Desert

Referred to as the Desert Jewel of India, Rajasthan conjures an image drenched in romance and beauty. It's a land royal and exquisite, sprawled languidly in golden splendor of the vast Thar Desert, sprinkled with mysteries and wonderment. Rajasthan is a land of sparkling images, once seen never forgotten.

Though it may seem wild and barren, Rajasthan is a land drenched in ancientness that conjures an image of romance and intrigue. It is a unique blend of the ancient and the modern. The desert itself has given birth to many a place of exoticness - ancient and historical towns, palatial heritage structures and wildlife in the desert - is a sheer delight for any traveler.

To travel to Rajasthan and get the real feel of the place, the best way to do it is undertake a desert safari by camel or horse. It's a wholly different experience exploring the vast expanse of golden sands on a safari trail. The landscape of the vast Thar Desert is dotted with picturesque hamlets with friendly folks, solitary oasis, forts, palaces, monuments, towns & cities, and animals of the sandy wilderness. Experiencing the dark starry nights and dancing to musicians playing a haunting, stringed instrument in the middle of nowhere is simply out of the world. It takes one to an experience of the days gone by when time drifted at a leisurely pace. The rolling landscape of the unrelieved ocean of sand and xerophytic shrub covered area is breathtakingly beautiful and the range of flora and fauna surprisingly large for a desert area.

Festivals transform the desert into a vibrant and colourful portrait of exotic beauty. The desert becomes resplendent with the colors of joyous celebration and gay abandon during festivals. Hugely popular is the Desert Festival in Jaisalmer, which exudes a delightful spirit and is clustered with hordes of colourfully dressed people.In fact during these days, Jaisalmer gets a chance to parade its exuberant charm to the world. Some chosen and cherished moments of the glorious and illustrious past and affluent culture are on display. The traditional dances backed by high pitched music take the folk dancers and the audience on an euphoric trip. The turban-tying competition and Mr. Desert Contest add a touch of excitement to the festive celebrations.