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How to Get There:
By Air: Rajasthan has its major airports at Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, open through the year, and Jaisalmer, open only from 1st October to 31st March. Jaipur (Sanganer) Airport, is an International / domestic airport. Udaipur (Maharana Pratap) Airport is domestic, as are Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Other airports include Kota and Nal (Bikaner).
By Rail and Road:
Rajasthan is connected by many national highways to all parts of India and with most main cities of India by rail. Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur and Jodhpur are its major railway stations.
Climate:
The climate of Rajasthan has four seasons: the pre-Monsoons, Monsoons, post-Monsoons and Winter. The pre-monsoon, which extends from April to June, is the hottest season, with temperatures ranging from 35 to 50°C. Western Rajasthan sees temperatures of 48°C through most of May and June. Rajasthan's only hill station, Mt Abu, registers the lowest temperatures, but is still hot.
In the desert regions, temperatures plummet at night. Prevailing winds often bring in dust storms from the west. The Monsoons extend from July to September. Even though temperatures drop, humidity increases considerably, making it almost unbearable. The post-Monsoon period is from October to December, a comfortable period with low maximum temperatures and diurnal variation. The winter or cold season, lasts from January to March. There is a marked variation in diurnal temperature, with regional variations across the state. January is the coolest month of the year, with 0°C felt in some cities of Rajasthan, like Churu. There may be rain in the north and north-eastern regions of the state, with light winds. Relative humidity varies from 50 to 60% in the morning, to 25 to 35% in the afternoon. The best time to visit Rajasthan is from 31 October to 31 March. |
Major Cities:
Major cities of Rajasthan are: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bikaner, Alwar, Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer and Pratapgarh. Of these, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner are most visited.
Places to Visit:
Rajasthan is full of Forts, strongholds of regional leaders of a bygone era, and Palaces. Some of its 28 forts are Achalgarh, Amber, Chittorgarh, Jaigarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore , Kumbhalgarh, Lohagarh, Mehrangarh, Neemrana, Ranthambore , Siwana and Timan Garh. The suffix ‘Garh’ stands for ‘Fort’. Almost all its 29 palaces have now been converted into 4-5 star hotels, with the larger palaces also housing the local titular Maharaja in a remote wing. Lake Palace Udaipur, as the name suggests, is located on the Jag Niwas Island in the Jag Niwas lake and covers the entire 15,000 m2 of the island in the middle of the Pichola Lake. Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur is one of India’s last magnificent palaces and the largest personal residence on the globe. Jantar Mantar, Dilwara Temples, Chittorgarh Fort, City Palaces and Jaisalmer Havelis reveal the actual architectural culture of the glorious past of India. Jaipur, the Pink City, is so named for colour of the ancient houses, built of pink-tinted sandstone, and requires a full day to explore.
Transportation: Air travel, wherever and whenever possible should be the preferred option. The major cities are well connected by rail and road, but there is very little else in the inner recesses of the state. Road tend to get covered by sand post a dust-storm and are not visible. Fortunately, the tourist season is not affected by such phenomena.
The Palace on Wheels Sojourn: Royal Rajasthan on Wheels India is a great, if opulent, way to see the the top tourists sites in Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bharatpur and Agra. A journey on this luxury train will add a memorable chapter to your life.
Demographics:
Rajasthan's predominantly Rajasthani population is Hindu (88%), Muslims (8.5%), Sikhs, Jains and others complete the population, including Sindhis, a well-to -do sect,
who came across to Rajasthan from Sindh, Pakistan during the separation of the two countries in 1947. The mother tongue in Rajasthan is Rajasthani, which, along with Hindi are the most widely used languages. Rajasthani is used as a third language, along with Hindi and English, in some schools.
Flora and Fauna:
Though a large percentage of the total area is desert, with little forest cover, Rajasthan has a rich and varied flora and fauna. Some types of wildlife fast vanishing in other parts of India, find safety in the desert, such as the Great Indian Bustard, Blackbuck, the Indian Gazelle and the Indian Wild Ass. The Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, spread over 3,200 km², showcases the ecology of the desert, with its wide range of fauna. Great Indian Bustard, Blackbuck, chinkara, desert fox, Bengal fox, wolf, desert cat, etc. are seen here. The famous Ranthambore National Park, Sawai Madhopur, is a notified Tiger Reserves in the Country, along with the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar, near Jaipur. As of today, only 1411 tigers remain in the country.
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