Rajasthan Culture

Since ancient time people from varied region made Rajasthan their home. Ever since then the golden sand of Rajasthan has been caressed by waves of settlers ranging from ancient Indus Valley urbanites to pastoral Aryan herdsmen, Bhil forest dwellers, Jain merchant princes, Jat and Gujjar cultivators, Muslim craftsmen, and the Rajput warrior aristocracy. All shaped this region into a wide spectrum of brilliant hues. The royal splendour and enviable heritage of Rajasthan is evident in its fairs and festivals, folk music, Rajasthani cuisine and crafts of Rajasthan. People travel to Rajasthan to savor its splendors and imbibe its enviable heritage.

Fairs and Festivals of Rajasthan

There is a celebration for every religious occasion, every change of season and every harvest. Altogether these celebrations are a reflection of the genius of their arts and crafts and their austere refinement. In fact, celebrations occur almost round the year and are a splendid opportunity for tourists to gain an insight into the life of the Rajasthan during their travel. The desert glitters with the colours of festive celebration and gay abandon with every fair and festival of Rajasthan.

Folk Dance and Music of Rajasthan

The folk dance and music of Rajasthan are lively, intoxicating and compelling. Folk dance and music is a part of life in this strange and wondrous land. Indeed Rajasthan has a very vibrant, highly evolved tradition of performing arts carefully nurtured and preserved over the centuries.

Rajasthan cuisine

The cuisine of Rajasthani was highly influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in the desert region. Scarcity of water and lack of fresh green vegetables also had their effect on Rajasthani cooking. There is a wide variety to choose from in Rajasthani cuisine during your Rajasthan holidays. The best-known Rajasthani food is the combination of dal, bati and churma. The bati, lachhedar paratha and besan ki missi puri are types of bread peculiar to Rajasthan. Two meat specialties - lal maans (red meat), a fiery heavily spiced dish, and safed mass (white meat) cooked with almonds, cashew nuts and coconut - should not be missed during your Rajasthan tour.

Apart from this, each of the regions of Rajasthan has its own popular sweet - ladoos of Jaisalmer, mawa kachori of Jodhpur, malpuas of Pushkar, dil jani of Udaipur, mishri mawa and ghevar of Jaipur, sohan halwa of Ajmer, mawa of Alwar, to name a few. Bikaner also has a whole range of other savories and snacks like the world famous Bikaner ki bhujia.

Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan

The patronage for artisans of the state was extended by the kings and rulers of Rajasthan, which one can still see in the handicrafts of Rajasthan. Rajasthani handicrafts are highly appreciated by the western world. Major craft traditions in Rajasthan include Tie-and-Dye Textiles, Hand block Printing, Quilting, Jewellery, Gems and Stones, Blue Pottery, Leather Craft, Woodcarving, and local Painting traditions, all in exquisite taste and style.