Rajasthan Art and Culture

A magical sojourn reverberating with age old culture and traditions, Rajasthan has something for almost every kind of traveler, revealing a vast range of arts and crafts, which is a treat for the visuals and are ready to be picked. Rajasthan enfolds in its lap a diverse kaleidoscope of breathtakingly beautiful and fascinating artifacts. The range is unparalleled even while it is sophisticated in its simplicity. The rich diversity and the exquisite workmanship of the Rajasthani artisans is unparalleled and the range mind-boggling.

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 colorful 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.


Cuisine Of Rajasthan :
'The land of Princes', as Rajasthan is called boasts of many a fine kitchen - both within the palaces and outside. Princely kitchens have produced many an incomparable and exotic delicacy of shikar 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.


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, jewelery 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, Jewelery, Gems and Stones, Blue Pottery, Leather Craft, Woodcarving, and local Painting traditions.


Music And Dance Of Rajasthan :
The music and dances of Rajasthan are heady, exciting, hypnotic and compelling and very much a part of the eternal appeal of this strange and wondrous land. They constitute the very warp and weft of life in Rajasthan-indeed the state has a very vibrant, highly evolved tradition of performing arts carefully nurtured and sustained over the centuries.


Art& Architecture :
Rajasthan has various schools of miniature painting, largely derived from the Mughal style but with some clear difference- in particular, the palace and hunting scenes are complemented by religious themes, particularly relating to the Krishna legends. Most of Rajasthans early architecture was damaged or destroyed by the first waves of Muslim invaders. There are many buildings dating from the 10th to 15th centuries.