Rajasthan- A land of diversities. Review on Rajasthan Trip, Delhi

Although being a native of Rajasthan I never had the chance to visit the land of colours till my nephew was born and ooh! lala! I was in Rajasthan! Since it was a family function we did away with any official tour operator and depended on Indian Railways to take us to our junction. Our 1st stop was Jaipur-City of magnificent palaces and forts- Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, were some of the attractions. I just loved seeing these relics of the past and wondered about the rich history that the sands of Rajasthan possess! On our way to Jhunjhnu, we stopped at Chokhi Dhani- a restaurant seeped with the hospitality of Rajasthan. You just cannot forget the taste of delicious Rajasthani food, the colourful Bandhnis, the soul stirring music and best of all the perfect royal ambience!

We travelled on cars of our relatives to Jhunjhnu, a sacred place for us. After the necessary ceremonies we were on our way to discover the sands of Rajasthan! Fatehpur, Pilani, Nathdwara, Khatu, Jodhpur- another beautiful city, Udaipur- Lake palace was a revelation! and yes, how could one forget Mt. Abu- an experience in itself! I would say that Rajasthan left me spellbound and I am still in a trance. It is a place with such diversity and yet one feels so peaceful there. The food, the people, the hospitality, the extreme climate (very hot in the afternoon and very cold at night) are all an experience in itself. If you are eating more when you are in Rajasthan, then please do not be surprised- the climate is such that your body metabolism increases. You will never have enough of Rajasthani food, Dal, Bati, Churma, Bajre ki khichdi and roti, gatte ki sabzi, sangar ka saag, dal ka halwa and various other such delicacies will leave you asking for more.

Surprisingly the whole tour of the land for 7 people for 10 days costed us only Rs. 25,000/-. We did not stayed at any fancy hotels but the small 3 star hotels and a few lodges that we stayed in were very neat and met our requirements. It was not a luxurious stay but was comfortable. And after all we were so enthralled by the land itself that did not had time to crib on lack of comforts.

Shopping in Rajasthan is very enticing. What with all the handlooms, artefacts and colourful Bandhnis, ethnic wear and jewellery- all invite you to splurge. But one should be cautious while spending as the sellers are very smart (sometimes cheaters too) and if you do not have proper knowledge you would be spending Rs. 100/- for a Rs. 10/- article or you would be cheated with a fake or damaged product if not careful. But if you have a resident with you then nothing stops you! I would say 3 cheers for Rajasthan! It is a perfect place for the Tourism board to invest and promote as a destination India to foreigners!!!