Taj Mahal Tours

About Rajasthan

Amazing legends of heroism and romance still resound from its equally amazing architecture, that still stands to narrate its tale of a bygone era. The magic of Rajasthan is unequalled in the world for its heritage, culture, safaris, sand dunes and lush green forests with its wildlife. Rajasthan is often expressed as huge open-air museum with relic so well preserved for the travellers and the curious of the day.

It is action-packed with outdoors too; take a safari on horses, camels, elephants or even jeeps with the Aravalis - India's oldest mountain range in the backdrop, or caress your eyes on the sloppy sand dunes, or trail a tiger or just watch birds on wetland. Or you can choose to pamper yourself in the lavish heritage properties. Rajasthan has something for everyone, just choose your activity.

Language
As the state of Rajasthan was found by merging the princely states, it has many dialects.
The four main dialects are Marwari (in western Rajasthan), Jaipuri or Dhundhari (in the east and southeast), Malvi (Malwi; in the southeast), and, in Alwar, Mewati is spoken, which shades off into Braj Bhasa in Bharatpur district.
The main language written and spoken is Hindi.English is also commonly understood, except at the grass root levels. However, tourist guides and translators are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese.

Rajasthan People
Rajasthan according to the 2001 census has a population of 56.5 million. Rajasthan has a large indigenous populace Minas (Minawati) in Alwar, Jaipur, Bharatpur, and Dholpur areas. The Meo and the Banjara are travelling tradesmen and artisans. The Gadia Lohar is the Lohar meaning ironsmith who travels on Gadia meaning bullock carts; they generally make and repair agricultural and household implements.
The Bhils are one of the oldest peoples in India, inhabit the districts of Bhilwara, Chittaurgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur, and Sirohi and are famous for their skill in archery. The Grasia and nomadic Kathodi live in the Mewar region. Sahariyas are found in the Kota district, and the Rabaris of the Marwar region are cattle breeders.

Cuisine
Land of Princes, as Rajasthan is called, shows off, many a fine gastronomic both within the palaces and outside. The royal kitchens of Rajasthan, the preparation of food was a very complex matter and was raised to the levels of an art form. Thus the 'Khansamas' (the royal cooks) worked in the stately palaces and kept their most enigmatic recipes to themselves. Some recipes were passed on to their descendants and the rest were passed on as skills to the chefs of semi states and the branded hotel companies.
Rajasthani cooking was inclined to the war-like lifestyle of the medieval Rajasthan and the availability of ingredients of the region. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred, more out of necessity than choice. Scarcity of water, fresh green vegetables have had their effect on cooking.
In the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner, cooks use a minimum of water and prefer, instead, to use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. A distinct feature of the Maheshwari cooking is the use of mango powder, a suitable substitute for tomatoes, scarce in the desert, and asafoetida, to enhance the taste in the absence of garlic and onions.

Climate
The climate of Rajasthan can be divided into four seasons: Summers, Monsoon, Post-Monsoon and winter.
A summer, which extends from April to June, is the hottest season, with temperatures ranging from 32 degree C to 45 degree C. In western Rajasthan the temp may rise to 48 degree C, particularly in May and June. At this time, Rajasthan's only hill station, Mt Abu registers the lowest temperatures. In the desert regions, the temperature drops at night. Prevailing winds are from the west and sometimes carry dust storms (we call them aandhi).
The second season Monsoon extends from July to September, temp drops, but humidity increases, even when there is slight drop in the temp (35 degree C to 40 degree C). 90% of rains occur during this period.
The Post-monsoon period is from October to November. The average maximum temperature is 33 degree C to 38 degree C, and the minimum is between 18 degree C and 20 degree C.
The fourth season is Winter or the cold season, from December to March. There is a marked variation in maximum and minimum temperatures, and regional variations across the state. January is the coolest month of the year. And temp may drop to 0 degree C in some cities of Rajasthan, like Churu. There is slight precipitation in the north and northeastern region of the state, and light winds, predominantly from the north and northeast. At this time, relative humidity ranges from 50% to 60% in the morning, and 25% to 35% in the afternoon.




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