Rajasthan - the land of Rajputs
Amazing legends of heroism and romance
still resound from its equally amazing architecture,
that still stands to narrate its tale of a
bygone era. The magic of Rajasthan is unequalled
in the world for its heritage, culture, safaris,
sand dunes and lush green forests with its
wildlife. Rajasthan is often expressed as
huge open-air museum with relic so well preserved
for the travellers and the curious of the
day. It is action-packed with outdoors too;
take a safari on horses, camels, elephants
or even jeeps with the Aravalis - India's
oldest mountain range in the backdrop, or
caress your eyes on the sloppy sand dunes,
or trail a tiger or just watch birds on wetland.
Or you can choose to pamper yourself in the
lavish heritage properties. Rajasthan has
something for everyone, just choose your activity.
History : The history of
India dates back almost five thousand years,
and Rajasthan plays a crucial and unique role,
especially with regard to the development
of Indian culture. Its impressive story reaches
through a heroic past. Its extravagant splashes
of bright hues against the desert landscape
and the purity of its dry and sandy reaches,
the miniature elegance of its small villages
and impeccably maintained forts brings alive
the story of the yore. The appearance of its
grand forts perched on rocky hills still tell
the story of the bravery of its men and the
stoic sacrifice of its women, and the chivalrous
old world manners of all.
Topography : Rajasthan
is an important state of India covering an
area of 343,000 sq km with its capital city
is Jaipur. Sorrounded by the great Aravali
Range from southwest Guru Peak (Mount Abu),
which is 1,722 m in height to Khetri in the
northeast. The northwest tract is sandy and
unproductive with little water but improves
gradually from desert land in the far west
and northwest to comparatively fertile and
habitable land towards the east. The area
includes the Great Indian (Thar) Desert. The
south-eastern area, higher in elevation (100
to 350 m above sea level) and more fertile,
has a very diversified topography. In the
south lies the hilly tract of Mewar.
The Aravali outlines Rajasthan's most important
division. The Chambal River, which is the
only large and perennial river in the State,
originates from its drainage to the east of
this range and flows northeast. Its principal
tributary, the Banas, rises in the Aravali
near Kumbhalgarh and collects all the drainage
of the Mewar plateau. Further north, the Banganga,
after rising near Jaipur, flows east-wards
before disappearing. The Luni is the only
significant river west of the Aravali. It
rises in the Pushkar valley of Ajmer and flows
320 km west-southwest into the Rann of Kachchh.
Northeast of the Luni basin, in the Shekhawati
tract, is an area of internal drainage characterized
by salt lakes, the largest of which is Sambhar
Salt Lake.
In the vast sandy north-western plain extending
over the districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jalor,
Sirohi, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu,
Sikar, Pali, and Nagaur, soils are predominantly
saline or alkaline. Water is scarce but is
found at a depth of 30 to 61 m. The soil and
sand are calcareous (chalky). Nitrates in
the soil increase its fertility, and, as has
been shown in the area of the Indira Gandhi
(formerly Rajasthan) Canal, cultivation is
often possible where adequate water supplies
are made available
The soils in the Ajmer district in central
Rajasthan are sandy; clay content varies between
3 and 9 per cent. In the Jaipur and Alwar
districts in the east, soils vary from sandy
loam to loamy sand. In the Kota, Bundi, and
Jhalawar tract, they are in general black
and deep and are well drained. In Udaipur,
Chittaurgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, and Bhilwara
districts, eastern areas have mixed red and
black and western areas red to yellow soils.
Rajasthan is a northwesterly state of India.
It is bound on the west and northwest by Pakistan,
on the north and northeast by the States of
Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, on the
east and southeast by the States of Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and on the southwest
by the State of Gujarat. The Tropic of Cancer
passes through its southern tip in the Banswara
district.
Climate : The climate of
Rajasthan can be divided into four seasons:
Summers, Monsoon, Post-Monsoon and winter.
A summer, which extends from April to June,
is the hottest season, with temperatures ranging
from 32 degree C to 45 degree C. In western
Rajasthan the temp may rise to 48 degree C,
particularly in May and June. At this time,
Rajasthan's only hill station, Mt Abu registers
the lowest temperatures. In the desert regions,
the temperature drops at night. Prevailing
winds are from the west and sometimes carry
dust storms (we call them aandhi).
The second season Monsoon extends from July
to September, temp drops, but humidity increases,
even when there is slight drop in the temp
(35 degree C to 40 degree C). 90% of rains
occur during this period.
The Post-monsoon period is from October to
November. The average maximum temperature
is 33 degree C to 38 degree C, and the minimum
is between 18 degree C and 20 degree C.
The fourth season is Winter or the cold season,
from December to March. There is a marked
variation in maximum and minimum temperatures,
and regional variations across the state.
January is the coolest month of the year.
And temp may drop to 0 degree C in some cities
of Rajasthan, like Churu. There is slight
precipitation in the north and northeastern
region of the state, and light winds, predominantly
from the north and northeast. At this time,
relative humidity ranges from 50% to 60% in
the morning, and 25% to 35% in the afternoon.
