Did you know these facts about Rajasthan?

Palatial, vibrant & colourful, large are some of the words we can use to define the state of Rajasthan where the kings used to stay. The state is land of warriors & kings, prince & princesses, Ranthambore National Park, Thar Desert, camping sites, ala-grand palaces, ancient forts, & handcrafted items & the big turbans.

Rajasthan, one of the royal state of India, a princely state known for camping in the desert, the local food- Dal Bhatti Churma, culture, the hospitality & much more. Rajasthan tourism welcomes numerous travellers, both, local & globally every year & loved by each one of us. The state has a great history, and many things to dohere & what amazes more about this state is the interesting facts it has.

This great tourist hub has many amazing stories or one can say facts that surprises the tourists. The facts are relating to ancient cultures, beliefs, man-made structures, geographical features, which can be shocking to someone & admirable to others. Let’s discuss in depth some of the ‘wow’ facts relating to this state listed below:

1. Colour Coded Cities

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This is one of the very interesting facts about this state. Few cities here are known by its colour & hence later started referring as per the same. Like Jodhpur is referred as the “Blue City” as majorly all the houses here are painted with blue colour to denote it as the home of the Brahmins, & since then it is referred with this colour. The Maharaja of Jaipur- Sawai Ram Singh in 1876 passed a law for all the residents to paint their houses with pink colour, this was done to welcome the Queen Victoria & Prince of Wales, and since then this city is referred as the “Pink City”. And Jaisalmer has inspired its name from the golden colour of the Thar Desert & many a times referred as the “Golden City”. Isn’t this quite amazing? 

2. Largest State of India

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This princely state is said to be the largest state covering the area of roughly 342,240 sq km & the total population of 68558437 & ranked in the 7^th position in terms of population. The formation of the state was done on 30^th march 1949 which comprised of 22 different kingdoms of royal states. Rajasthan tourism one of the great geographical feature- Thar Desert. The visit to this royal state will surely not disappoint you.

3. The Haunted Fort- Bhangarh

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The Bhangarh Fort is said to be one of the haunted forts in India and also among the top 10 haunted places of India. The fort is located in the Alwar city & was built by the ruler of the 16^th century of Amber- Raja Bhagwant. It is said that a Tantrik cursed this village Bhangarh to horrify the princess Ratnavati. It is not allowed to visit this fort after the sunset as it is said to be guarded by the spirits. The Tantrik cursed that no villagers can stay or build their houses here & since then this village is abandoned & the closest village is at a distance of 5km. So if you have the daring & wish to visit this place, try going before sunset or after the sunrise.

4. Hawa Mahal

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Any guesses why this iconic monument is referred with this name? This is because the Hawa Mahal consists of 953 windows or jharokhas, which make this building referred to as the Wind Palace or Hawa Mahal. This monument is yet another excellence of architecture of the 18^th century & was constructed by the Maharaja Sawai Pratap. This monument is constructed with pink & red sandstone & from the exterior this structure looks like a beehive. Do witness the beauty of Jaipur when you are here!

5. Visit the In-law’s House of Ravana in Mandore

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Ravana’s wife princess Mandodari belongs to the Mandore district here. The locals believe that Ravana married Mandodari here only & so it is said to be Ravana’s in-laws place. You can also find the raavan chavri here where the couples can get married. And this historically important place was also once the capital of Marwar.

6. Second largest fort in India, Kumbhalgarh Fort

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One of the fort in Rajasthan which was announced as one the UNESCO World’s Heritage Site & is the second largest fort in India. This fort is also referred to as the Great Wall of India & was constructed by Rana Kumbha in the 15^th century. This fort is quite majestic & huge with being located at the height of 3,600 feet high above the sea level. The walk to this fort is quite tedious & challenging, but once you reach the top, it is a bet that you are going to surprise with the beauty of this fort.

7. Rajasthan, the State of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

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This princely state of Rajasthan is proud of having many great monuments & among them 8 sites are declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites namely Gagron Fort, Chittorgarh Fort, Ranthambore Fort, Jaisalmer Fort, JantarMantar, Amber Fort &Keoladeo National Park. All the forts are the examples of the architectural skills of the Royal Kings in the ancient time. Make a checklist of visiting each & every renowned place in Rajasthan.

8. Largest Desert

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Thar Desert is the 17^th largest desert of the world & 60% of the desert’s region is in the state of Rajasthan. The neighbouring state also share some of the parts of this desert – Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana & Sindh in Pakistan. The Thar Desert is many a times also said to be the Great Indian Desert. The desert is quite a secluded with a population of approx. 80 people per km & enjoys a hot & humid summer months & cold to extremely cold in winters.

9. Luni River.

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Luni River is said to be the only saline river & is one of the largest river in the Thar Desert. The name of the river is named after the Sanskrit word- Lavanvati meaning a saline river. This river flows through the Thar Desert & ends in the Kutch, Gujarat. The river has the highest amount of salt present in it. And the Luni river is the only one that is unified into a desert.

10. The Palace On Wheels

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Palace on the Wheels is one of the luxurious trains of India launched in the year 1982 & is a joint collaboration of Rajasthan Tourism & Indian Railways. This train was launched to make people know about the royalty, hospitality & customs of the state. This train can accommodate around 104 people with 23 coaches mainly & has a 7 nights’ itinerary with Delhi being the start & end point.

11. The Aravalli Mountain Ranges

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The Aravalli ranges starts from the Delhi & stretching till the Gujarat State. The approx. length of the ranges is 690 km with Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu being the highest peak. The Aravalli Ranges are one the oldest range of peaks & it is assumed & said that this oldest mountain range helps in maintaining a stable climate, regulates the spreading of pollution & the soil conservation & rainfall is also dependent on this ranges.

12. Ajmer Sharif Dargah

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The Ajmer Sharif Dargah is one of the known religious’ places in Ajmer, Rajasthan. It is said that people who come & worship her with their heart out are blessed with good vibes only &all the wishes are fulfilled by the Allah. This Dargah serves as the holy tomb & shrine of the Saint KhwajaMoinuddinChisti sharing its walls with the Anasagar lake, making this place a more peaceful one.

13. Story behind the abandons of the Kuldhara Village

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Kuldhara village is located in the Jaisalmer city & is said to be a deserted village. This village was the home to the Paliwal Brahmins in the 13^th century who moved to Pali later. But later in the 19^th century, the Brahmins got vanished. It is said that within a night span, the whole village got emptied. There are many different reasons like lack of water supply, earthquakes & so on. The locals though narrate a different story with claiming this place to be cursed by the residents.

14. Karni Mata Temple

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Karni Mata Temple or the Rat Temple is located in the Deshnoke District, 30 km far from Jaisalmer. Around 25,000 black rats live here in the temple & these rats are worshipped also. This temple enjoys many tourists from India & internationally who come to pray these rats. Among the black ones, there are only 4 white rats here, which are believed to be the sons of the Karni Mata & these white rats are considered to be extremely auspicious. So, make sure to lookout for the white rats specially here to seek some special blessings.

15. Bikaner’s Camel Festival

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The Bikaner Camel Festival is organised every year for 2 days in the month of January & all the arrangements for this festival is under the Tourism department of Rajasthan. In this festival you can enjoy the vibrant glory of this state. The festival is celebrated to give respect to the desert animal – Camel. During this festival, the camels are colourfully decorated with traditional Rajasthani clothes with carts. During this festival you can enjoy puppet shows, the local food of Rajasthan, camel activities like camel racing, camel milking & many other cultural events. Plan your Rajasthan holiday tour package in the month of January to enjoy this unique festival.

The above listed are some of the odd yet interesting facts which describe the state of Rajasthan. There are few other interesting facts which one should definitely be aware about this state. These are as below:

• In this state you can go to enjoy only 1 hill station i.e. Mount Abu;
• Chittorgarh is one of the largest fort in India, which is located here;
• It is said that if you want to visit a Brahma Temple, Pushkar is the only place in the world, where you can worship Brahma;
• Rajasthan shares borders with 5 major states- Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, & Haryana;
• The only state where you can find many Jain Temples with Dilwara Temple in Mt Abu being one of the most famous & beautiful Jain Temple;
• In the winter months, the largest Camel Fair is held in Pushkar;
• You can see Mehrangarh Fort featured in may Hollywood & Bollywood movies like The Jungle Book, Awarapan, & The Dark Knight Rises;
• JantarMantar features the largest stone sundial of the world;
• The city of Jodhpur houses one of the best heritage hotels of the world- Umaid Bhawan;
• Kachchi Ghodi is the folk dance of Rajasthan where the dancers tie dummy horses over their waist and perform the dance, with the singers reciting the tales of plunders & dacoits;

Guess the whole write up was quite indulging to know about some of the known & unknown facts of Rajasthan. This state has list of historical stories & beliefs at each & every corner, making it not only interesting but also making the tourist impulsive to take a visit to this royal state. Don’t wait & frame Rajasthan tour package to witness the above listed interesting facts. Visit this elegant state & capture great memories with your loved ones.