Villages - Peeping Inside The Rural Corridors !!!

Rajasthani Villages - Portraying The Virgin Heart of India !!!
The villages of Rajasthan are a classic way of exploring the arduous life of Rajasthani folks who thrive on the stubborn pulse of nature. Nestling happily on the rugged terrains, the people caress a unique lifestyle that surely adds colour to the village lifestyle. Wrinkled tree thickets, beautifully painted kitchen walls with smoke coming out of the rusted windows, drooping camels chewing light green fodder lazily and half-naked children playing with their tails..is what gives Rajasthani villages an extra edge for rural tourism. Fresh butter churned out in front of you while you savour the spicy flavour of village cuisine only adds to the crust. Come on, experience a lifestyle still untouched by the hands of modernity. A life still veiled from electricity, where you might have to fetch your own pail of water..

Experience A Virgin Lifestyle Like Never Before !!!
Driving on the national highways towards a major tourist destination with colossal forts and beautiful palaces to boast about, spare out some time to drop into a cluster of rustic huts with thatched roofs for a glass of water. Believe us, the cordiality of Rajasthani villages will make you stay for a couple of days. The charm of spending a holiday amidst the colourful villages is no less than staying in heritage palaces of Rajasthan. Start your day with a glass of hot milk and fresh bread baked out of earthen kilns. Move out with the local folks to the sprawling green fields, the golden shoots swaying to the morning breeze. Since most have land holdings that are not too large, the use of mechanized farming methods is still not in prevalence, though tractors are sometimes hired at the time of sowing. For most part, the farmers use a method of ploughing that dates back thousands of years to the Indus Valley Civilization!

Return unexpectedly to astonish the household women, busy in cleaning their courtyards or designing the mud walls with plasters of clay, cow dung and hay. Try out churning of some fresh butter from the brimmed milk pot. Mind it, the churning migt prove to be a rigorous experience, but still a memorable one. Taste it, and if you like it, ask for more. Tourists are usually amazed to see how the people wash their utensils. They mud their plates until they are clean, and then rub them with a piece of cloth. A sort of dry clean! If you happen to be anywhere near Thar Desert, like Shergarh, Barmer or Dechhu, in the afternoon, ride a camel and wander around. There is nothing specific to see except a couple of ancient temples or forlorn ruins of some summer palaces, but still they make for some exquisite photography backdrops. At Kumbhalgarh, however, you can see the humoungous Kumbhalgarh Fort, stretching somewhat around 36 km.

In the evening, sit with the 'panchayat' (older people) and listen to the tales of their struggle during the earlier days. You can even come across interesting legends related to that particular village that dates back to quite a few centuries. Experience the melody of 'sarangi' (a stringed musical instrument) slicing the silent heart of desert and beautiful village girls dancing to the rhythm of chords. At the time of dinner, splurge on a delicious array of freshly baked bread and porridge along with yoghurt curry (kadhi) and vegetables like dried beans. Indeed, that makes for a memorable holiday, far from what you have expected from the royal state of Rajasthan.

Synopsis of Village Life !!!

Nathdwara - Explore the Incredible Rural Soil !!!
Nathdwara, a small village town is situated 48 km north of Udaipur. It houses the most sacred shrine of Vaishnavites build in the 18th century. Inside the temple of faith there you can see a black stone Vishnu image, that was brought here from Mathura in 1669 to protect it from the Aurangzeb demolition. The devotes treat the image like a dainty child, wake him up in the morning, washing it, putting his cloths on, offering it a special meals and prayers, and putting it down to a sleep. Thousands of pilgrims visit this shrine during Diwali, Holi and Janmashtami. Beside, Nathdawara is also famous for its Pichwai Painting, which was practiced after the Vishu image was brought here. These bright paintings, with their rather static images were usually done with the hand-spun-fabrics. The village peoples fabricate these paintings since generation and now the Pichwai paintings have turned into a lucrative trade business.

Another attraction of the town is Shrinatji Temple. Hundreds of devotes throng to seek the special blessings of Shrinathji (Lord Vishnu). The special arrangements are made for pilgrims to catch the glimpse of Shrinathji, for which the doors open eight times a day. Rest of the day the temple seems to be crowd free. The interiors of the temple are impressive enough to reflect the real Rajasthani style. Some of the ornaments of Lord Vishnu belong to Mughal India. Here you can experience the antique silver and gold jewelry that embellished over the statue of Shrinathji. Where as the temple door is decorated with drawings of elephant, horses and beautiful maidens. Temple servants still wore those old costumes that belong to bygone era, the pankhwalas still run those big fans manually so as to keep the interior cool, the formal prayers are offered with diya ( lighted earthen pots) flowers and fruits. You can reach here from local buses of RSTC (Rajasthan state Transport Corporation) as well as private buses that runs from Udaipur to Nathdwara and other major towns like Ahmedabad, Pushkar, Ajmer, Jaipur and Delhi. It takes 2 hours to reach Nathdwara from Udaipur. The bus stand is a 15 minute walk from the temple complex.

Do make your visit to the Nathdwara village if you are planning to tour the city of lakes, from here you can buy the crafted idols of gods and goddess in terracotta, stone and metal, Enameled and silver jewellery, wooden toys, cloth lanterns, colorful puppets, terracotta crafts, handmade paper crafts.

Kumbhalgarh - Gateway To Rural Treasure !!!
Kumbhalgarh is known as one of the old village, where basically two communities resides in its heydays. Kumbhalgarh is much famous for its colossal fort located 84 km north of Udaipur. The alluring Kumbhalgarh Fort is an important landmark of Mewar after Chittaurgarh. The fort was originally build by Maharana Khumbha in 15 century to protect Royal Rajputana in the time of danger a The Kumbhalgarh remained unconquered due to its 1100 m high location on the hill top of Aravalli ranges. The fort has thick wall stretches some about 36 km that made it a dream for its rivals to conquer this periphery. The fort also houses an ancient temple, palaces, gardens and water storage facilities that make it again a self-sufficient dwelling. It is worth taking to leisure walk in the large compound of the fort. The fort opens daily for visitors from 9am to 5 pm.

The fort has regnant wall, strong enough to face the guns and guns of enemies. At the rooftop of the this hefty fort, Badal Mahal is build. The mesmerizing beauty of fort depicts the influence of Mughal, British and Rajasthani architecture. However as you forward your foot to reach for the door ways, there you can see miniatures paintings of wildlife and carved motifs that displays the true mughal learnings. The fort contains many palaces, gardens and the temples, which are worth exploring especially the Nilkanth Shiva Temple. Beside this the fort is blessed with huge water storage facilities that helps the kings men during summers, at the time of scarcity. The regal fort has many big courtyards, where the tourist can enjoy leisure walk. Have a glance of Kumbhalgarh Fort in night panorama, the Badal Fort - the front portion of the fort and its infinite periphery is illuminated in a sparkling golden hue that raises high into the black sky and deep into the echoing valley. Your eyes might also catch some of the forts unnatural effulgence the golden birds flying like fireflies, but they were just birds.

Here the tourist can explore the excellent camel safaris on the sand dunes, rural lifestyle of Rajasthani villages and the wild life sanctuaries in the walking distance of the village. The best time to see animals is March and June, normally cluster around the water holes due to rising temperature. To enter these green vegetations, you need to hire a jeep safaris, that are easily available here from the fort area, that will cost you around 1000 to 1200 Rs (Indian Money). The perfect time to make you visit royal is in the month of March and June. The sightseeing includes leopards, panthers, sloth bears, chowsinghas and feathered spices.You can see leopards, panthers, sloth bears and much of feathered spices closely.

Ranakpur - A Bliss Amidst Rural Arena !!!
Ranakpur is a village near Sadri town in Pali district of Rajasthan, renowned for some exquisite Jain temples that nestle in this area. The village consists of colourful lifestyles that depict most the Jain followers in the village. You will be amazed to see that the villages on the way to Ranakpur are well painted with the sketch of peacocks, elephants, horses and human figures. Tourist can walk through the villages and can experience the villagers lifestyle.

Famous for its group of most beautiful and biggest Jain Temples in India, much known for their architecture splendor. The Ranakpur Jain Temples are located about 48 km from Kumbhalgarh and 90 km from Udaipur. Visit these ancient temples housing the statue of Mahavira and other Jain saints, worth a watch. The main temple is Chaumukha Temple also known as Four Face Temple, build in 1439 with superbly crafted and well kept marbles dedicated to Adinath, the first Trithankar. Look for the 29 halls supported by 1444 pillars inside the temple premises. Within the complex there are two more Jain Temples. Neminath and Parasnath. Little far from this is a Sun Temple. Beside this the Amba Mata Temple is 1 km from from the complex. The admission to this bewitching temple is free, perhaps entry for non Jains from 12 noon to 5 pm. Leather items are strictly not permitted in the premises.

Ghanerao - The House of Royal Castles !!!
Ghanerao, is a small village that lies in the district of Pali in Rajasthan. It is a major center of attraction for tourists, where you can enjoy the comfort and view of Royal Castle in the village location. Beside this the Ghanerao houses the castle of great worshiper Meera Bai (a poetess and a great devotee of Lord Krishana). It is considered to be the childhood town of Meera Bai, where she worshiped Lord Krishna throughout her life. This royal village was built in the 15 century and is located 18 km far from Ranakpur.

The Royal Castle is build up of sandstone and is now converted into a heritage hotel for tourists due to immense popularity. The elegant castles are highlights in the pavilion in the central court. At the time of season live music is performed for tourist. Also near the castles there are cenotaphs of former legends. Jain Temple and the Mahavir Temple are also major highlights of the town. Number of pilgrims visit town every year to explore the Royal Resort, which has a convenient mode of transport through road, bus, car and Taxi. There are frequent bus services till Ghanerao and other near by destinations of Rajasthan. The Udaipur Airport is about 110 km far from Ghanerao, Falna is the nearby Railway Station situated 30km from Ghanerao, and from Ghanerao bus stand is nearly 1km from village. Tourist can access to this place by buses, cars or taxis.

Bambora - Gateway To Journeys !!!
Bambora is major trek for number of temptations, located nearly 45 km in the south east of Udaipur including the longer trips to the neighboring states of Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh. Whereas the near by journeys include a single day trip to Jaisamand Lake (historic city of Udaipur). The Chittaugarh forts and Jagat Temples dating back to the 10 century.

This small village has a 250 year old fort that has been converted into an impressive hotel in the recent times. The legendary Bambora fort offers you a peaceful stay in rural Rajasthan. It is the fort of great martyrdom, where number of battles were fought over a period of time. By virtue of being located close to the number of destinations, this place has great importance. The Bambora fort is an awesome place for family trip. It is easily accessible through road by express buses, cars and taxi's of Rajasthan. By bus it takes 2 hours to reach Bambora fort from Udaipur, which is worth seeing.

Jaisamand - Heaven on Earth !!!
The Jaisamand Lake is one of the largest artificial lake in Asia, covering an area of 36 sq km. It was constructed by Maharana Jai Singh in the 1685 A.D, fortunately created by damming of Gomti River. This shallow lake is located nearly 48 km in the southeast of Udaipur. Today it is considered to be 14 km long and 9 km wide. Beside this there are number of attractive marble chhatris (cenotaphs) around the lakeside, each of them with an elephant in the front. The summer palace of Udaipur Maharani is nearby to the Jaisamand Lake that provides refreshing moods to the women of Royal Rajputana in its heydays. Around the lake, there is long forest zone that was once the hunting grounds of Maharans of Mewar. It is now converted into a sanctuary that welcomes wide verity of resident and migratory flora and fauna's. There are about seven islands on Jaisamand Lake all set to take to a fairy land sojourn. The nearby area and the low lake site are inhabited by the tribes of Bhil Minas ( Rajasthan localities). It is the most tourists populated spot during summers and you can reach to this place by buses or cars. From Udaipur Airport, the Jaisamand Lake is located nearly 60 km, from Udaipur Railway station 50 km, and from Udaipur bus stand it is 48 km. The bus takes 2 hour to reach the Jaisamand Lake from Udaipur.