RAJASTHAN CULTURE

Like the topographical variation of the land, the culture of Rajasthan is a wide spectrum of brilliant hues caressed by waves of settlers ranging from ancient Indus Valley urbanites to pastoral Aryan herdsmen, Bhil forest dwellers, Jain merchant princes, Jat and Gujjar cultivators, Muslim craftsmen, and the Rajput warrior aristocracy. All shaped this region called the land of kings. Colorful costumes, festivals and customs relieve the tedium of coping with a harsh, demanding land. People travel to Rajasthan to savor its splendors and imbibe its enviable heritage. Discover it all in the fairs and festivals, folk music, Rajasthani cuisine and crafts of Rajasthan.

Fairs and Festivals of Rajasthan
Fairs and Festivals forms a very important part of Rajasthan Culture. The Desert Jewel of India, Rajasthan shimmers with even more vibrancy during the time of its colourful fairs and festivals. The desert glitters with the colors of joyous celebration and gay abandon with every fair and festival of Rajasthan. There is a celebration for every religious occasion, every change of season and every harvest, all invariably a reflection of the genius of their arts and crafts and their ascetic refinement. In fact, celebrations occur almost round the year and are a splendid opportunity for tourists to gain an insight into the life of the Rajasthan during their travel.

Folk Dance and Music of Rajasthan
Culture of Rajasthan also includes Folk Dance and Music. The folk dance and music of Rajasthan are lively, exhilarating, hypnotic and compelling. A part of the eternal appeal of this strange and wondrous land, Rajasthan folk dance and music is a part of life in Rajasthan. Indeed Rajasthan has a very vibrant, highly evolved tradition of performing arts carefully nurtured and sustained over the centuries.

Rajasthan cuisine
Referred to as 'the land of Kings', Rajasthan boasts of many a fine kitchen - both within the palaces and outside. Princely kitchens have produced many an incomparable and exotic delicacy of shikar (game) meat. The smoked Rajasthani kebab - sule - is bare-be-cued in about a dozen different ways. At the other extreme is Maheshwari Cuisine or the vegetarian cuisine of the Maheshwars of the Marwar or the Jodhpur area. All this forms the Culture of Rajasthan.

Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan
The patronage for artisans of the state was extended by the kings and rulers who turned to them to embellish their zenanas, the women's wings of the palaces, and the durbar or courts. Ateliers were created where artists were treated with due respect and paintings, jewellery and pottery, stone and wood carving, textile and rug weaving, was accorded due place. Major craft traditions in Rajasthan include Tie-and-Dye Textiles, Hand block Printing, Quilting, Jewellery, Gems and Stones, Blue Pottery, Leather Craft, Woodcarving, and local Painting traditions.