10 things you must experience when you visit Rajasthan

Posted on 6 April, 2024 by Arpita Sahoo

Rajasthan, the exotic and grand state has a lot to offer. This state gives you immense opportunity to dive deep in history and culture, art and architecture along with science and literature. Though this regal land is always braced with rulers, palaces, wars, art and culture, there is much more to dig through in this state. Connoisseurs get to relish the rich cuisine. Shopaholics get an unending list of interesting stuff to buy, history buffs get an archaeolic place to explore! Photo fanatics get the candid clicks as they desire! The land bathed in the beauty of nature with desert, lakes, mountains and forests is a full-fledged package of delight for adventure seekers and fun lovers. Not just this, Rajasthan has a lot to offer. Compiled here is a list of things you must experience when in rajasthan.

Interesting things to do in Rajasthan

Apart from visiting the historical monuments and famous tourist spots of the city, Rajasthan has more intriguing things to do. Checkout the list of top 10 things you must experience.

Sail through the ocean of desert sand by Desert Safari

Rajasthan is known worldwide as a dry state with every city being a desert and covered with sand. But it's not true! Only a specific part of this state is a desert land and a must visit spot to experience something distinctive. Desert safari in Jaisalmer is one exciting thing you should not miss. Opt for jeep safari and enjoy the majestic deserts and villages of Rajasthan whizzing on the dunes or undertake a desert safari to the sand dunes of Sam is a must as here the wind never stops and one can enjoy the grandeur of deserts. The tourists get a chance to spend nights in deserts under a tent and will get to delight themselves with local food and music and the unique wildlife of the desert. Desert safari in Jaisalmer is one of the most exciting things to do in Rajasthan.

Shop the ethnic stuff and artistic handicraft

A Rajasthan trip is always incomplete without gathering the souvenirs that glimpses of a pure art and culture. Shopping at the glitzy and vibrant bazaars that are famous markets in Jaipur is nothing quite as exhilarating. Jaipur offers so much to grab, something unique and unusual and something luxurious and traditional. Shopping in Jaipur means you are shopping for art. The Blue pottery, the attires of leheriya, bandhani and sanganeri fabric, embroidered mojaris, beautiful gemstone jewelry, silver accessories, jaipuri razai, all these are unique to this city and carry so much charm. If you wish to visit Jaipur on your Rajasthan trip then you must explore the markets. You will have great fun while shopping in the famous streets of Pink City.

Experience the village lifestyle visiting Shilpgram

No doubt, Rajasthan is popular for its authentic culture and vivid lifestyle. Shilpgram in Udaipur gives you a chance to go ahead and explore the rich heritage of the west zone. The entire place exhibits the highly rich and ebullient culture and lifestyle of the state. It is a beautifully set up village-themed ethnographic museum. Here you can witness rural arts and crafts each in traditional huts with walls of mud, straw and thatched roofs. It also organizes special workshops and tutoring sessions for the tourists. The main attractions here are contemporary urban craftsmen like ceramists, potters, visual artists, designers etc. and the air amphitheater for folk performances of tribals. You can experience it at its best during the shilpgram fair which is held every year in December.

Get lost in the folk performance with Gypsy Snake Dance

The true essence of Rajasthan is visible in its various folk performances, where dance and music are the integral parts of people's lives. The festive dances and rejuvenating religious melodies and folklore have the incense of culture and tradition. Visit Jodhpur to watch the praiseworthy performance by the Kalbeliyan tribe. You get to see the Kalbeliya men undermining snakes in an incredible way, and women dancing to the tune of flute. You are certainly going to have a memorable time. The other famous folk dances of Rajasthan are Ghoomar, Gait, Bhavai, Kachhi Ghodi, Terah Taali, Kathputli (puppet) dance, and Maand. You get to witness them while visiting different cities of this state.

Birdview of the royal state through Adventure

You might have heard about the adventure sports of uttarakhand and goa which offers trekking, balloon ride, speed boat driving but experiencing the same sports in Rajasthan amidst the royal backdrop and natural surroundings takes the thrill to a whole new level. Rajasthan is one of the best places to explore and adventure in India. Enjoy the exciting sport of zip lining with flying fox at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, with a splendid view of Chokelao Garden and Rani Ser Lake. Ride a speed boat in the beautiful and serene lake of Udaipur giving you the feel of Venice. Get on the balloon safari in Ranthambore or at Pushkar in Jaipur and soar up high in the sky floating like a cloud and lavishly enjoying the breathtaking view of the state.

Feel the nature and wildlife at Wildlife Sanctuaries

Rajasthan takes pride in being home to one of the most incredible tiger sanctuaries in India. Ranthambore is the most popular of them. The Sariska National Park, located in Alwar district, also known as Sariska tiger reserve is a haven for many distinct species of animals and birds. The Sariska wildlife sanctuary takes you to a wonderful tiger safari amidst beautiful mountains and the greens of the forests. There are many more wildlife sanctuaries you can visit. There is the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, Keoladeo Ghana Sanctuary, the famous bird sanctuary to witness the arrival of thousands of immigrant birds every year during winter.

Living the Heritage through staying in Hotels

You are well aware of the palaces, forts and heritage havelis entailing the royal aura of Rajasthan. Everyone dreams of a lifestyle like maharajas and maharanis and grandeur palaces like homes of the erstwhile Kings. When in Rajasthan do give yourself a chance to stay in classic heritage hotels to live a king-size life with world class service and facilities. Lake palace, Devigarh palace, Rambagh palace and Umaid Bhawan palace are the famous regal hotels of Rajasthan. A stay in its uber-luxurious hotels lets you experience the real taste of Rajasthan and enjoy the glory of yesteryear as these hotels were once the abodes of the raja-maharajas of the bygone era.

Enjoy regal sport by watching the Royal Elephant Polo

You might have heard or seen polo where the sport used to be played with horses. A full-fledged game of elephant polo is definitely something you won’t find everywhere. Elephant Polo originated in Jaipur, patronized by the royals. You may enjoy this regal sport at Dera Amer in Jaipur! It is a sport worth watching where the horses are swapped with an elephant. The elephants are directed by their mahouts who are in turn instructed by the players. The pitch is two-thirds of the standard polo pitch to compensate for the slower pace of the elephants, the ball remains the standard polo ball and players use a 6-10 feet of cane or bamboo stick.

Witness the royal era drive with Vintage Car Rally

Moving apart from forts and palaces, there is one more thing that fascinates many, the vintage car. Visiting a Vintage car museum is an intriguing diversion seeing a collection of plush and luxurious royal drive. You will get a tiny glimpse of custom made Rolls Royce and Mercedes models. Among the most popular displays of the Vintage Car Museum are the 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom which was used in the famous James Bond movie Octopussy and the Cadillac convertible that escorted Queen Elizabeth back to the airport in 1961. There are around 20 more vintage cars here that you can feast your eyes on. You get to see them at the Vintage car museum in Udaipur or you can also catch the fantastic sight of old beauties roaring on the streets of Jaipur at the vintage car rally show every January.

Dare to explore the haunted Bhangarh Fort

Have you ever been to a haunted place linked with paranormal or otherworldly phenomenons? Want some thrill? Visit Bhangarh Fort situated in Alwar district of Rajasthan. This fort has even received a stamp of approval from the Archaeological Survey of India as a disturbing and mysterious place. The ASI has placed a hoarding, forbidding tourists and locals from entering the fortress premises before sunrise and after sunset. It is believed that you are not to visit this place before sunrise and post sunset, else your family would be missing you lifelong. Do visit this fort, and more than that, do not miss listening to a bunch of bizarre stories from locales about this place!

All these experiences will surely make you visit Rajasthan like never before. These will be once-in-a-lifetime events you should definitely not miss. Let your next trip to Rajasthan be a unique fair.