Rural Rajasthan Villages - Villages to Visit in Rural Rajasthan
|
|
|
Villages to Visit in Rural Rajasthan
|
|
Villages to Visit
There are many villages in Rajasthan which can be visited. Some of
these villages are located in the Shekhawati region, around Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Bikaner. The villages of Rajasthan are a
classic way of exploring the arduous life of Rajasthani folks who
lives on the stubborn pulse of nature. These people live happily on
the rugged terrains and enjoy a unique lifestyle that surely adds
colour to the village lifestyle. Wrinkled tree thickets, beautifully
painted kitchen walls, drooping camels chewing light green fodder
lazily is what gives Rajasthani villages an extra edge for rural
tourism. Come and experience a lifestyle still untouched by the
hands of modernity. If you want to experience the true essence of
Rajasthani village life and that too from a close quarter, then you
can stay in the rugged huts of the village people. You can also
enjoy the delicious village cuisine, served hot from the rugged
kitchen of the household. Enjoy your meals with chunks of fresh
butter and 'lassi' (buttermilk) that adds a superb taste to the
rural meals. |
 |
|
|
|
|
Nathdwara |
 |
Nathdwara, a small village town is situated about 48 km north of Udaipur.
It houses the most sacred shrine of Vaishnavites build in the 18th
century. Inside the temple of faith there you can see a black stone Vishnu
image, that was brought here from Mathura in 1669 to protect it from the
Aurangzeb demolition. The devotes treat the image like a dainty child,
wake him up in the morning, washing it, putting his cloths on, offering it
special meals and prayers, and putting it down to a sleep. Thousands of
pilgrims visit this shrine during Diwali, Holi and Janmashtami. Nathdawara
is also famous for its Pichwai Painting, which was practiced after the
Vishu image was brought here. These bright paintings, with their rather
static images were usually done with the hand-spun-fabrics. The village
peoples fabricate these paintings since generation and now the Pichwai
paintings have turned into a lucrative trade business. Another attraction
of the town is Shrinatji Temple. Hundreds of devotes throng to seek the
special blessings of Shrinathji (Lord Vishnu). The special arrangements
are made for pilgrims to catch the glimpse of Shrinathji, for which the
doors open eight times a day. Rest of the day the temple seems to be crowd
free. The interiors of the temple are impressive enough to reflect the
real Rajasthani style. Some of the ornaments of Lord Vishnu belong to
Mughal India. The antique silver and gold jewellery is embellished over
the statue of Shrinathji. The temple door is decorated with drawings of
elephant, horses and beautiful maidens. Temple servants still wore those
old costumes that belong to bygone era, the pankhwalas still run those big
fans manually so as to keep the interior cool, the formal prayers are
offered with diya (lighted earthen pots), flowers |
|
|
and fruits. From Nathdwara,
you can also buy the crafted idols of gods and goddess in terracotta,
stone and metal, Enameled and silver jewellery, wooden toys, cloth
lanterns, colorful puppets, terracotta crafts, handmade paper crafts. |
|
|
|
Kumbhalgarh |
|
Kumbhalgarh is known as one of the old village, where basically two
communities resided in its olden days. Kumbhalgarh is famous for its
colossal fort located 84 km north of Udaipur. The Kumbhalgarh Fort is an
important landmark of Mewar after Chittorgarh. The fort was originally
build by Maharana Khumbha in 15 century to protect Royal Rajputana in the
time of danger. The Kumbhalgarh remained unconquered due to its 1100 m
high location on the hill top of Aravalli ranges. The fort has thick wall
stretches of about 36 km that made it a dream for its rivals to conquer
this periphery. The fort also houses an ancient temple, palaces, gardens,
water storage facilities and big courtyards that make it again a
self-sufficient dwelling.
The mesmerizing beauty of fort depicts the influence of Mughal, British
and Rajasthani architecture. However as you forward your foot to reach for
the door ways, there you can see miniature paintings of wildlife and
carved motifs that displays the true mughal learnings. Here the tourist
can also explore the excellent camel safaris on the sand dunes, rural |
 |
|
|
lifestyle of Rajasthani villages and the wild life sanctuaries in the
walking distance of the village. |
|
|
|
Ranakpur |
|
 |
Ranakpur is a village which is situated near Sadri town in Pali district
of Rajasthan, about 48 km from Kumbhalgarh and 90 km from Udaipur.
Ranakpur is known for most beautiful and biggest Jain Temples in India.
These ancient temples houses the statue of Mahavira and other Jain saint.
The main temple is Chaumukha Temple also known as Four Faced Temple, build
in 1439 with superbly crafted and well kept marbles. This temple is
dedicated to Adinath, the first Trithankar. The 29 halls are supported by
1444 pillars inside the temple premises. Within the complex there are two
more Jain Temples of Neminath and Parasnath. Sun Temple and Amba Mata
Temple are also located not far from the complex. The villages are
well painted with the sketches of peacocks, elephants, |
|
|
horses and human figures.
The tourists can walk through the village and can experience the villagers
lifestyle. The colourful lifestyles of the people of Ranakpur is depicted
by most of the Jain followers in the village. |
|
|
Ghanerao
Ghanerao is a small village that is situated in the district of Pali in
Rajasthan, about 18 km from Ranakpur. This royal village was built in the
15th century. It is a major center of attraction for tourists due to the
Ghanerao Royal Castle. Beside this, the Ghanerao also houses the castle of
great worshipper Meera Bai, a poetess and a great devotee of Lord Krishana.
It is considered to be the childhood town of Meera Bai, where she
worshipped Lord Krishna throughout her life. The Ghanerao Royal Castle is
build up of sandstone and is now converted into a heritage hotel. The
highlight of this castle is the pavilion in the central court. Near the
castle there are cenotaphs of former legends, Jain Temple and the Mahavir
Temple. |
 |
|
|
|
Bambora
Bambora is major trek for various tourists. Bambora is located nearly 45
km in the south east of Udaipur. This small village has a 250 year old
fort that has been now converted into the heritage hotel. The Bambora fort
offers you a peaceful stay in rural Rajasthan. It is the fort of great
martyrdom, where various battles were fought over a period of time. |
|
|
|
Jaisamand |
 |
The Jaisamand Lake is one of the largest artificial lake in Asia, covering
an area of 36 square km. This lake was constructed by Maharana Jai Singh
in the 1685 A.D., fortunately created by damming of Gomti River. This
shallow lake is located nearly 48 km in the southeast of Udaipur. Today it
is considered to be 14 km long and 9 km wide. It is the most tourist
populated spot during summers. Beside this there are number of attractive
marble chhatris (cenotaphs) around the lakeside, each of them with an
elephant in the front. The summer palace of Maharani of Udaipur is located
near the Jaisamand Lake which provided refreshing moods to the women of
Royal Rajathan in its olden days. Around the lake, there is long forest
zone that was once the hunting grounds of Maharanas of Mewar. It is now
converted into a sanctuary which has wide verity of flora and fauna. There
are about seven islands on Jaisamand Lake. The nearby area and |
|
|
the low lake site are inhabited by the tribes
of Bhils and Minas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jhalawar
Jhalawar was the princely state of the Jhalas. Jhalawar was created in
1838 A.D., after being separated from Kota by the British. Jhalawar is
sitauted in the south-eastern region of Rajasthan at the edge of the Malwa
plateau. Jhalawar has rocky and water-laden verdant landscape. With some
exquisite pre-historic cave paintings, massive forts, thickly wooded
forests and exotic wildlife variety, Jhalawar boasts of rich historic as
well as natural wealth. The main attractions of this place are the
Jhakawar Fort, Government museum, Bhawani Natya Shala and the Buddhist
caves. The ancient Buddhist caves of Kolvi, Vinayaka and Hathyagod are
situated in the Bhawanimandi in Jhalawar in the form of a triangle at a
distance of about 6 to 8 kms. from each other. A colossal figure of Buddha
and the carved stupas are the most impressive structures in the caves.
Certain unique trees were found near the monasteries and caves in the
Buddhist times. The nearest railway station to reach the caves is from
Bhawanimandi. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |