Imagine towering fortresses bursting from rocky crags, looming over tangled medieval lanes. Picture palaces decked from floor to ceiling with mirrored mosaics and intricate paintings of flowers, deities and fighting elephants. See yourself rattling across dusty deserts by train or bouncing by 4WD through tiger-stalked national parks. That’s Rajasthan.
This captivating state in western India is centered on the city of Jaipur, often called the “Pink City” because of its blush-toned historic architecture. A patchwork of once-independent princely states, Rajasthan is a living monument to India’s rich history – indeed, it’s hard to travel far without stumbling across a lavish royal palace or time-scarred fortress.
Exploring Rajasthan today means hopping between the captivating, colored cities where these rulers held court, stepping on and off the tourist trail. Major cities such as Udaipur and Jodhpur rank among the most visited places in the subcontinent, while other towns lie almost untouched by mass tourism, offering a deep dive into timeless antiquity.
Whether this is your first visit to India or your fifteenth, plan your trip with this guide to the top things to do in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan’s exuberant capital city, Jaipur, is a vision in pink and one of the best places to begin a tour of the state. The city’s most distinctive landmark, the 18th-century Hawa Mahal (also known as the Palace of the Winds or Palace of Breeze) is an extraordinary gingerbread house of a residence, fronted by a delicate honeycomb of fretwork and stained-glass windows.
Its five stories are linked by narrow, claustrophobic passageways. Several rooms have displays of photos, stone carvings and royal objects, with tiny, shuttered porthole windows that open onto the street below. The top levels offer stunning views over the City Palace and the surrounding streets.
Planning tip: Entry is from the south, via an alley running north from Tripolia Bazaar, but you can also get here via a passageway just north of the palace façade, passing the bright pink Sri Goverdhan Nath Temple. Visit with a composite ticket (valid for two days), which also covers entry to the Amber Fort, Central Museum, Jantar Mantar, Isarlat minaret and Nahargarh fort.
2. Visit Jaipur’s opulent, must-see City Palace
On the north side of Tripolia Bazaar in Jaipur, a grand gateway marks the maharajas-only entrance to the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Stories – Lonely Planet…