According to mythology, Lord Brahma who is believed to be the creator of the Universe once dropped a lotus on the ground leading to the immediate creation of a lake. He then decided to name the place after the flower, and thus the name, Pushkar. The city of Pushkar is home to the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the whole world. To attain salvation Hindus consider a journey to Pushkar to be the ultimate pilgrimage that must be undertaken.

   Ajmer Tourism The Delightful Dargah Destination

Ajmer gets its name from ‘Ajay Meru’ which roughly means ‘invincible hills’. Be situated in south west of Jaipur in the Aravallis, Ajmer was founded by Raja Ajaypal Chauhan in the 7th century AD. Ajmer was the epicentre of the Chauhan dynasty till the late 12th century AD. In 1193 AD, after Prithviraj Chauhan’s loss to Mohammed Ghori Ajmer became home to several dynasties. Due to the presence of the holy Ajmer Sharif Dargah the Mughals in particular, fancied it as their favourite destination.

In 1616 in Ajmer, one of the early meetings between the Mughal King Jahangir and the Ambassador of the Court of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Thomas Roe, took place. A few centuries later, the city was handed over to the British, making Ajmer the only region in Rajputana to be directly controlled by the East India Company. Now the city Ajmer is regarded as an educational and cultural centre.

Being home to the famous Dargah Sharif, Ajmer houses the Tomb of Garib Nawaz who was also known as Moinuddin Chisti and was the founder of the Chisti order of Sufism. Ajmer is also known for Mayo College which is one of the country’s first schools that were a stepping stone for British style of education. For Hindus and Muslims Ajmer is also a sacred city and is renowned for being a centre of history and culture and beauty.

   Kota Tourism The Land of the Chambal

Kota being the third largest city of Rajasthan is also one of the popular tourist destinations of Rajasthan. Kota is situated on the banks of the Chambal River. The city is famous worldwide for its distinctive style of paintings, palaces, museums, and places of worship. Kota is also known for gold jewellery, silk sarees, Doria sarees and the famous Kota stone.

For its architectural splendour comprising beautiful palaces, temples and museums which exhibit the grandeur of the foregone era, the city of Kota is well known all over the world.

   Tonk Tourism

Tonk is located some 90-odd km to the south of Jaipur on route to the Ranthambore National Park. Though it is not exactly on a regular tourist track in Rajasthan but certainly deserves a visit. Once ruled by Afghani pathans, the small town has a smattering of mansions that are a fine testament to the wealth and the power of its owners who ruled the town. Jostling for attention alongside these ancient mansions are colonial buildings that came about during the Raj when Tonk served as an important administrative centre for the British. The Sunehri Kothi and the Jama Masjid are the two most exquisite buildings in Tonk.

Sunehri Kothi which is also famous as Mansion of Gold is not a mansion at all, it is rather a magnificent hall with some breathtaking enamel mirror-work, gilt and stunning painted Belgium glass. It was built by Nawab Mohammed Ibrahim Ali Khan (1867-1930) who was the Nawab of Tonk and known for poetry recitals, dance and music.

One of the finest mosques in Rajasthan is the imposing Jama Masjid and is also the only other major tourist draw of Tonk besides the Sunehri Kothi. The mosque was built in 1246 by Amir Khan, the first Nawab of Tonk and was completed by his son in 1298 and is frescoed with flowers and ferns and intricate patterns.

Being home to the Arabic and Persian Research Institute Tonk houses a rare and precious collection of Arabic and Persian manuscripts that date back to the 12th to the 17th centuries.

An interesting stopover just off the Jaipur-Tonk-Kota highway and about half-an-hour’s drive to the south of Tonk is Hathi Bhata, a gigantic elephant that has been carved out of a single block of stone dating back to 1200. For locals it serves as a great picnic spot and an alternative route that you should consider taking.

   Sariska Tiger Reserve tourism

Sariska is a popular tourist destination in Rajasthan. It is mainly known for its tiger reserve. From Delhi it is a great weekend getaway. From Jaipur Sariska town is 110 km. It is surrounded by places of historical interest, temples and monuments.

The park is also surrounded by Aravalli mountain ranges which are covered with thick forests dry deciduous forests, grasslands, cliffs and rocky landscape. You will get to see tigers, langurs, nilgais and a great variety of birds in this park.

Close to Sariska are Bhangarh Fort, Ajaibgarh and Pratapgarh which are also worth a visit.

Covering an area of around 850 sq km the Sariska National Park is larger than other Project Tiger Parks in India. Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur princely state started a campaign in the 20th century to convert the region to a protected area. In 1958 Sariska being declared a wildlife sanctuary and his movement terminated in. in 1979 Sariska was later declared a national park.

Mining of marble has continued which poses a threat to the environment, despite the Supreme Court’s ban on mining in the area since 1991.

From the entrance of the park starts the group jungle safari which tourists will surely enjoy. During early mornings and evenings the wildlife usually ventures out towards the water holes in the park.

The wildlife found in the Sariska Tiger Reserve includes the Bengal tiger, jungle cat, leopard, caracal, golden jackal, striped hyena, chital, nilgai, sambhar, chinkara, four-horned antelope ‘chousingha’, wild boar, Rhesus monkeys, hare and plenty of bird species and reptiles. In Sariska several species like Pea fowls, Tree Pies, Grey Partridges and golden backed Woodpeckers can also be found.

   Ranthambore National Park Tourism

Spread over 392 sq km Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the state where wildlife, history and nature come together. 10th-century Ranthambore Fort is located at the centre of the park nearby the park is spotted ancient temples and mosques, crocodile-filled lakes and chhatris (cenotaphs). A unique and refreshing appeal is given to the Ranthambore by the ruins of past.

In conservation of tigers, Ranthambore National Park has done rather well. The tigers of this park are habituated to human presence and this makes it one of the best places to photograph tigers. The park possesses more than 300 species of birds. Ranthambore National Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955. It got the status of a National Park in 1980 and in 1984, the north-east and southern forests were declared as Keladevi and Sawai Man Singh sanctuaries.

At this park you can either go for nature walks or go for bird-watching or simply take a hike or go on a safari. Pay a visit to the villages around to experience rural Rajasthani culture first hand, if none of this interests you. Alternatively, you can relax at some nice spots on the outskirts of the park with a packed mini lunch.