India at a Glance

• Rajasthan
• Kerala
• North India
• Leh Ladakh
• Beaches

North India Spots

• Manali
• New Delhi
• Rajasthan

Rajasthan, the largest state of India was formed on 30 March 1949 with Jaipur as the state capital. Once known as the 'Land of the Kings', the state still retains the glory and richness of those times with its marvelous monuments, colourful traditions and customs. It covers most of the area of the Great Indian desert (Thar Desert) with one edge paralleling the Sutlej - Indus river valley along with its border with Pakistan. It borders Pakistan to the west, the Indian state of Gujarat to the southwest, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north. Rajasthani and Hindi are the widely used languages in the state. 

The history of Rajasthan is filled with numerous legends of heroic acts of the Rajput Kings who began to rule Rajasthan from 9th century AD. The chivalrous Kings of Rajputana Prithviraj Chauhan and Maharana Pratap of Mewar fought many wars to save the honor of their land, people and traditions. The State of Rajasthan was formed at the time of Independence of India when the Rajputana's 18 Princely States, two chieftain and one British administered province were merged.

Rajasthan is culturally rich and has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. There is rich and varied folk culture from villages which is often depicted and is symbolic of the state. Highly cultivated classical music and dance with its own distinct style is part of the cultural tradition of Rajasthan. The music is uncomplicated and songs depict day-to-day relationships and chores, more often focused around fetching water from wells or ponds. Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colorful art. The block prints, tie and dye prints, Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, and Zari embroidery are major export products from Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and handicrafts, carpets, and blue pottery are some of the things commonly found here. Rajasthan is a shoppers' paradise, with beautiful goods found at low prices. Reflecting the colorful Rajasthani culture, Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery.