece of cloth is used to cover the head, both for protection from heat and maintenance of modesty. Rajasthani dresses are usually designed in bright colours like blue, yellow and orange.

The main religious festivals are Deepawali, Holi, Gangaur, Teej, Gogaji, Shri Devnarayan Jayanti,Makar Sankranti and Janmashtami, as the main religion is Hinduism. Rajasthan's desert festival is held once a year during winter. Dressed in brilliantly hued costumes, the people of the desert dance and sing ballads. There are fairs with snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats and folk performers. Camels play a role in this festival.

Spirit possession has been documented in modern Rajasthan. Some of the spirits possessing Rajasthanis are seen as good and beneficial, while others are seen as malevolent. The good spirits include murdered royalty, the underworld god Bhaironji, and Muslim saints. Bad spirits include perpetual debtors who die in debt, stillborn infants, deceased widows, and foreign tourists. The possessed individual is referred to as a ghorala ("mount"). Possession, even if it is by a benign spirit, is regarded as undesirable, as it entails loss of self-control and violent emotional outbursts.