A journey through the country is unforgetable and leaves nobody untouched!
The distance between poor and rich is dramatic, so also the difference in nature. Here you can find endless beaches, large plains and the Himalayan mountains. All in a impressing mixture. The different religions shakes your mind, when you meet them, and the friendly people will give you memories that you carry in your heart the whole life.
”The Land of Kings” - Rajasthan
During December/January 1997/98 I visited the state of Rajasthan, which is the second largest when it comes to surface. It is not one of the most densed settled states in India as the big Thar-desert covers more than half of the area.
Once the big camelcaravans crossed the western part of Rajasthan and created important tradecities, and wealthy merchants, some of them are still possible to visit.
Here also the once, very important and rich maharanas had their homes, and from that period there are many beautiful palaces and intersting fortresses left. Some of them are now museums or luxury hotels and can be visited.
Here you also find the rajputs, once proud and brave warriorclans, who succesfully fougth intruders. Their legends are still told today.
The journey started with a glimpse into ”the world of the Great Moghuls” in New Delhi, Agra and Fatephur Sikri, where I studied the imposing buildings as Delhis Red Fort, Taj Mahal in Agra and the beautiful ruins after the former capital Fathepur Sikri, created by Akbar the Great.
We continued the journey with a visit in Keoladeo National Park, one of the best places for birdwatching in the world, and continued to some of the old and legendary cities as Jaipur (The Pink City ), Udaipur ( Venice of the East) and Jaisalmer (The Golden City).
In Jaisalmer you are as far west, close to the Pakistan-border, as you are allowed to go as a tourist in India. Not far away from Jaisalmer, you can find the Pokharan-area, where India is executing their nuclear tests.
North of the city of Bikaner I had the opportunity to make a camelsafari
which gave me a good oppurtunity to come into the Thar-desert and meet
the desertculture.
The Jains have a stronghold in Rajasthan and here you can visit many of their beautiful
temples. The Jains are humble people, who often covers their mouth and nose or sweeps the
street where they walk, to avoid hurting or killing small animals.
In the city of Deshnok
I visited the Karni Mata-temple where thousands of rats
are worshiped. You must have strong nerves when the rats climbs up your legs!
A trip to Rajasthan is a trip back in time and offers unique enviroments in a remote
area of our beutiful and interesting world.
Humayhums Tomb. New Delhi
Taj Mahal. Agra
Jama Mashid.
New Delhi
Praying man in
Jama Mashid
White Breasted
Kingfisher.
Keoladeo
Brown Heron. Keoladeo
Karni Mata temple "The Rat temple"
Karni Mata temple. Deshnok
The jain temple "Chaumukha"
Interior of the Bandeshwar temple. Bikaner
Picking cotton
The Blue City.
Jodphur
Lake Palace. Udaipur
Jaisalmer
Woman with child. Jaisalmer
Preparing food in the desert
Old man in the Thar desert
Old man in the Thar desert
Nomads in the Thar-desert
Ruttish male camel
