About Rajasthan |
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Rajasthan is where all the country's similes and metaphors appear
to have come together. Sand dunes, wooded hills and amazing
lakes, palaces and rugged forts, men and women in colorful turbans
and skirts, bustling towns and quiet villages, camels, elephants
and tigers, harsh sunlight and the cool evening breeze - are
all there in abundance.
But they form only part of an intricate tapestry. Beneath the
surface, expect to find many contradictions. Where ever you
travel, particularly when you escape from the popular tourist
destinations you will come across the unexpected, whether it
is a local fair or magnificent view.
The mood and the rhythm of the country side changes from one
region to another, and from season to season. It is a land of
surprises; it is a land of amazing natural beauty that can fascinate
even the most experienced traveller.
A magical sojourn reverberating with age old culture and traditions,
the state enfolds in its lap a diverse kaleidoscope of breathtakingly
beautiful and fascinating art-de-facts. The range is unparalleled
even while it is sophisticated in its simplicity.
It has something for almost every kind of traveler, revealing
a vast range of arts and crafts, which is a treat for the visuals
and are ready to be picked. The Bazaars spill with products
and there is a magnificent glow of colours all over.
Intricate work carved on handicrafts or the wonders of gems
and stones, it has it all and even more like the colours dancing
on the textiles and fabrics with silver or gold threads settings
and complimented with the variety of Silk-threads, Beads, Gota,
Zari, Zardosi, Banarasi, etc. designed by the age old families
of skilled artisans.
The amazing use of clay in the form of sculpture and decorative
arts, the paintings from different schools like Miniature, Mughal
and the different Rajasthani shailis (school of art) and more
are piled up, revealing the medieval splashes and recording
historic and dramatic events. Almost capturing the senses!
The age old art of dyes and colours hold the centre of attraction.
 Every
part of the state, every town, every village is associated with
the rich heritage of craftsmanship so particular to Rajasthan.
Entire villages practice crafts - sometimes a vast spectrum,
on other occasions just a single skill that can range from dhurrie
weaving to terracotta products.
These traditions once helped to form the different layers of
a self-supporting society in villages and towns, and it is this
that has ensured their survival. Most crafts are still practiced
because they find use in local society - the painters, for example,
still do frescos on temple walls, and the village cobbler makes
thick-soled shoes for the farmers, reserving the more delicate
versions for visitors.
Today, Rajasthan's markets spill with an exciting array of goods:
paintings, jewellery, fabrics and textiles, soft-as-gossamer
quilts, clay pottery and blue pottery, dhurries and carpets,
wood, metal and stone sculpture, leatherware and terracotta...
Little bells dance in the breeze, puppets dangle from strings,
embroidered footwear brightens up stores, lights glow in huge
glass candelabra and gemstones spill across pavements: in Rajasthan's
treasure-trove, you could spend days simply exploring the world
of the artisan.
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Rajasthan Fast Facts
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Rajasthan India, is bounded
on the west and northwest by Pakistan, on the north and northeast
by the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh,
on the east and southeast by the states of Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh, and on the southwest by the state of Gujarat.
The Tropic of Cancer passes through its southern tip in the
Banswara district.
Western Rajasthan is relatively dry and infertile; and includes
some of the Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert.
The climate varies throughout Rajasthan as you'll see when you
travel to Rajasthan, India. On average winter temperatures range
from 8° to 28° C (46° to 82° F) and summer temperatures
range from 25° to 46° C (77 ° to 115 ° F)
Area: 342,239 sq km.
Population: 56.5 million.
Languages:
Hindi, Marwari, and Rajasthani.
Capital: Jaipur
Literacy rate (2001): 61.03 %
Crops: Cotton, Millet, Oilseeds, pulses,
wheat, and sugarcane.
Industries: Cement, Chemicals, Handicrafts,
Sugar, and textiles.
Airports: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner
and Jaisalmer.
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