Rajasthan is the largest state with an area of more then 34 thousand square kilometers about Germany, of which a large part is covered by the inhospitable Great Indian Desert know as the “Thar Desert” It borders Pakistan to the west, Gujarat to the southwest, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan.
Rajasthan has one of the oldest mountain rages of the world; the Aravalli Range which cradle Mount Abu hill station. In the east it has famous national Tiger Reserves, the Ranthambore , Sariska and the Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur which is well known for the migratory birds.
The main geographic features of Rajasthan are the Thar Desert (Covers almost half of the Rajasthan) and the Aravalli Range (Comparatively more fertile land), which runs through the state from southwest to northeast, almost from one end to the other, for more than 850 km
Rajasthan is historically rich and is the true land of the worriers. Some of the popular heroes were Bappa Rawal, Rana Sangha, Pratap Singh and Prithviraj Chauhan. Today the grand forts and palaces are the witness to the legends that lived once. The last rulers were the Rajputs known as Rajputana merged into the Dominioun of India and the State of Rajasthan was formed in 1949.
The Marwaris and Rajasthan's formerly independent kingdoms created a rich architectural and cultural heritage, seen today in their numerous forts and palaces (Mahals and Havelis) which are enriched by features of Muslim and Jain architecture. The development of the frescos in Rajasthan is linked with the history of the Marwaris, who have also played a crucial role in the economic development of the region. |
