Rajasthan
Rajasthan Tourist Places
Jaipur
The capital city of Rajasthan, Jaipur is the largest city in the state. The city was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727, after whom the city has been named. Jaipur is best known for its beautiful palaces that attract tourists from all over the country and the world, which makes the city one of the most popular tourist places in Rajasthan.
Among the most popular sport of tourist interest in Jaipur city are the Hawa Mahal, the Nahargarh Fort and the Jantar Mantar Observatory. Jaipur is also an important destination in the Golden Triangle tourist circuit which connects it to Delhi and Agra. The most interesting fact about the city of Jaipur is that it was planned according to Vastu Shastra. All the streets run from East to West and North to South.
Jodhpur
Jodhpur is the second largest city of this state. The city was the seat of power of the erstwhile princely state of Jodhpur and was the capital of the state that was called Marwar at the time. The city of Jodhpur is often referred to as the Sun City due to its beautiful, sunny weather. It is also referred to as the Blue City because of the lovely blue coloured houses near the Mehrangarh Fort.
Like other cities in Rajasthan, Jodhpur too has its share of palaces, forts and temples to explore and to entice tourists and travellers. The major attractions in Jodhpur include the Mehrangarh Fort, the Jaswant Thada, the Umaid Bhavan Palace, the Ghanta Ghar, the Mandore Gardens, the Kalyana Lake and Garden, Sardar Samand Lake and Masooria Hills.
Ajmer
Ajmer is the fifth largest city in the state of Rajasthan. It is also one of the most popular tourist sports in Rajasthan. Ajmer is best known for the Dargah Sharif, which is the shrine of the Sufi Saint Moinudeen Chisti and attracts both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims from all over the country and the world.
Ajmer is surrounded by the Aravalli Range of mountains of Rajasthan. The Anasagar Lake, an artificial lake, situated to the North of the city of Ajmer is a very popular tourist destination within Ajmer. The city is protected from the Thar Desert by the rocks of the Nagpathar Range.
Udaipur
Udaipur is among the most popular Rajasthan tourist places. It is often called the City of Lakes and was once the capital of the historic kingdom of Mewar. The Sisodia clan of Rajputs had set up their capital in Udaipur after they moved from Chittorgarh.
Udaipur is a popular tourist place in Rajasthan and attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world due to its scenic beauty, history, culture and Rajput-era palaces. Often called the Venice of the East, Udaipur has a number of beautiful lakes such as the Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar.
The city was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh as the final capital of the kingdom of Mewar. The best season to visit Udaipur is during the autumn or winters as the city experiences a salubrious climate during this time. The city has a number of tourist destinations such as the City Palace, Lake Palace, Jag Mandir, Monsoon Palace, Jagdish Temple, Sagasji Mandir, and more.
Bharatpur
Bharatpur was once the capital of the erstwhile Jat Kingdom and was considered impregnable. Bharatpur is also referred to as Lohagarh and has now been included in the National Capital Region (NCR). The city is located at an elevation of 600 feet and is best known for the Keoladeo National Park. The city is also considered to be the Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan.
The Royal House of Bharatpur dates back to 11th century AD. Bharatpur is an important tourist destination in Rajasthan and attracts a large number of tourists from all over the country and the world. It is a lesser known destination in Rajasthan, but has a number of secrets hidden within itself.
Bundi
The city of Bundi in Rajasthan is an important tourist destination and attracts a large number of tourists from all over the country and the world. It is situated at a distance of 210 km from Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan.
Bundi is well known for its beautiful forts and palaces and step well reservoirs called Baoris. It is believed that an ancient tribe called the Bunda Meena inhabited the region and hence the city got its name. Some of the important tourist destinations in Bundi include the Taragarh Fort, the Bundi Palace, the Nawal Sagar, the Dabhai Kund and the Sukh Mahal.
The step well reservoirs or Baoris of Bundi are of particular architectural and cultural interest. There are more than 50 step well reservoirs in the city, but only a few have been maintained.
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is also known as the Golden City of Rajasthan. The city is best known for its beautiful sand dunes, its impressive fort and the exotic culture and traditions of the people. The town stands on a ridge of sandstone, crowned by the Jaisalmer Fort.
The city lies in the heart of the Thar Desert and is known for its temples, palaces and forts. The city is named after its founder Maharaja Jaisal Singh. Some of the most important tourist places in Jaisalmer include the Jaisalmer Fort, the Jain Heritage of Jaisalmer and the museums.
The Desert Festival is held in January and February every year at Jaisalmer and attracts a large number of tourists from all over the country and the world. Folk dances and song performances are held during the Jaisalmer Desert Festival.
Bikaner
The city of Bikaner is an important tourist destination in the state of Rajasthan. The city was founded by Rao Bhika with the help of Nehra Jats and hence the city is called Bikaner. The city is the fifth largest city in Rajasthan and is famous for its sweets and confectioneries.
Bikaner is also famous for its Usta art, which is practised by the Usta artisans of the state. The art is prepared in floral or geometric patterns and is embossed with gold. Another art form of Bikaner is the Chadwa art, which is quite popular among tourists too. There are a number of places of interest in and around Bikaner such as the Karni Mata Temple, the Junagarh Fort, the Laxmi Niwas Palace, the Lalgarh Palace, the Laxmi Nath Temple, the Bikaner Camel Festival, and others.
Mount Abu
Mount Abu is often referred to as the Oasis in the Desert, as it has a number of lakes, rivers, waterfalls and evergreen forests. Mount Abu is a popular hill station in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan.
Mount Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan and is one of the best tourist places to visit in Rajasthan. It serves as popular retreat during the summers for the people of Rajasthan and Gujarat and also attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world.
The Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary was established here in 1960. There are several Hindu temples on the mountain such as the Shri Raghunathji Temple, the Adhar Devi Temple, which is carved out of a single rock, and others. It is also home to the beautiful Dilwara Jain temples which are a major attraction for tourists visiting Rajasthan.
Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh or Chittaurgarh lies along the River Berach, which is a tributary of the River Banas. Chittorgarh was the former capital of the Sisodia Dynasty of Mewar, it is a one of the popular tourist places to visit in Rajasthan.
Chittorgarh is famous for its history of brave Rajput men and women. Chittorgarh was under siege thrice and each time the Rajput warriors fought will all their might. Jauhar was committed thrice by the Rajput women and children in Chittorgarh. Chittorgarh has several places of interest such as the Chittorgarh Fort, the Kalika Mata Temple, the Vijay Stambh, the Kirti Stambh, Rana Kumbha's Palace, Rani Padmini's Palace, Kumbhaswamin Temple and Fateh Prakash Palace.
Kota
The city of Kota is the third largest city in the state of Rajasthan and one of the best tourist places to visit in Rajasthan. Kota is situated on the banks of the River Chambal and is being developed as a counter magnet for Delhi in terms of tourism development. The Kota city also serves as a trade centre for its crop growing neighbourhoods that produce wheat, millet, rice, coriander, oilseeds and pulses.
Kota is famous for its distinctive style of paintings, its palaces, museums and places of worship. Some of the important places of tourist interest here are the Maharao Madho Singh Museum which houses artistic items, Rajput miniature paintings of the Kota school, sculptures, armoury and frescoes of the Kota rulers; the Government Museum, the Godavari Dham temple, the Agamgarh Saheb Gurudwara, the Khare Ganesha temple, and the Radhakrishna temple.
