Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the argument that India makes for itself at its most operatically beautiful — a state-sized stage set of golden forts, desert sunsets, and lived-in palaces that happens to be one of the most complex cultural territories in the country.

The twenty-two Rajput kingdoms that divided the region between them for six centuries built in competitive isolation: Jodhpur's Mehrangarh has nothing architecturally to do with Jaipur's Amber, which has nothing to do with Udaipur's City Palace, which has nothing to do with Chittorgarh's ruined towers. Taken together, they constitute the finest collection of Indian palace architecture anywhere in the world.

The craft traditions of Rajasthan — block printing, tie-dye, miniature painting, lacquerwork, blue pottery, silver jewellery — are the living continuation of court patronage that transferred to a commercial market when the kingdoms ended. Jaipur's Johari Bazaar trades Rajasthani gemstones to international buyers who fly in specifically to source there. The tie-dye workshops of Jodhpur export to European fashion houses. These are not heritage simulations but actual markets.

Places to Visit in Rajasthan

• Amber Fort, Jaipur
• Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
• City Palace, Udaipur
• Jaisalmer Fort
• Thar Desert dunes
• Pushkar Lake
• Ranthambore National Park
• Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Things to Do in Rajasthan

• Camel safari in the Thar Desert
• Royal heritage hotel stays
• Tiger safari at Ranthambore
• Boat ride on Lake Pichola
• Shopping for block-print textiles
• Folk music and Kalbelia dance evenings