Udaipur

Alwar

Chittorgarh

Fairs & Festivals

Wildlife

Crafts & Shopping

People

This place is surrounded by hills this artificial lake was created in the 12th century by building a dam on river Luni. On its bank is a fine park, the Daulat Bagh. It is a popular place for an evening stroll. There are good views from the hills beside the Daulat Bagh.

The Dargah is situated at the foot of a barren hill in the old part of town; this is one of the most important places in India for Muslim Pilgrims. The Dargah is the tomb of a Sufi Saint, Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti you have to cover your head in certain parts of the Dargah so you must take a Scarf or cap with you. The tomb attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.

Beyond the Dargah, at the outskirts of town are the ruins of the Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra Mosque. According to legends it was constructed in 1153 and the construction took 2 ½ days while others says that it was named after a festival lasting for 2 ½ days. It was originally built as a Sanskrit college but in 1198 Mohammed of Ghori captured Ajmer and converted the building into a mosque by adding a seven-arched wall in front of the pillared hall. It is a fine piece of architecture. The pillars are all different and the arched ‘screen’ is amazing. 3 Km and a steep 1-½ hour climb beyond the mosque is Taragarh or "Star Fort". It provides a superb view over the city. Ajaipal Chauhan, the town's founder, built this ancient fort. During Mughal times this place was used for military activities and later on it was used a sanatorium by the British.

Kishangarh is 27-km. northeast from Ajmer and was founded in the early 17th century by Kishan Singh who was a Rathore prince since the 18th century. Kishangarh had had one of India’s most famous schools of miniature paintings. Kishangarh town is divided into the old city that still has old-world charm and the new city, which is mainly commercial. It has got a number of textile mills and marble factories.

Pushkar is only 11km northwest of Ajmer, but seperated from it by Nag Pahar, the Snake Mountain. It is situated on the edge of the desert. Pushkar is a very important pilgrimage centre and only religious Hindus, should visit this place at least once in their lifetime, you will see plenty of Sadhus in Pushkar. This place is world famous for its camel fair, which take places each Oct./Nov. over here. This town is situated on the side of a small Pushkar lake, which has got many bathing ghats and temples. The most famous temple is the Brahma Temple. One-hour trek upto the hill top is the Savitri temple (the wife of Lord Brahma). The view is magical over here early in the morning.

Pushkar is a good place for shopping also. The Bazaars are stuffed with a wide range of handicrafts and silver shops and a number of places where you can choose your own beads and get them strung on a leather strap into a bracelet or necklace. Pushkar is also good for embroidered fabrics such as wall hangings, bed covers, cute cushion covers, scarves and groovy shoulder bags.

This park is one of the prime examples of project tiger’s conservation efforts in Rajasthan. It is situated near the town of Sawai Madhopur, midway between Bharatpur and Kota. Not only tigers but also all species of the cat family inhabiting the park are threatened, as well as other animals such as the Ratel or Honey Badger, a nocturnal beast and member of the weasel family.

Before independence the park was preserved by Jaipur’s Maharaja who mounted elaborate big game shoots or 'Shikars" here. In 1955 the game park was declared a wildlife sanctuary and in 1973 was one of the nine sanctuaries that were selected as part of the project tiger program. It was designated a national park in 1980 and in 1984 the forest to south and northeast of the original park were declared the Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries. The park now covers 1334 sq. km.

According to the recent census, there are 25 tigers and nine cubs in this sanctuary, as well as its animal population, Ranthambore boosts over 270 species of birds. The best time to visit the park is between Oct and April and then the park is actually closed during the monsoon. Early mornings and date afternoons are the best times to view wildlife.