Also called 'The open air art gallery'. There are many reasons for visiting Rajasthan, one of them is Shekhawati. Nowhere else in the world is there such a profusion of wall paintings, so intricately and finely executed in hundreds of Havelis, temples, cenotaphs, wells, and forts, as in this region, a wonderful fusion of art and life.
Post-independence democratic India witnessed the merger of the princely states, abolition of 'Jagirs', land reforms, and finally the withdrawal of the special privileges and privy purse from the royal families. A few decades later, consequently, the noble families lost their traditional means of livelihood and even the wealthy merchants left their homes for more lucrative pastures. Their large castles and mansions lay almost abandoned or unattended until a few enterprising pioneers realized that perhaps the only way to maintain their historic homes was their appropriate reuse. The large palaces of the Maharajas set the trend by becoming five-star hotels. Now some of the ancestral homes too find sustenance in this new lease of life - as Heritage Hotels. Each ancestral home is different, uniquely so, reflecting its own exceptional history, traditions, and period. While history is always at hand, there have been changes too, so that the homes are modernized to meet the needs of the international traveler. These help to enhance the experience, making your visit to India's heritage hotels a memorable one.
Rajasthan is a kingdom of brave men, women, and royalty who brought with them not only blue blood but also magnificent palaces, city-sized forts, and many havelis. It is one state in India which boasts of the maximum number of heritage hotels. It is still possible to relive the Royal past in their opulent mansions surrounded by turbaned assistants and take home a lifetime of memories.
The famous heritage circuits in Rajasthan are:
Rightly called the 'jewel of the west', Gujarat has something for everyone. Home to some of the most sacred sites for both Hindus and Jains, Gujarat offers unique sightseeing opportunities at the 863 Jain temples in Palitana, at Somnath by the sea, and at the pilgrimage site of Dwarka. A myriad of colors unfurl in the festivals and fairs in this state, from the Uttrayana multicultural kite festival to the Rann Utsav Desert festival, and from the traditional Holi celebrations to the typical Dandiya Ras during Navratras. Gujarat's cities range from pioneering industrial and textile centers like the capital Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat. Princely heritage beckons in Bhuj and Jamnagar while Gandhi's legacy lives on in Rajkot.
A sense of history is omnipresent in Gujarat with prehistoric sites at Lothal, Dinosaur egg hatcheries at Raiyoli, to the more medieval sites at Rani ki Var and Champaner. A wild variety of natural habitats play host to the Asiatic lion, the great Indian bustard, the wild ass, the blackbuck, rosy pink flamingos, and some rare marine life. Gujarat's royal past can also be experienced in its heritage hotels, each providing a unique royal setting for your holidays.
Palace on Wheels is a journey worthy of Kings. No wonder the experience is labeled the Palace on Wheels. With its cream saloons, bordered with flowers, Palace on Wheels chugs through Rajasthan on a journey through the former Royal Kingdom of this state. Once ruled by kings whose presence lingers in its forbidding fortresses, and fairytale palaces now converted into museums, hotels, and restaurants where retainers serve truly royal repasts, the Palace on Wheels offers a regal experience.
Newly assembled at the coach factory in Madras, it is fully vestibuled and centrally air-conditioned, truly a Palace on Wheels. Each coach of the Palace on Wheels is named after the former princely states and has 4 twin-bedded chambers thoughtfully decorated in ethnic Rajasthani decor. Channel music, intercom, attached washrooms with hot & cold water, and wall-to-wall carpeting are some of the facilities to make you feel at home. Each saloon of Palace on Wheels has personal attendants or Khidmatgars, who are at your beck and call to extend a courteous helping hand, should you need anything.
Palace on Wheels is a weekly departure from September through April each year. It departs from Delhi every Wednesday.
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