Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages

West of the plains of the Chappan and Banas are the Aravalli hills where the massive quartzites mix with metamorphic rocks of an earlier period to produce a stepped arrangement of the landscape, like a hand fan, from the Bhorat plateau near Udaipur, 1,225 metres (4,000 feet) high to the northeastern highlands.

The southern hilly region of Rajasthan has conical hills, rugged slopes and sheer vertical scarps, and on the plains are hummocky dunes with exposed, now smooth, sides of granite rock.

The areas near Ajmer have extensions of the Aravallis and granites of many colours are found here. Looking back from here to the Banas-Chappan plains through the pass, which is the passage to the east of Rajasthan, rising on each side of the pass, are peaks of reddish granite on blue micaceous slate. Beyond here is a quick ascent through prickly-pear country across to the desert plains.

West of the Aravallis, before entering the Marusthali, or the great desert, is the desert margin. The plains of the river Luni, the Shekhavati region, and, in the north, the saddle between Jaipur and Jodhpur, with the Ghaggar plain, is a desert land with several salt lakes.

The Shekhavati area, because of the low broken hills of the Aravallis in the north, affords a doorway into the desert. The wind gaps here invite the dusts of the desert eastwards, even into the plains of the Banas river. This lake country contains the Sambhar, Didwani and Degana lakes which collect the rare rain water in the monsoons and in the dry weather become mere muddy pools.

South of here the land has many seasonally dry rivers, the largest being the Luni, which gets its waters from the tiny rivulets that run off the Aravalli hills. This river rises at the Ana Sagar at Pushkar near Ajmer and with its few tributaries flows into a salt marsh in the Rann of Kutch. The Luni, which brings sweet water into the desert, has thick deposits of sand in its channel and the water courses become a mere trickle in summer. The land has steep slopes and large areas of open alluvial plains. Between the river courses are uplands of hard granite and rhyolite. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages.

Rajasthan's Marusthali desert has many distinctive features. The evidence of plant fossils found in the rocks of Jaisalmer and Banner and the now stone forests of what were once trees, and of the Barmer sandstone, indicate that during the Jurassic era western Rajasthan was extensively forested.

Fossil remains: The bedrock of Jaisalmer has many fossils which have left their mark on the dark coloured limestones. The jasper rock found here was used extensively in the floral decorations of the Mughals, while further south, in Palana, even seams of lignite and coal are seen. These were formed only 60 million years ago. Recently, substantial deposits of oil have been found beneath the desert near Jaisalmer.

The land is neither barren nor uninhabited; it is covered with bushes and shrubs and even small trees. It is a great sandy tract with no streams and just a few rocks that protrude above the lower land now covered with seemingly immobile sand dunes. The grasses on these dunes grow in clumps, indicating the availability of water just beneath the sandy soil. This desert is a rearing ground for camels, buffaloes and cows which are known for their strength and size. They are bred mainly in the Radii and Tharparkar areas.

These areas of Rajasthan, a desert in the heart of India, supported a mixture of kingdoms and Adivasi settlements, each with a distinctive personality. The differences in the landscape, the variety of minerals and trees, and the isolation of different desert areas from each other, account for the singularity even in the crafts, from wood carvings to fine embroidery on camel leather, from silver filigree to groundglass minakari jewellery.

Rajasthan lies between 22° and 30° north latitude and 69° and 78° east longitude, in the track of the Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon. The Aravallis and in the southeast, the plateau of Hardoti being the only highlands, they channel the monsoons coming from Kathiawar and stop the drier eastern flow, creating a desert in the west.

The area of Malwa, a tableland extending up to the Vindhyas, is covered with green forests on black lava soils because of the rain from the monsoons. West of the Aravallis, beyond the desert margin, where the Luni flows over sandy channels, is the land of saline lakes in the north and dunes in the southwest. Here, the summers are hot and with the slightest showers, the white salt encrusted saline marshes become muddy. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages...

The winters that follow the monsoons have an average low of about 12°C (54°F) in the northeastern hills and the Shekhavati and Ghaggar plains. Most of the desert, the Banas basin and across the Vindhyan plateau is warmer, about 14°C (57°F), and southern Rajasthan, which is most of the Bhorat plateau and the lava plains, is above 16°C (61°F).

The wetter parts east and southeast of the Aravallis have taller trees than the drier west. The south and eastern parts between 270 metres (885 feet) and 770 metres (2,530 feet) has the axlewood (Anogeissus Pendula), dhokra and dhak (Butea monosperma) forests.

Flora: The Banas basin and northwards to the northeastern hilly tracts have mesquite or "salai"(Boswellia serrata)forests. The wetter regions support this tall tree which is used for making packing-cases.

Traveling westwards across the Shekhavati and the Godwar tract, the rainfall decreases and so does the khejra (prosopis) forests. Grasses which are tall and yellow fill the patches between the amla trees (Emblica officinails) with their yellow blossoms. This land with the pipal (Ficus religiosa) marks a boundary with the desert. Deserts, though thought to be treeless, here have a wide variety of trees, the most common being the babul (Acacia nilotica) and the khejra, often found cracking the hard rock surface

In both the heat of summer and the cold of winter, the desert air is dry. Early morning on the desert plain, one can see phantom towers and arches, groves and domes, reflected on the glowing surface of the plains which vanish with the onset of the afternoon.

Religion, Myth and Folklore in Rajasthan

Religion in Rajasthan ranges from the worship of local deities to austere Sanskritic ritual. Most Rajasthanis are either Hindus, Jains or worship Adivasi deities, but there is also a substantial Muslim population as well as Christians.

Hinduism: The wealthy Indo-Gangetic region attracted foreign invaders, who brought their religions to India. Around 1500 ac, invading peoples from Central Asia arrived who worshiped deities like Surya (sun), Indra (rain), Varun (water), and Marut (wind), personifying nature's forces. In the course of time they absorbed the Indus Valley gods. Hinduism thus developed from this mixture of Harappan and the new invaders' beliefs. One interpretation of the central Hindu belief is that every living thing is a manifestation of the One, Unchangeable, Absolute and Impersonal Being, Brahman.

In the Hindu pantheon, the Supreme Being has three manifestations: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. Brahma has four heads, each of which rules a quarter of the universe. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages...

Vishnu, preserver of the world, is a popular aspect of the Hindu trinity who often incarnates on earth when humanity is in danger. He is depicted as a divinely hand-some warrior wearing a crown and holding the Sudarshan Chakra (a deadly, divine discus), a conch shell, a long mace, and a lotus flower. It is Vishnu's duty to protect the weak, remove suffering, and punish evildoers. So far, Vishnu is believed to have incarnated 10 times in a rather Darwinian sequence — as a fish, a tortoise, a boar, a lion, a horse, and a dwarf. The Buddha is believed to be his latest incarnation. The most popular of his incarnations are Rama and Krishna, divine heroes of the epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, respectively.

The Hindu epics are based on a mixture of historical legend, myth and folklore. The Ramayana tells the story of King Dashrath's eldest son Rama, his exile due to his stepmother Kaikeyi who wanted the throne of Ayodhya for her own son, Bharat; the abduction of Rama's beautiful wife Sita by Lanka's king, Ravana; and Sita's rescue after a long war. Rama is the embodiment of all the qualities of the perfect son, husband, brother, and king. His faithful wife, Situ, is the traditional role model for Indian women. His brother Lakshmana is the perfect, self-sacrificing younger brother. The fearless monkey god, Hanuman, who helped Rama recover Sita from Ravana, is the perfect devotee, venerated throughout Rajasthan. Hanuman's statue guards the entrance to forts and villages, and people ask him to protect them from evil spirits, black magic, and powerful enemies.

The dark-skinned Krishna of the Mahabharata is a very different incarnation from his Braj persona as the handsome, playful pastoral god who charmed all creation with his magic flute. As a cowherd he danced with his beloved Radha, and all the milkmaids round Brindavan. As lord of Dwarka, Krishna helped the Pandavas, his friends, in their just war against their wicked cousins, the Kauravas, who had usurped their kingdom and dishonored their shared wife, Draupadi. The Bhagvadgita (often referred to as just the Gita) consists of Krishna's eve of battle counsel to Arjuna, the Pandava prince, torn by doubts about the morality of fighting and killing his own kith and kin, however evil they might be.

This scripture, just a small part of the Mahabharata, is one of the most basic to Hinduism. The core of its teachings is that each individual must perform his or her duty, dhanna, without concern for the outcome because God himself is the doer, the deed and outcome. Everything flows from God, and lapses back to God. The path to moksha, nirvana or merger with the infinite, lies for different people through karma (action), bhakti (devotion), or gnyan (knowledge), according to his or her nature and abilities.

Shiva, the Destroyer, often symbolized by. the Shivalinga (phallus), is depicted in sculpture and painting as Mahadeo, the Great God, with a third eye, through whose matted hair the sacred Ganga flows gently to earth, having spent its destructive momentum in Shiva's locks; as Pashupati Nath, protector of animals, he is depicted garlanded with snakes, wearing a tigerskin, holding a trishul (trident), a damaru (pellet drum), and ritual fire in three of his hands, with the fourth raised in blessing. Shiva is also depicted as the detached yogi par excellence, meditating in the Himalaya; the cosmic Dancer, Nataraj, from whom the universal life force flows, and into whom it lapses. In his destructive aspect, Shiva is Maha Kal, garlanded with human skulls. Shiva's mount, the bull Nandi, is also worshiped and a statue of Nandi is often seen in the courtyard of Shiva temples, facing the main image of the deity. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages….

Shiva's consort, Pravati, takes many forms: the Mother Goddess who manifests whenever the gods need her; the eternally faithful and happy wife, Gauri; the mighty 10-armed Durga, wielding awesome weapons; or Kali, the dark goddess of death. She is symbolized as the female yoni round the Shivalinga, which is worshiped as symbolic of creation's fountainhead.

The elephant-headed Ganesh, son of Shiva and Parvati, is the lord of wisdom and good fortune. A popular deity, he is invoked before starting a religious ceremony, wedding, or other functions. He clears away obstacles, ensuring success and good luck. Images and shrines of Ganesh are installed over many Hindu thresholds in Rajasthan.

The second major source of Hindu belief and observance is the Vedas, the oldest written religious texts in the world. They consist of four huge collections of religious, historical, mythological, and philosophical Sanskrit material written by sages, priests and poets and called the Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Veda. Additions called Brahmanas contain instruction, incantations, and sacrificial formulas or mantras for invoking the help of specific gods and goddesses for specific purposes. The Upanishads, which are complementary to the Vedas, provide the philosophical foundations of Hinduism.

Among the ancient Hindu texts are also the Puranas, a miscellany of legend, myth and history.

Jainism: Mahavira, revered as the founder of Jainism, was born in 599 BC Like Gautama Buddha, renounced a throne and and left his family to preach the message of non-violence. He joined the Parasnath monastic order, which followed the teachings of a succession of tirthankaras ("perfect souls"). Mahavira who went about naked all the time — a sign of his detachment from worldly things, the triumph of mind over matter — became the 24th and last tirthankara of the Jains. To gain salvation or nirvana from the cycle of birth and death, the Jai ns practice the Triple Jewel: Right Belief, Right Conduct and Right Knowledge. Jain monks and nuns take five vows: to be non-violent, to be truthful, not to steal, lint to become attached to possessions, and to be celibate (brahmacharya). Mahavira starved himself to death at the age of 72. His teachings were spread by itinerant monks and firms who preached that all living things had a soul, and deserved equal respect with humans. His teachings were codified in the 3rd century BC. A schism divided Jain monk into Digambaras, or "sky-clad," naked ascetics Mahavira, and Swetambaras, who wore white robes. There is no fundamental different between their respective, doctrines, but the Digambaras are wandering ascetics, practicing severe penances, while the Swetambaras are great scholars and teachers. Thanks to the Jain love of learning and their belief that it is a meritorious act to make a copy of a worthwhile manuscript, many ancient texts and literary works have been preserved in Copies prepared by them. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages...

The Jains do not worship a deity, because they believe that the universe functions according to an eternal law of progress and decline.

Jains today are a prosperous commercial community, noted for their endowments for charitable institutions, hospitals, schools, colleges, animal shelters and veterinary hospitals. Jains are tolerent of all religions, and the magnificent Jain temples built by wealthy merchants between the 7th and 14th centuries AD at Abu, Ranakpur, Ossian, Jaisalmer, Bikarner and Chittaurgarh include images of many Hindu deities.

Islam: Rajasthan has had a Muslim population from the time of the Ghori invasion in 1193. Islamic mystics, known as Sufis, became very popular in medieval India at the same time as its Hindu counterpart, the Bhakti (devotional) movement. To a certain extent, they both drew on the interaction between Hinduism and Islam during the 14th and 15th centuries. One of the world's greatest Sufi shrines lies in Rajasthan. It is that of the Sufi saint, Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti (1142-1256 AD), a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali. He came to Ajmer during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan, who gifted the saint with the land on which his shrine now stands. At the age of 114, the saint locked himself in his cell to pray. Six days later his disciples broke open the door and found the Khwaja Sahib dead. That is why his urs (feast) is celebrated for six days. His dargah (mausoleum) is the most popular Muslim pilgrimage centre in South Asia. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Jains alike believe that this benevolent Sufi saint intercedes with God on behalf of his devotees.

Haminuddin Nagori was a disciple of Moinuddin Chishti. His tomb at Nagor, the Atarki Dargah, is also a pilgrimage centre where many miracle cures are said to have occurred. Sayed Fakhruddin, a saint of the Ismaili Shias, has a shrine at Galiakot. As with Sufi shrines elsewhere in India, several other Muslim pirs (saints) are venerated by people of all faiths seeking healing, freedom-from the evil eye and evil spirits, or the birth of a child.

Local cults and deities: There are hundreds of local shrines in Rajasthan, some of which may date back thousands of years. The Adivasis and most villagers revere a variety of deities connected to the natural world. Snakes, cows, monkeys and peacocks are considered sacred. There are sacred trees in every village and town, and sacred groves which cannot be cut down. Tree worship is extremely old, and Hindus and Jains revere the Kalpa Vriksha, or Tree of Life, portrayed in mythological paintings and temple carvings. The pipul (Ficus religiosa) has been considered sacred since the protohistoric Harappan and Kalibangan period. The bo or banyan tree (Ficus indica), under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, is also considered sacred.

Rajasthan has five major local gods: Pabuji, Gogaji, Mehaji, Harbhuji, and Ramdeo Baba. Belief in the supernatural power of these departed folk heroes to mediate in their devotees' lives has made them deities, and shrines dedicated to them are to be seen in many towns and villages. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages...

Pabuji's mother was reputed to be divine. She asked her husband, a 13th-century Rathor chieftain, never to hide and watch her. But he broke his promise, and found her assuming the form of a tigress whenever she suckled heir son. She returned to heaven, and Pabuji became a great warrior, who protected the oppressed, and broke caste barriers. He is invoked during times of misfortune and sickness by people who hold jagrans (night vigils), with Pabuji's bhopas (priests) singing his epic in their homes.

Gogaji was an 1lth-century warrior who, was so true to his word that the Snake Goa gave him the power to heal snakebite victims. Revered by Hindus and Muslims (the latter call him Gogaji Jahir Pir, snakebite awake are carried to his shrine and kept awake by the beating of drums and gongs so that the poison cannot take effect. Stone carvings of Gogaji on horseback always include snakes. Gogaji's chief than (shrine) is at Gogameda near Ganganeaagrar, where a huge cattle fair is held every year.

Mehaji and his son Harbhu are deified as bhomiyas (braves) who died heroic deaths while protecting the village community, specially its cattle. Because the village economy in medieval Rajasthan was based on milk and milk products, Rajput feudal chiefs were expected to emulate Meha and Harbhu, and save cattle from raiders and predatory animals at all cost.

Ramdeo Baba, the legend goes, appeared miraculously in a cradle beside the newborn son of a hitherto childless Rajput couple. He became an invincible hero, devoting his life to the poor. His white horse, on which he covered vast distances to help needy people, is believed still to carry grain to drought-stricken areas if he is properly invoked.

The Bishnois are followers of Jambhoji, who made environment and wildlife protection a devotional act in the early 15th century. The Bishnoi cult spread from Bikaner to Jodhpur, and even today the most well-connected shikaris (hunters) dare not shoot game in Bishnoi territory, for Bishnois are ready to die for their beliefs. A great shaka (sacrifice) took place at Dhawa in the 19th century when the Maharaja of Jodhpur ordered the chopping down of a forest which was a dacoit (bandit) hideout. Hundreds of Bishnois gave their lives trying to save the trees by tying themselves to the trunks. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages...

Today, the Bishnois are a wealthy farming community of pure vegetarians, who are very orthodox about observing the 29 (bish nao in Hindi) principles laid down by their enlightened guru.

For many Hindus in Rajasthan, the Mother Goddess (Mataji or Devi), the embodiment of Shakri, the Cosmic Life Force, is the most important deity — giver of wisdom, wealth, victory and peace. The most famous Rajasthan i incarnation of Devi is Karni Mata of Deshnok, who lived for 151 years. A Charan an (bard) by birth, this 15th-century miracle-worker could not revive the only son of a distraught Charon couple who carne to La her for help. Yama, the Lord of Death, told Karniji that the boy had already been reborn. So Karniji decreed that henceforth all dead Charans would be reborn only as sacred kabas (rats) in her temple, to escape Yama's clutches and reincarnate as humans at her command. She made a blind carpenter carve her image, which is enshrined at Deshnok near Bikaner. Her body is said to have disappeared into a dazzling orb of light in 1538 AD, and, ever since, Karni Mata's temple has attracted worshipers.

In Rajasthan, certain Sati Matas are also worshiped. But all saris (women who immolate themselves on their husband's funeral pyre) are not deified. Rajput women who committed sati for political reasons (like Queen Padmini of Chittaurgarh), or as a result of a husband's death on the battle-field, are not local goddesses. Only those satis who were supposedly under no social compulsion to do so, but chose to burn alive with their dead husbands, are deified and continue to manifest and perform miracles after their self-sacrifice.

Folklore: Each area of Rajasthan has its enduring myths and folklore, but some folklore motifs are widespread. The epic of Heer-Ranjha is sung when there is a cattle epidemic, and several prohibitions are imposed on the entire village for 36 days. Cures in such cases have been recorded, but how they came about, no one can say. Customs that have proved beneficial have become adopted as rituals or taboos.

There is widespread belief in astrology, and the power of the nine planets, the gem and metals worn, celestial beings, demon: and departed souls of ancestors, and on the life of every human being. A person's present status, looks, and luck are believed to be the outcome of his or her past karma (actions). But the intervention of supernatural forces can help anyone to overcome trouble and evolve spiritually. Knowledgeable person can forecast the weather and coming events by studying animal, bird and insect behaviour. Best of Rajasthan Tour Packages...

Folklore, myth and Rajasthan's religious institutions communicate something of the region's value system, and concept of a well-lived life. Religious tolerance has been a striking feature of Rajasthan. The harsh climate and terrain make people tolerant of each other's beliefs impose discipline on and at the same time impose discipline on public life.

Best Rajasthan Tour Packages from Mumbai, Delhi include destinations such as Jaipur, Mandawa ,Bikaner, Jaisalmer ,Jodhpur ,Udaipur ,Pushkar and Ranthambore,This Best Rajasthan Itinerary is for 12 nights and includes local transfers and sightseeing. Best of Rajasthan Tour includes visits to the old forts, Palaces, Havelis, a look at the lakes of Rajasthan and travel through desert trail of Rajasthan.The Best of Rajasthan Tour package can be modified and customised to particular travel requirements. Book the tour at best prices with Best Rajasthan Tour operator - Swan Tours, Delhi, India.

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