Rajasthan (literally, "Land of Kings") is India's largest state by area (342,239 square

kilometres or 10.4% of India's total area). It is located on the western side of the country,
where it comprises most of the wide and inhospitable Thar Desert (also known as the
"Rajasthan Desert" and "Great Indian Desert") and shares a border with the Pakistani
provinces of Punjab to the northwest and Sindh to the west, along the Sutlej-Indus river
valley. Elsewhere it is bordered by the other Indian states: Punjab to the north; Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh to the northeast; Madhya Pradesh to the southeast; and Gujarat to the
southwest. Its features include the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization at Kalibanga; the
Dilwara Temples, a Jain pilgrimage site at Rajasthan's only hill station, Mount Abu, in the
ancient Aravalli mountain range; and, in eastern Rajasthan, the Keoladeo National Park
near Bharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. Rajasthan is also home to two
national tiger reserves, the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur and Sariska
Tiger Reserve in Alwar.
The state was formed on 30 March 1949 when Rajputana the name adopted by the
British Raj for its dependencies in the region was merged into the Dominion of India. It's
capital and largest city is Jaipur also known as Pink City, located on the state's eastern
side. Other most important cities are Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Kota, and Ajmer.

Capital
-Jaipur
(132,139 sq mi)
Districts- 33 total

Area rank-1st

Government

Population (2015)

Governor- Kalyan Singh

Chief Minister -Vasundhara Raje (BJP)
Legislature -Unicameral (200 seats)
Parliamentary constituency - 25
High Court -

Area- Total 342,239 km2

Rajasthan High Court

Total73,529,325
Rank

7th

CULTURE
Rajasthan is culturally rich and has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient
Indian way of life. There is rich and varied folk culture from villages which are often
depicted and is symbolic of the state. Highly cultivated classical music and dance with its
own distinct style is part of the cultural tradition of Rajasthan. The music has songs that
depict day-to-day relationships and chores, often focused around fetching water from wells
or ponds.

FOOD
Rajasthani cooking was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the
availability of ingredients in this arid region. Food that could last for several days and
could be eaten without heating was preferred. The scarcity of water and fresh green
vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking. It is known for its snacks like Bikaneri
Bhujia. Other famous dishes include bajre ki roti (millet bread) and lashun ki chutney (hot
garlic paste), mawa kachori Mirchi Bada, Pyaaj Kachori and ghevar from Jodhpur, Alwar ka
Mawa(Milk Cake), malpauas from Pushkar and rassgollas from Bikaner. Originating from
the Marwar region of the state is the concept Marwari Bhojnalaya, or vegetarian
restaurants, today found in many parts of India, which offer vegetarian food of the Marwari
people. 4 Dal-Bati-Churma is very popular in Rajasthan. The traditional way to serve it is to
first coarsely mash the Baati then pour pure Ghee on top of it. It is served with the daal
(lentils) and spicy garlic chutney. Also served with Besan (gram flour) ki kadi. It is
commonly served at all festivities, including religious occasions, wedding ceremonies, and
birthday parties in Rajasthan. "Dal-Baati-Churma", is a combination of three different food
items Daal (lentils), Baati and Churma (Sweet). It is a typical Rajasthani dish.

DANCE FORM
The Ghoomar dance from Jodhpur Marwar and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer have gained
international recognition. Folk music is a large part of Rajasthani culture. Kathputli, Bhopa,
Chang, Teratali, Ghindr, Kachchhighori, and Tejaji are examples of traditional Rajasthani
culture. Folk songs are commonly ballads which relate heroic deeds and love stories; and
religious or devotional songs known as bhajans and banis which are often accompanied by
musical instruments like dholak, sitar, and sarangi are also sung.

LANGUAGES
The world of Rajasthani languages is variegated and colorful. Though Hindi is the
predominant dialect, local tongues like Shekhawati, Marwari, Harauti, Bagri, Malvi, Wagri
or Bhili, Mewati, Dhatki, Gade Lohar, Gujari also thrive. English, the language of the
Empire, is also widely spoken in this part of India.

ART
Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colorful art. The block prints, tie and dye prints,
Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, and Zari embroidery are major export products from
Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and crafts, carpets, and blue pottery are
commonly found here.

CLOTHING
Shopping reflects the colorful culture, Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror work and
embroidery. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females comprises an ankle-length skirt and
a short top, also known as a lehenga or a chaniya choli. A piece of cloth is used to cover
the head, both for protection from heat and maintenance of modesty.
Costumes of Women in Rajasthan

Women of Rajasthan wear a long skirt called Ghaghra, Choli or Kurti (blouses and tops)
with an Odhini. The Ghaghra reaches above the ankle that has a narrow waist increasing
the flared and width to the base. Ghaghra is commonly unfolded from the lower end such
as usual skirts. The pleats and width are the symbol of health of females. Ghaghras can be
found in diverse styles and colors. They are very famous among women in Rajasthan,
mostly made of cotton, colored and designed with Laharia, Chunari and Mothra prints.

Odhni
The one corner of Odhni is properly tucked inside the skirt and the other end is worn over
the right shoulder or the head.
Rajasthani dresses are usually designed in bright colors like blue, yellow and orange.

Footwear of Rajasthan
Most of the shoes are designed from sheep, camel or goat, which are called as Mojaris or
Jootis. These shoes are beautifully crafted with stunning embroidery over velvet or
brocade.

Costumes of Men in Rajasthan

The turban called Pagri, Pyjamas, Angarkha, Dhoti, Waistband (Patka) and Kamarbandh are
integral clothing of men in Rajasthan.

Mode of transport
Camel the ship of Desert is extensively used for transportation. Along with Tonga,rickshaw
camel cart etc

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS FESTIVALS

The main religious festivals are Deepawali, Holi, Gangaur, Teej, Gogaji, Shri Devnarayan
Jayanti, Makar Sankranti and Janmashtami, as the main religion is Hinduism. Rajasthan's
desert festival is held once a year during winter. Dressed in costumes, the people of the
desert dance and sing ballads. There are fairs with snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats
and folk performers. Camels play a role in this festival.
Camel Festival
Baneshhwar Fair
Nagaur Fair

Pushkar Fair
Desert Festival

Tourist Attraction
Welcome to the land of the glistening silver golden sands, the land of the multi colored
fabrics, the impassioned
songs and the sprightly
dances, the ancient folk
traditions and rich
handicrafts - Welcome to
Rajasthan. Rajasthan
encompasses the warm
and simplistic lifestyle of
the natives and stands for
historic battles.

Jaisalmer Fort
Nakki Lake
Siliserh Lake
Padmini's Palace
Birla Planetarium
Brahma Temple
Patwon ki Haveli
Pichola Lake
Taragarh Fort
Vijay Stambh
Sukh Mahal
Albert Hall Museum
Amber Fort
The City Palace
Galta Temple
Hawa Mahal
Jantar Mantar
Kumbhalgarh Fort
Mehrangarh Fort
Ranthambore National Park
Sariska National Park

Bandeshwar Temple
Rani Satiji Temple
Jal Mahal