Rajasthan is the Indian state of the saris of intense colors, of the men with turbans, the camels. The forts, the haves and the desert. But it is also the state of the big and dusty cities that nevertheless have made them known outside of India by the color of their houses and their palaces. All of them have great importance in the history of this area of the country. And without a doubt they are found in most of the routes of the travelers who direct their steps to this arid land. Where the gypsies dance for the curious and the camels walk through cities and roads. Some more monumental. Other more chaotic. No doubt approaching each of the colorful cities of Rajasthan is a success on a trip through India.
Colorful cities of Rajasthan
Jaipur, the pink city
This bustling city is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and encloses within its walls a maze of fascinating bazaars. Historical buildings and elegant palaces. Jaipur really became known as “the pink city” when it was dyed that color to celebrate the visit in 1876 of the Prince of Wales. The walled city is located in the northeast of Jaipur and in it you can visit the Palace of the Winds. The astronomical Observatory, the City Palace or the bazaars full of life in which to discover how those bracelets are made that sound on the wrists of All Indian women or haggle to take home some special cloth from those they sell in so many shops in the ancient city.
Udaipur, the white city
This city whose palaces are reflected in the waters of Lake Pichola may be the most romantic to see in Rajasthan. The ivory buildings border the lake, and at its center is the Lake Palace. A fairytale construction converted into a luxury hotel. The best thing that the visitor can do after touring the magnificent City Palace and the museums it houses is to get lost in the quieter streets of the old town where you will discover that few places in Rajasthan can overcome it in beauty. Whoever travels the city should not forget to visit its havelis and temples, all close to the lake.
Jaisalmer, the golden city
Surrounded by the Thar Desert this city evokes in its streets and havelis the magic of the exotic trade routes that passed through it to unite east and West. On one hill of the city is one of the most impressive forts of Rajasthan. With its battlements, temples, magnificent houses and palace. Everything is built with the same golden limestone that gives the city that tone so similar to that of the desert sand that serves as a backdrop. Getting lost in the streets of the fort that I have quoted will give unique moments to the traveler. As well as walking towards the city that stretches at his feet in which one after the other those homes of great beauty built by the merchants are discovered.
Jodhpur, the blue city
The enormous one of strong Mehrangarh of Jodhpur dominates from that height that cubist mass of buildings of intense blue color that gives the city its nickname. Its narrow streets are chaos. Noisy rickshaw circulates through them. The cows walk wide. The children are on their way to school. And the women walk barefoot and elegant wrapped in their saris. It is surely one of the dirtiest and most polluted cities in India.
However, forgetting the monuments of the city and encouraging yourself to explore the maze of its streets surround by blue houses are one of the best experiences that can be live in the colorful cities of Rajasthan. Some say that those houses were paint blue to identify the home of the Brahmins. Others bet that it is to keep mosquitoes at a distance. Be that as it may, it is worth walking among these houses. Although with an eye, then you have to remember the way to return to the hotel.
What do you think about the colorful cities of Rajasthan? They seem to me all must-see places on a trip to this part of India. For its culture, its monuments and the undeniable appeal of its streets.
