Human Civilization has impression of settlement in the region of Rajasthan since Indus Valley settlements.
This region was inhabited during great floods after the ice age. This area was historically called Matsya kingdom.
Rajasthan is the land of Rajput, Warriors and dynasties. Rulers of Rajasthan preferred building forts and palaces for their comfort and recognition in the region.
The Rajput originated from western, eastern, northern India and from some parts of Pakistan.
People know Rajasthan for its historical hill forts & palaces. Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of largest private residence in the world and the largest Royal Palace in Rajasthan.
There are Six Hill Forts of Rajasthan, spread across the state. They consist of:
Chittorgarh Fort
Kumbalgarh Fort
Ranthambhor Fort at Sawai Madhawpur
Gagron Fort at Jhalawar
Amer Fort at Jaipur
Jaisalmer Fort
Rajasthan forts and buildings are examples of splendid blend of British, Islamic and Hindu architecture.
The palaces and forts in Rajasthan are decorated by Jain and Muslim architecture. Rajasthan's structural design are greatly motivated by Mughals, the latest architecture influence of European interiors.
Most of the palaces have following features:
Buildings in the form of solid mass
Trabeat style
Flat, pyramidal and vaulted roof
Drooping eaves supported by brackets
The houses are made of brick, clay, cement, wood, aluminum, and sheetrock.
The houses in Rajasthan have thick walls and flat roofs to counter harsh climate. Flat roofs on top of the houses help to preserve little water that gets collected during rainfall.
Most of the houses in Rajasthan are painted with white color. It reflects back the sunlight when it falls on the painted walls of the house and allows very limited heat enter the room.
Kutcha houses are common in desert areas. They are cooler than pucca houses and are suitable house as per the desert climate.
In the rural villages, houses are huts with mud walls and thatched roof filled with straw. They have a single door but no windows or ventilators.
Usually there is one room for the family unless the house belongs to more-affluent farmers and artisans in larger villages.
Their houses are roofed with tiles having veranda and large courtyard, main door is enough to allow a loaded bull cart. The earthen floors are coated with mud and dung.
Demographic Location
Rajasthan is the largest state of India situated in Northwest part of India,
The state shares the international borders on the west and northwest by Pakistan and has ommon boundaries with Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Rajasthan has a major part of the state dominated by parched and dry region.
The state is full of rocky terrain, rolling sand dunes, wetlands, barren tracts or land filled with thorny scrubs, river-drained plains, plateaus, ravines and wooded regions.
Thar desert extends across the western border line with Gujarat in India and Sindh, Multan and parts of Punjab in Pakistan.
The sand dunes change their location with the strong warm wind that blow across the state in the summers thus changing the landscape.
Rajasthan was a fertile region with tropical forest in the ancient times with good rainfall and rivers flowing across the plains and plateaus.
Long ago strong winds across wide open areas started lifting the upper soil cover and silt particles from alluvial deposits giving rise the desert.
The region has hilly areas spread across large stretches leading to reasonably high rise mountains in the semi arid region.
With the great excavations of marine fossils from the region around Jaisalmer district many historians believe that the place was a sea almost 47 million years ago.
The Aravalli range lying east of the Thar desert runs along a north-south direction, parallel to the direction of the south-west monsoon winds.
The Thar Desert lies in leeward side of the Aravalli Mountains and thus gets scanty rainfall.
The desert starts from Trade Winds belt blowing from northeast in Northern Hemisphere and south east in Southern Hemisphere (east to west)
Season and Climate
Rajasthan is near to the Equator makes the climate of Rajasthan hot and dry. Rainfall is scanty and scattered in all districts of the state.
Rajasthan is a state where the pressure is very high making the region is very dry.
In the desert areas, weather is mostly hot and dry in summer and cold during the winters.
On the west lies the Aravali range rainfall and humidity are low. On the east, weather is highly humid and widespread rainfall.
Rajasthan has 3 types of climates :
Tropical climate
Dry (arid and semiarid) climate
Mild Temperate climate
Rajasthan as well as its desert part has hot tropical climate for almost whole of the year. It is very cold in winters and very hot in summers.
The Jaisalmer region is drained by very scanty rainfall during the monsoon season. The climate of Jaisalmer is cold and dry in the winter season.
Mount Abu & Kumbhalgarh are much wet and cooler. Some areas in Udaipur & Bundi are considered as very hot.
Jaisalmer is marked with arid tropical grasslands and Savanna alike region found with deciduous trees of Monsoon type.
There are several lakes and ponds in the state to make the landscape with cliff and hilly terrain suitable for palaces built for a comfortable home for the royal families.
Culture and Education
Some of the dominant sub ethnic groups in Rajasthan are Ahirs, Jats, Rajputs, Rabari, Gurjars, Meenas, Brahmins, Mali Rajputs, Koli people, Agrawal, Kumhar, Chippa.
Diversity in the culture of Rajasthan, gives rise to some well known communities like the Mirasis and Jogis of Mewat, Manganiyars and Langas, Kanjars, Banjaras and Dholies.
Horse Riding, Playing Polo, Kite Flying, playing Gulli Danda, Shooting, Archery, Camel Riding are some of the sports and activities in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan attracts visitors with handicraft work like blue pottery, handmade juttis(shoes), jewels and lifestyle.
People of Rajasthan eat delicacies made of Jowar, Bajri, Maize, Ragi, Rice, Wheat, Barely, Gram, Tur, pulses, Ground nut, Sesamum, Millets, lentils and beans.
Large portion of the population of Rajasthan are Hindus and Jainis mainly vegetarian by eating habits.
Rajasthani men wear dhotis, kurta and paggad or safa (turban headgear), Chudidar payjamas.
Rajasthani women wear ethnic attire which is a ghagra, choli (kanchli or kurti) and odhni. Ghagra is a full-length, embroidered and pleated skirt, colorful made of silk, cotton, georgette and crêpe.
They like to wear glass bangles and silver ornaments. Their clothes bear vibrant colors that make them attractive and motivated.
The Ghoomar dance from Jodhpur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer are popular to far flung places. They are performed for recreation and entertainment.
Folk music Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindar, Kachchigghori, Tejaji, Parth Dance are an well known among the Rajasthani people.
Diary farming is practiced in every village in Rajasthan. Farmers grow cotton flourishing the cotton and fabric trade in the region.
Rajasthan cities are hub of Gems and stone cutting merchandise.
Jaipur is an established educational hub for the nearby areas. Several technical and medical colleges have flourished in the state.
BITS Pilani makes the city famous for its technical education worldwide.
Hindi language including Rajasthani, Marwari, Mewari, Brajbhasha and Bagri are spoken widely in Rajasthan.
Rajasthani language consists of five primary dialects -
Marwari
Mewari
Dhundhari
Mewati
Harauti
Famous Spots
Some of the famous and popular places in Rajasthan are :
Jaipur City Palace
Nahargarh and Amber Palace
Jal Mahal
Kumbalgarh Fort
Ranthambhor National Park
Jaisalmer Fort and Palace
Jodhpur Palace
Thar Desert (Desert Safari)
Pushkar Mela
Chittorgarh Palace
Mount Abu and many other selective places. Bikaner and Jaisalmer are frontier province with Pakistan. Ajmer is the land of Sufis in India.
Aqualife, Flora and Fauna
There are identified 20 National Parks in Rajasthan | Wildlife Sanctuaries in Rajasthan.
The Ranthambore National Park located in Swai Madhopur is one of the tiger reserves in the country, became a part of Project Tiger in 1973.
The Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district was declared a national park in 1979.
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is a very small sanctuary in Sujangarh, Churu district, in the Shekhawati region. This sanctuary is home to a large population of blackbuck, Desert foxes and the caracel, an apex predator, along with birds sach as the partridge and sand grouse.
In addition, there are few more national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan:
Keoladeo National Park of Bharatpur
Desert National Park of Jaisalmer
Creepers, shrubs, herbs and bushes grow in the shallow wetland landscape in Eastern Rajasthan. Khejri and Babul are found in Keoladeo National Park.
The Desert National Park in Jaisalmer is popular for Seashells and massive fossilized tree trunks in this park of the desert. The region is a haven for migratory and resident birds of the desert.
Several species of migrating birds and scavenger birds eagles, harriers, falcons, buzzards, kestrels and vultures. Short –toed snake eagles, tawny eagles, spotted eagles, falcons and kestrels are common wild life in this forest reserve region.
Bharatpur is the famous Bird sanctuary where migrating birds fly from long distant places and long necked birds on large stretch of water bodies.
Seventy species of trees are found in Ranthambore National Park. Peepal, Dhak, ber , banyan and khajur are also found in these forest reserves.
Several species of birds of Eagles, Harriers, Falcons, Buzzards, Kestrels and Vultures are found in the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
The world's tallest black-necked cranes, Indian bustard and grey partridge migrate in this sanctuary.
National institute, Arid Forest Research Institute of Ministry of Forestry is situated in Jodhpur which works on desert flora and its conservation.
The Dhosi Hill in Jhunjunu, known as ‘Chayvan Rishi’s Ashram’ , where ‘Chyawanprash’ was formulated, has an unique and rare herbs growth.
Leopard is the top carnivore in The Aravalis in South Rajasthan, which roams freely in the natural habitat.
Rhesus Macaque, Sloth Bear, Indian Civet cat, Indian Porcupine, Wild Boar, Wolf, Jackal, Hare, Black faced Monkey or The Hanuman Langur, Bluebull are kept in Nahargarh Biological park on the outer skirts of the capital, Jaipur city.
Royal Bengal Tiger, Black Buck, Chinkara, Asiatic Wildcat, White Footed Fox, Great Indian Bustard, Great Indian Spotted Eagle, Marsh Crocodile, Stripes Hyena are some of the wild animals easily seen in Rajasthan.
In the dry mountain and forest reserves and parks, Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles, Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russell’s Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers and the Indian Chameleon are found in plenty.
Rajasthan farmers grow fruits like Kinnow, Lime, Aonia, Ber, Orange, Papaya, Amla, omegranate, Guava, Mango and Mausambi.
The farmers grow vegetables like Brinjal, Cole Crops, Cucurbits, Peas, Potato, Tomat, Water Melon, Musk Melon, Okra and Onion.
Spices like Ajwain, Fennel, Fenugreek, Garlic, Chili, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger and Turmeric are grown in the farm lands in Rajasthan.
Flower like Marigols and Roses are commonly grown in different places of Rajasthan.
Some rare medicinal and aromatic herbs and shrubs likeAshwagandha, Isabgol, Mehandi, Sonamukhi are grown in the fertile portion.
The natural vegetation of Rajasthan is classified as Northern Desert Thorn Forest.
The common trees and plants that grow in the large stretches of Rajasthan are - Aam, Imli, Babul, Banyan, Ber, Dhak or Chila, Jamun, Kadam, Khajur and Khair.
Godawan or Great Indian Bustard is the official state bird of Rajasthan. Chinkara is the official state Animal of Rajasthan.
Rajasthan has fresh water aqua life species like Bita, Catla, Greyei, Lanchi, Mahseer, Mirgal, Rohu, Savan, and Seenghara.
