Rajasthan राजस्थान

Hawa Mahal - the renowned 'Palace Of The Winds', or Hawa Mahal, is one of the prominent tourist attractions in Jaipur city. Located in the heart of Jaipur, this beautiful five-storey palace was constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh who belonged to Kachhwaha Rajput dynasty. The main architect of this palace built of red and pink sandstone, is Lal Chand Ustad and the palace is believed to have been constructed in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. Considered as an embodiment of Rajputana architecture, the main highlight of Hawa Mahal is its pyramid shape and its 953 windows or 'Jharokhas' which are decorated with intricate designs. The main intention behind the construction of the Mahal was to facilitate the royal women and provide them a view of everyday life through the windows, as they never appeared in public. Read further to know more about Hawa Mahal, its history, architecture and its visiting hours. www.jaipur.org.uk/forts-monuments/hawa-mahal.html

Amer Palace (Hindi: आमेर क़िला, also spelled and pronounced as Amber) is located 11 km from Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India. Located high on a hill, it is the principal tourist attractions in the Jaipur area. The town of Amer was originally built by Meenas, and later it was ruled by Raja Man Singh. Amer Fort is known for its artistic Hindu style elements. With its large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake. The aesthetic ambiance of the palace is seen within its walls. Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the attractive, opulent palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. The palace was the residence of the Rajput Maharajas and their families. At the entrance to the palace near the fort's Ganesh Gate, there is a temple dedicated to Sila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult, which was given to Raja Man Singh when he defeated the Raja of Jessore, Bengal in 1604. (Jessore is now in Bangladesh). This palace, along with Jaigarh Fort, is located immediately above on the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the same Aravalli range of hills. The palace and Jaigarh Fort are considered one complex, as the two are connected by a subterranean passage. This passage was meant as an escape route in times of war to enable the royal family members and others in the Amer Fort to shift to the more redoubtable Jaigarh Fort. At the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2013, Amer Fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan. (shortened) Full text en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amer_Fort

Typical morning scene on ghats in the holy town of Pushkar in Rajasthan. Not really necessary to take thousand of pictures (locals take photographers from outside for disrespectful), rather experience the calmness of the moment.

The City Palace in Jaipur is an exquisite maharaja’s palace. I wandered around the complex amazed that each section seemed even more impressive than the last. Built in the 18th Century for the Maharaja of Jaipur, the palace is still a royal residence today. In an inner courtyard called Pritam Niwas Chowk, there are four doorways in the walls. Each of these doors is unique in its design and decoration, and beautiful to behold. The four doors represent the seasons and different Hindu gods. The Rose Gate (representing winter) is dedicated to the goddess Devi. The Green Gate (representing spring) is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The Lotus Gate (representing summer) is dedicated to Shiva and Parvati. The Peacock gate (representing autumn) is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Sleeping in the Thar desert is an attraction provided in Jaisalmer.They take you at the dessert to see the sunset and then you can sleep on a large matrace right under the stars. I skipped any camel driving due to previous bad experience. The best is to stay on your own legs

Preparing forour night under the sky in the Rajasthani Thar desert. These men made us a fantastic and spicy dinner, and told us a quite absurd story of a Japanese tourist they've been guiding before. This unexperienced traveller went astray in desert while taking photos of a starry night, and he slept on a tree. On the contrary, our night was fantastic, under an open sky with a full moon shining.