Mewar Circuit

Udaipur – Kumbhalgarh – Nathdwara - Chittaurgarh

Udaipur, the enchanting city is dominated by its lakes, its marble palaces, and its beautiful gardens. The city situated at Lake Pichola has never been conquered due to the blessings of a holy man to Maharaja Udai Singh.

Beautiful palaces like Lake palace and gardens for maharanis like Sahelion ki Bari are the most popular tourist spots. The city has best of museums and temples, which a person must visit.

Nathdwara is a renowned centre of pilgrimage for the devotees of Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu alike. It is a town devoted totally to the Shrinath Ji temple and all activities in this little town revolve around the famous temple of Shrinathji. Let yourself be carried away by the religious atmosphere as you wander around the small market with tiny shops selling portraits of the deity, beads, silver, and meenakari memento’s and other related items to Shrinathji.

If any one fort of Rajasthan has to be singled out for it’s glorious history and it’s stories of heroism then it will be the fort of Chittaurgarh.

Countless tales of this rugged fort and the battles fought here by its legendary heroes fill the pages of history books. Equally well known were the Maharanis of Chittaur.

Travel to the west of Chittaurgarh to reach the second most important bastion of Mewar – Kumbhalgarh. Covering an area of 12 sq. km this formidable fort fell only once to the army of Akbar and that too because the water supply was contaminated by the enemies. Even today, it is one of the most inaccessible fort of Rajasthan and reached with great difficulty.

The fort is also significant for being the birthplace of Maharana Pratap.

Godwar Circuit

Mount Abu – Ranakpur – Jalore

Mount Abu is located in the south – western corner of Rajasthan and is Rajasthan’s only hill station. It is also a major pilgrimage center. The Nakki Lake is picturesquely set amidst hills and is believed to have been carved out by the gods with their nails.

Mount Abu is also recognized world over for it’s magnificent Jain temples. No visit to Mount Abu can be complete without a trip to the famed Delwara temples.

More such marvelous carvings can be found in the 15^th century temple complex of Ranakpur. This is one of the five holy places of the Jain community. The most important temple is dedicated to Rishabji. Lush green hills with a wealth of flora and fauna, quiet surroundings and very little traffic make the drive to Ranakpur a very pleasant one. It is a peaceful area where you need not rush through the sightseeing.

When you move towards Jalore you are in fact moving to an altogether different landscape. It is a typical small town of Rajasthan where the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities is missing. Take time to get a taste of the countryside, explore the fort and the temples and see how the simple, unspoilt and friendly rural folk live.

Desert Circuit

Jodhpur – Barmer – Jaisalmer – Bikaner

Jodhpur can be your starting point. Popularly called the Sun City, Jodhpur gives the impression of being a rugged, no nonsense city that has little time for the decorative and the pretty. Take a look at the Mehrangarh fort, one of the most impressive and formidable structures that looks down from a height of 125 Mt.

There are other interesting areas in and around Jodhpur like the Jaswant Thada, Girdikot, Sardar Market, and the Umaid Bhawan Palace of the 20^th century. A little further away from the city is the Balsamand Lake and gardens.

Another thriving Desert City, though not on the usual tourist circuit is Barmer, a city that can trace its origins to the 12^th century. It is a lively town but the harsh climate has kept has also kept this town a little isolated from growing into a major tourist centre. Try and visit Barmer when it is festival time, the Tilwara cattle fair is a good time to be here.

Don’t make the mistake, of thinking that if you have visited one desert city you’ve seen them all. Desert cities are not alike. A visit to Jaisalmer will make you realize just how different each desert city can be. No matter what you may have heard about this golden city, nothing can quite prepare you for the sheer magic and poetry of this brilliant city. Very few cities can boasts of the magnificence that surrounds Jaisalmer. Whatever time of the day you look at the Sonar Kila, or golden fort, it looks like a fairy tale creation. This remote citadel is today famous for its carved havelies, its narrow cobbled streets and its well preserved Jain temples.

Some more desert life awaits you at Bikaner. The city lies on the northern point of the triangle of the desert cities.

Bikaner has been able to keep its medieval flavor alive. Water has been limited here so the customary water palaces and pleasure gardens are missing. The wealth of its architectural heritage lies in its forts, Palaces, and temples. Two outstanding palaces of Bikaner are the Lalgarh palace and the Gajner palace. Other important sites are the Junagarh fort and the camel-breeding farm.

Sand dunes…….

Merwara – Marwar Circuit

Ajmer – Pushkar – Merta – Nagaur

Ajmer is more important as the final resting-place of the great Sufi Saint  - Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. Muslims from all over the world revere the Dargah Sharif, where the saint lies buried Even Mughal emperor Akbar walked to the Dargah all the way from Agra. While you’re around the Dargah, don’t miss the beautiful Adhai-din-ka-jhopra with its ornate calligraphic inscriptions. There are other areas of interest like the Taragarh fort and the Ana Sagar Lake with its marble pavilion.

Just next to Ajmer is Pushkar, where the holy lake is believed to have been created by Lord Brahma himself. Devout Hindus believe that it is essential to visit Pushkar at least once in their lifetime.

No pilgrimage is considered to be complete without a dip in the holy Pushkar lake. Pushkar has as many as 400 temples and 52 ghats and the only temple in the country that is dedicated to Brahma is to be found here.

Pushkar is also the venue of one of the country’s most colorful cattle fairs – The Pushkar fair. This annual fair is an unforgettable event when the entire little town is taken over by lakhs of animals and visitors. This is certainly the right time to be on Pushkar.

The little 16^th century town of Merta has much to offer by way of historicity. Drive around this fortified town and see some of the ruins that go back several centuries. The famous temple of Charbhuja is located in the centre of the town and is visited by devotees throughout the year. The saint poetess Mira Bai was also associated with this temple.

Nagaur, on the other hand, is a small town but with numerous fascinating monuments. The beautiful Moti Mahal, Badal Mahal, and Hawa Mahal are superb architectural creations. Nagaur is also the venue of annual cattle fair that draws people from distant places and it is a good idea to combine one’s trip to Nagaur with the fair. Take part in the folk dances, listen to music or just sit back and watch the camel races and bull fights…..

Shekhawati Circuit

Sikar – Nawalgarh – Dundlod – Mandawa – Fatehpur – Jhunjhunu

The entire region of Shekhawati is known for its exquisite frescoes and popularly called the “open art gallery”. No other region, anywhere in the world, has such a large concentrations of frescoes. Some of the most important towns that should not be missed are Sikar – where the temples of Gopinath, Raghunath, and Madan Mohan are interesting as are the Biyani Havelis with their unusual blue and white colors. The Fort of Lachamgarh is one of the most impressive and imposing in Shekhawati.

Fatehpur has some beautiful frescoes in the Indian style as well as the western style. Particularly noteworthy are the Chanariya and Singhania Havelies.

Nawalgarh is home to some of the leading merchant families of the country. This is also the place to find some of the finest frescoes in the entire region. The Fort of Mandawa dominates the town and it was one of the earliest heritage hotels in this area.

These are just some of the important towns of Shekhwati, but the area is so full of interesting and unusual sights that you can stop at any small unknown village and you will find something to fascinate you and hold your interest.

[To Enjoy any of the above circuits please contact us.]

<< Back