North India · Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Sources: wikimedia
About Rajasthan
- Desert
Where it is
Rajasthan is India's largest state by area, in the north-west of the country, where the Thar Desert stretches west of the Aravalli Range to the border with Pakistan; its capital is Jaipur.
History
Kalibangan shows that the region was part of the Indus Valley Civilisation. From the early medieval period Rajput clans such as the Rathores, Sisodias, Kachwahas and Chauhans founded kingdoms and built great hill forts, resisting and later allying with the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals. Under the British these became the princely states of Rajputana, which were merged in stages after independence to form Rajasthan.
People
Hindi is the official language, and Rajasthani languages such as Marwari, Mewari and Dhundhari are widely spoken. Communities such as the Bhil and Meena, Rabari herders, Kalbelia dancers and Manganiyar and Langa musicians keep alive rich traditions of folk music, puppetry and colourful dress.
Known for
- Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer
- Camel treks in the Thar Desert
- The Pushkar camel fair
- Block printing, blue pottery and miniature painting
- Ranthambore's tigers
Did you know?
Six of Rajasthan's hill forts, among them Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore and Amber, were listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
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