India is loved or hated – not everyone manages to tune in to the right wave and see what is attractive for which many return here again and again. India is big and very different, but if you want to see it in all its glory, then you definitely need to go to the most colorful state – Rajasthan. You can gallop along it in a few days or travel for several months – it all depends on your capabilities and desires. This article contains five of the most interesting places, a couple of weeks are enough to get to know them.
Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of the state and one of the most attraction-filled cities. The houses here are mostly built of pink stone, which is why Jaipur is called the “Pink City”. Here you need to stroll through the streets of the Old City, be sure to see the main symbol of the city – the Palace of the Winds Hawa Mahal, look at the Maharji’s Palace and the Jal Mahal Palace, wander among the pestering monkeys in the Monkey Temple (Galta Ji),
visit the forts of Jaigarh, Nahargarh and visit the Amber fortress, standing on a hill.
Jodhpur
Another “colored” city is Jodhpur. In the city itself this is not felt so strongly, but if you look at it from the surrounding hills, it immediately becomes clear that it bears the name “Blue City” for a reason. Houses with blue walls and roofs stretch for several kilometers around and it looks amazing. Mehrangarh Fort is the best place to see the city from a height of 125 meters, and if you want to see the palace, which is called one of the most beautiful in India, then go to Umaid Bhawan; this, by the way, is the largest private residence in the world.
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is a city located in the Thar Desert, built of yellow-brown sandstone, which earned it the nickname “Golden”. Jaisalmer is notable for the fact that it has one of the few inhabited forts in the world, so tourists come there to see the sights, and locals simply live their normal lives. But the main thing people come to Jaisalmer for is Camel Safari, camel tours through the desert. Moreover, you can simply ride for a couple of hours among the endless dunes, or you can go on a long tour for several days, with overnight stays under the starry sky – the longest route through the desert runs between Jaisalmer and Bikaner.
Bikaner
Directly in the city you can see several attractions, in particular an ancient fort, a couple of temples and several ancient havelis – mansions decorated with elaborate stone and wood carvings, as well as frescoes. But the most unusual place is located 30 kilometers from the city – the Karni Mata Rat Temple. About 20,000 rodents live in the temple and they are revered as sacred animals; many Hindus come here to make offerings, and tourists come here to look at this exotica. The place, frankly speaking, is ambiguous – it is difficult to express in one word the emotions that arise here – it is something between surprise, curiosity, disgust and disgust, but to complete the picture, it is, of course, worth visiting here.
Udaipur
One of the most picturesque cities in Rajasthan, Udaipur is especially popular among newlyweds, for which it is called the city of lakes, palaces and weddings. Here you need to visit the palaces and just walk along the narrow streets of the city, where life is in full swing from morning to evening – tourists and townspeople, pedestrians and motorcyclists, auto rickshaws and cows; all this is in constant motion and does not stop for a second. And if you get tired of the noise, be sure to climb onto the roof of one of the many and popular rooftop cafes located on the shores of Lake Pikola. Here you can take a breath and have lunch, enjoying the peace and tranquility.
These five cities are the most popular among tourists, but besides them there are many more interesting places in Rajasthan – Pushkar, Mandawa, Mount Abu, Chittorgarh, Bundi, Samode, Sanganer and other small towns. So this state is a real treasure trove both for lovers of India and for those who want to get to know the country for the first time.
