1. Abhaneri :- Abhaneri is a small village with one of India’s deepest and largest step wells (also known as tank gardens). Step wells are unique to India. They were used as cool places of resort, as pools for ritual cleansing before a temple visit and as a water supply for dry weather. There is a temple adjoining the step well. Step wells had leisure, religious and, of course, functional purposes. They are distinguished predecessors of what are now called low-intensity, or sustainable, urban drainage systems (SUDS) Step wells have many names including: baoli, baudi, bawdi, bawri, baoli, bavadi, bavdi, hauz, vav, vaav, kalyani, pushkarani, barav.
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2. Ranakpur Jain Temple :- Ranakpur is one of the five most important Jain pilgrimage sites of India. The Jain temples in this town are dedicated to Lord Adinath, who was the first Jain Tirthankara. The most popular of the Jain temples present in the place includes the Chaumukha Temple. The Ranakpur Jain temple was built in 15th century AD, during the rule of Rajput monarch, Rana Kumbha. The Jain community and their temples built in the place, were patronized by the ruling Mewar Dynasty. I is said that, Dhanna Shah, the founder of these temples, received land form Rana Kumbha, for building this temple. These temples are 500 years old, but are still in good condition and are well preserved. The basement of this temple is spread over a total area of 48,000 sq ft, covering the whole complex. The complex of this temple comprises four subsidiary shrines, along with 29 pillared halls and 80 domes that are supported by 1444 pillars, all intricately carved. The carvings on these pillars are present at a height of 45 ft and include pictures of nymphs playing flute and in various dance postures. In its assembly hall, there are two big bells weighting 108 kg each, whose sound echoes in the hall when being rung. The complex of Chaumukha Temple consists of several other Jain temples like the temple of Parshvanath. This temple was built in the 15th century AD and is known for its engraved windows embellished with Jain figures. Near to this temple, there are two more temples out of which one is dedicated to Neminath, who was the 22nd Jain Tirthankara and the other one is dedicated to the Sun God.
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3. Khuri sand dunes :- Khuri sand dunes are slowly picking up in the must visit charts of tourists. If you find sand dunes a bit crowded then you can very well opt for Khuri sand dunes. Situated just 40 K.M. off the town, Khuri is a must visit for tourists seeking solitude in the desert. It is a peaceful place with houses of mud and straw decorated like the patterns of Persian carpets. The Khuri sand dunes offer you a memorable experience in the land of the Rajputs. Enjoy the ride on camel back and let the place itself take you to its mesmerizing heights. Get closer to the local way of living with a close view of thatched straw roofs, camels, narrow streets and the local bazaar. At the night, organize a campfire with the fellow tourists (if any) and listen to the songs of ‘Kalbeliyas’. You can also try Rajasthani cuisine for a change and just keep looking on sand dunes as it changes its hue during different parts of day. And say adieu to the sun as it sets behind the crimson red sand dunes.
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4. Rusirani Village :- Rusirani Village is an amazing place to visit in Jaipur, if you wish to understand the traditions and beauty of Rajasthan. It also gives you a chance to see Abhaneri step well. This village is located at a peaceful location, away from the noise and pollution of the city. A walk in this villages takes you back in the past, where people were helpful and simple in their living. Rusirani is home to an assortment of hand art work, few attractive temples and lush green fields that add to the beauty of this place. Here, you will find villagers organizing singing and dancing programs for your entertainment. Also, you will love the local market that offers incredible handicrafts and handmade things on display, that too at a cheaper price. A must visit to explore the vibrant colors of India.
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5. Bhangarh Fort :- Bhangarh Fort is situated within the Alwar District and is in close proximity to the city of Alwar. This quaint old fort and its earthy Rajput charm come hand in hand with a strange law, which is peculiar to this area. This law stipulates that entry into the Fort of Bhangarh between sunset and sunrise is strictly prohibited. The fort of Bhangarh was home to Madho Singh the brother of Raja Man Singh who was the right hand of Emperor Akbar. This Fort of Bhangarh has interesting architectural detailing and overlooks the ruins of the palace. A quiet afternoon in the Fort of Bhangarh overlooking the lush green lower hills of the Aravalli’s is a travelling must.
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6. Osian :– Osian, located 65 km north of Jodhpur, is famous for its Hindu and Jain temples.A prominent trading center on the Silk Route from the 8th to the 12th century AD, Osian was also a major pilgrimage site during the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty, who ruled much of northern India from the 6th to the 11th centurty and was known as Upakesapura.A famous pilgrimage site of the Oswal Jain community, most of the shrines and temples in Osian lie in ruins today.Among the most famous tourist attractions of the village are the 16 temples that include Sachiya Mata temple, Sun temple, Mahaveera Jain temple, etc dating back to the 8th to the 11th century. With their intricate carvings, the Sun Temple, Sachiya Mata Temple and the Jain temple dedicated to Lord Mahavir stand out in their grace and architecture.
7. Kuldhara :- Kuldhara is an abandoned village in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, India. Established around 13th century, it was once a prosperous village inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins. It was abandoned by the early 19th century for unknown reasons, possibly because of dwindling water supply, or as a local legend claims, because of persecution by the Jaisalmer State’s minister Salim Singh. Gradually, it acquired reputation as a haunted site, and the Rajasthan State Government decided to develop it as a tourist spot.
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8. Kheechan:- Just a small detour on the way from Bikaner to Jaisalmer around Phalodi took us towards a small village called Kheechan. This village has a lake which is transformed into a bird sanctuary when thousands of Demoiselle cranes make it a home migrating from the harsh winter weather of Siberia. You can spot these birds from September until March making loud sounds. It is a spot not to be missed in this season and gives ample photography opportunities. The growing number of these birds can be credited to the bird man of Kheechan. Ratanlal Maloo has fed these birds for more than four decades back before he died, increasing the count of these birds from handful to thousands. His love for these birds also won him prestigious conservation awards. If you wish you can also join the locals to feed the birds. With all these efforts Kheechan has been named in the world heritage site by World Crane Foundation. Definitely worth a visit, don’t miss these spectacular birds in the winter months. While we captured some pictures, enjoyed with local kids and took back to our road journey.
9. Tanot mata Temple :- The story of Tanot Temple at the Longewala border in Rajasthan is one such miraculous tale when the local deity Tanot aka Awad Mata didn’t let any Pakistani tank bomb explode and Indian soldiers who were certain of martydom and defeat went on to crush the Pakistanis in both 1965 as well as 1971 wars. The legend say that in both wars more than 3,000 bombs were dropped either in the vicinity or while of the temple, but none exploded. And one can see some of those bombs in the Museum built by BSF inside the temple premises. Situated 150 Kms from the city Jaisalmer in Western most point of Rajasthan, Tanot has become one of most visited tourist spots especially for those who love the wilderness of Rajasthan and admire stories related to army heroics.
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10. Shekhawati frescoes paintings : – Fresco wall paintings of Shekhawati are unique in themselves, although it was the Mughal kings who made murals fashionable, their religious indictments forbade them from having man or animal as motif; they were allowed only floral and abstract designs. To an extent this posed as an obstacle. Wall painting in Shekhawati boomed only after Mughal power was declined. For the early corpus, the artists depended heavily on traditional Indian subjects. This consisted of scenes from mythology, especially of Lord Krishna, local legends, animals and plants, daily lives of men and women, towns and the Shekhawat Rajas. Most of the towns are good enough to see classic fresco wall paintings, few are Mandawa, Ramgarh, Fatehpur, Nawalgarh, Bissau, Dundlod, Alsisar etc. Rajasthan is the hotspot for movie shootings owing to its amazing beauty. Many movies have been filmed in the desert state and quite a lot of them became super hits. Here are many popular films shot in Rajasthan. fresco painting artists were called chiteras, who belongs to the kumhars (potters) caste. They are also called chejaras (masons) since they works both as painters and builders. The paintings were depicted in bright two-dimensional paintings. The chejaras used only natural colors for their art, like kajal (lamp black) for black, safeda (lime) for white, neel (indigo) for blue, geru (red stone powder) for red, kesar (saffron) for orange, pevri (yellow clay) for yellow ochre and so on. Mixed in limewater and beaten into plaster, they remained vibrant for almost as long as the building lasted.
