First clone multi-plantation garden to come up in Ajmer

AJMER: To save regional flora in the land of Rajasthan, forest department took the initiative to establish Rajasthan first clone multi plantation garden in Ajmer. The garden would witness the growth of rare Aruvedic species of semi desert region. More than 35 species of Arudev has been identified in Rajasthan which are auspicious for Aruved and homeopathy. The garden would develop mother plant and clone of endanger species.

One can take a turn to the foot hills of Aravllis and found dense plantation of vajerdanti, googal and chironj. "They are the products which are costly and demanded overseas" said Subhash Jain, an exporter of aruvedic medicines. The importance of these plants is that they are even use in Allopathic treatment. "Like vajerdanti which is useful in toothpaste and mouth ulcer" said aruved doctor. The goggle plant which is important as anti biotic are now listed in rare species. The property of this plant is that it kills the germs in the air too.

"We are planning to cultivate mother plant of this species and then distribute to the local people who are interested in plantation" said K.C. Meena divisional forest officer. According to him well equipped nursery would be prepared for the production of these plants in large number. In Ajmer only half a dozen verity of goggle grows. There are other species which are origin of desert land Jodhpur and Jaiselmer.
Meanwhile the department has identified Googra nursery situated on the gateway of Ajmer from Jaipur. "People are not aware about the importance of goggle and therefore it is used as wood fuel in rural areas" said forest officer. The department has started preparing base material of this plant in the nursery. "We are going to use one hectare of land in the garden to confirm the growth of this plant" added Meena.

The theme of this garden is to prepare a bank of plants. There are several verities alone in the goggle and it is needed to develop and improve the species" said an agriculture scientist Googra nursery is based on the hill step and most of its part is on the hilly region. "The place is right for developing every sort of species in the area" said J.P. Bhati, assistant forest conservator. He said that forest headquarter has released the budget for establishing the garden.

Beside goggle the department would collect the plants of different species all around the state to cultivate more plants from it. From Kumbhalgarh ( Udaipur range) Salar plant would brought to cultivate in the nursery. From Chittorgarh Chironj and Gajrutsama from Jaiselmer would be brought to add in the species of multi plantation garden. Traversal Rajasthan Isis would be brought from Jodhpur and orojilam indicum from Banswara for the garden.
Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipur

Rajasthan Attractions and Temples of Rajasthan

In northwestern Indian region, Rajasthan is spread over the golden sand of the Great Indian Desert- the only desert of the sub-continent. This state of India is surrounded by the pride mountain range of Aravali which is one of the oldest mountain range of the world. Rajasthan is the land of great warriors & princes flaunts, its history through each of its miniature. The richest of rich Indian culture, tradition & natural beauty blends to mesmerize the tourists from all across the world.

This state of India has been appropriately named Rajasthan as it literally means "The Land of the Kings". This state of India is rich in history, grand architectures, beautiful landscapes and windswept sand dunes. If you are on a Tour to Rajasthan, you get an opportunity to witness the grandeur of history. Architecture & exceptionally beautiful palaces at Rajasthan would certainly steal your heart. Travel on a desert safari or a luxury train 'Palace on Wheels' & you will feel like a King on a royal tour.

Attractions

The main attraction of Rajasthan which seduces the tourists most is its naturally beautiful sights, geography, rich history of royal glory & tradition. Other major attraction for nature lovers & tourists are Bharatpur, Ranthambhor, Sambhar salt lake & natural sights of Mount Abu. Most of the population here at Rajasthan is traditional and they are into constantly transferring their traditional values & rich cultural heritage from one generation to another. Height of the art & creativity can be seen here among the people of Rajasthan. Tourists all across the world come to experience the beauty of this heavenly place on the earth.

Visitors are curious to know & learn the tradition, art & culture of Rajasthan as this is the place which represents one of the most pride Gharana 'The Rajputs'. In the forts and palaces at Rajasthan, one can experience the legends of those glorious Rajputs who were great warriors. They lived & died for admiration, commitment, love for the country & self respect.

Monuments of Rajasthan such as Forts, Palaces, Temples, Havelis etc. are the prime attractions of this state. They are in fact a testimony of an era that marked its presence in the golden pages of the history.

Temples of Rajasthan

The temples at Rajasthan reflect the great architectural revolution that gripped the state from 8th to 11th century. Temples of Rajasthan are living testimony to the artistic talent of Rajasthan. The notable temples of Rajasthan are Dilwara Temples, Someshvara Temple, Mahavira Temple, Jain temples of Jaisalmer, Birla Mandir- jaipur, Eklingji Mandir- Udaipur, Brahma Mandir- Ajmer & Karni Mata Temple- Bikaner. Famous Ajmer sharif the final resting place for 'Garib Nawaz' Kwaza Moinuddin chishti is situated here in Rajasthan's Ajmer district where people of all religion come to participate in annual Urs (A festival which belongs to Muslim religion but enthusiastically celebrated among all communities & religions).

Ajmer: Akbar's fort to gain a new look

AJMER: The fort of Akbar in Ajmer from where Jahangir granted permission to East India Company to trade in the country would get a new look from Monday. A museum situated in the fort was closed for last four months. Archaeological department has tried to give an original look to the walls of the fort and to the craft work on the walls. The audience hall will be thrown open to tourists from Monday.

It was Akbar the Great who built the fort here to suppress the Rajput rulers of the state. "The fort was used by Akbar to plan the war strategy for the battle of Haldhghati against Maharana Partap of Udaipur" said a historian According to him, Swai Mansingh of Jaipur leaded the battle of haldighati against Maharana Partap. The fort is important for turist as they come to witness the architecture and craft importance of Rajput Mugal collaboration.

Beside the fort the museum in the fort also attracts the tourists. "Mainly tourists want to know the place from where the permission was granted to Sir Tomas of East India Company and we show them the window of the fort" said Manak Kumar, a tourist guide. He said that even domestic tourists are interested to know the history of this fort as it played important role in the history of India.

"We are going to open the audience hall of the fort from 22 December" said Sayed Ajam Hussein, deputy director of archeological department and executive curator of Museum. He said that work of innovation would continue in other part of the fort.

The museum has the treasure of ancient statues belonging to Jain and Bodh scriptures. "There are the statues dating long back to 2 century BC" said sources. There are also written scriptures and in scripts found from the Pushkar region. "The importance of this museum is also signifies the development of Ghandar, Mugal and Rajasthani sculpture in different period of time" said Hussein. The statues also show the great work and development of stone to metal and copper in the sculpture.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipur

Clouds, rain & thunder+ ...Kishangarh?... Roopangarh?

Kishangarh? Roopangarh? The names don't ring a bell. Yes, Kishangarh sounds like the setting of a Bollywood movie but then it has no existence outside of 35mm, right? As for Roopangarh, you wouldn't know where to start looking for it on a map. Well, we thought we could find it sooner on terra firma - somebody mentioned it lay on the route from Kishangarh to the Sambhar salt lake - and went looking for it

ON THE ROAD

It was already 5pm by the time we hit the road in a Ford Endeavour Thunder+. The late start meant that our first 150km up to Behror on NH-8 were quite 'busy'. Cruising was out of the question, and progress meant constantly toying with the brake and accelerator pedals, although, much to the torquey 3-litre motor's credit, gear shifts were minimal.

Post Behror, though, the highway opened up and we made brisk progress, losing only a few minutes at the four remaining toll plazas. And if you're wondering how many there were altogether on the 393km journey, the answer is seven. As for the amount paid, well, we shelled out Rs 258 one-way, which is more than the Delhi-Kishangarh bus fare!

We had dinner at a small hotel on the Jaipur bypass, and then cut loose on the six-lane Jaipur-Kishangarh Expressway, the speedo needle resolutely stuck to the 130kmph mark.

At midnight, seven hours and three meal breaks after leaving Delhi (yes, we are gluttons), we reached Kishangarh, which, needless to say, had turned in for the night a while ago. Thankfully, the guard at the Phool Mahal Palace came out at the first honk and the town was spared a general scare in the middle of the night.

KISHANGARH

The Phool Mahal Palace on the bank of the Gundalao Lake

Phool Mahal Palace stands between the Gundalao Lake and the Kishangarh Fort, both of which had been nearly invisible under the cover of the night. But in the morning, they redefined the landscape completely. The Fort, although not so large as its Jodhpur cousin, towers above the palace like a hill. It is a maze of buildings, and off-limits to all but the royal family and its guests. As for the lake, we were in luck because it held water after almost 20 years. Scanty rainfall and obstructed water channels had played havoc with it down the decades.

The old Kishangarh lay at the foot of the fort, and it seemed to have largely stuck to its old ways. True, we found a Swift, some Altos and 800s parked before houses, but the town's defining image was one of carts and cows. Going through its lanes - not easy in a six-feet-wide SUV - we were of as much interest to the locals as their morning repast of blood-red jalebis was to us.

If the town seemed caught in a time warp, the feeling was even stronger inside the fort. Old carriages, fading paintings, silent fountains, dark galleries… they were proof of the splendorous life those strong walls had witnessed in the first 350 years of their existence. And now, five decades after the Kishangarh royals had vacated the fort, they stood stonily silent, as if sworn to secrecy.

ROOPANGARH

The Roopangarh Fort palace, with its dark inner defence in the background

Raja Kishan Singh, founder of Kishangarh and brother of the (now) controversial Jodha Bai, built Kishangarh Fort in 1611 AD. Thirty eight years later, Roop Singh, fifth king of Kishangarh, built a new fort 30km away and named it Roopangarh after himself. Soon, a town came up around the fort, and it served as the state's capital for almost 100 years.

Since the Sambhar Salt Lake was our next quarry, and one of the routes to it lay past Roopangarh, we decided to head that way. Wisely so, as the newly surfaced SH-7 (which connects Kishangarh to Roopangarh, Kuchaman and Sangaria) had practically no traffic, and the Thunder+ could be given free rein.

Roopangarh, though, was not like the highway at all. The lone street through the village-town was crowded, and thoroughly unsuited to the wide Thunder+. Mercifully, after a 10-minute crawl, we reached the fort, where a warm lunch awaited us. Although smaller than the sum of Kishangarh Fort and Phool Mahal Palace, the Roopangarh property was visually more striking. Especially, the square inner defence with its stout bastions and secret passageways.

SAMBHAR LAKE

Salt heaps on the Sambhar Lake bed

Lunch over, we set out for the Sambhar Lake. Spread over some 230sq km, it is said to be the largest salt water lake in India. However, it's only in the monsoon that the entire lake bed is covered with water, and then no more than 3m deep at its deepest. The smooth highways were now left behind as we took the route to Sambhar city via Bhadoon and Sinodiya. Not that it mattered as the Thunder+ was completely at home on the broken tarmac and sandy stretches.

The only traffic we now encountered was stray tractor trolleys and jeeps, both frighteningly unpredictable in their trajectories, but a little excitement on the way was all right! Suddenly, we realised we were driving along the lake bed.

Clouds had been creeping up upon us as we traced doughnuts on the lake bed, the sand squelching out water under the mass of the Thunder+ and its four beefy occupants. Finally, when the clouds came too close for comfort, we hit the road to Sambhar city, which was still some 17km away. Our getaway was perfectly timed, as we could see the rain falling on the part of the lake we had just left behind. We fl ed to the accompaniment of thunderclap.
Source: http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in

‘Space research got a shot in the arm after Chandrayaan-I launch’

Kolkata Given the dearth of researchers in the country, scientists are elated to find a new wave of interest in science being generated among students after the launch of Chandrayaan-I.

Speaking on the sidelines of IRIS 2008 in the city, AS Kiran Kumar, Deputy Director of Space Application Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation said: “We are witnessing a lot of interest being generated about space research.”

IRIS is an initiative taken up by a group of private companies and the Central Government to generate interest in scientific research and innovation among students.

Praising the role played by the media in highlighting the countries’ moon mission, scientists from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, also spoke on similar lines.

“The manner in which the mission is being followed by youngsters, will provide the necessary spark for students to opt for research in space science,” said D K Pandey, a senior scientist of the department.

According to Debargo Sarkar, a Class XI student of South Point School and one of the winners at IRIS 2008, all his schoolmates were excited about the launch and “they are curious about space technology.”

Department of Science and Technology scientists said the Central Government will soon announce a scholarship for bright students, so that their expertise can be utilised in future projects.

The government also organises Children’s Science Congress every year in the country to promote innovative scientific activities among students.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news

Dargah Sharif in Ajmer the place of Khwaza moinuddin chishti

The lakeside city of Ajmer is located in central Rajasthan, and is held in great reverence by devotees of all communities who call it ‘Ajmer Sharif’ (Holy Ajmer). It is here that the mortal remains of the highly respected Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti lie buried. The Khwaja came from Persia and established the Chishtia order of fakirs in India. He is popularly known as Gharib Nawaz (protector of the poor) because he dedicated his entire life to the service of mankind.

His spartan life spanned almost a hundred years and he embraced death in solitude while he had withdrawn to his cell for six days, asking not to be disturbed. The Dargah Sharif in Ajmer is the place where the Saint’s mortal remains lie buried and is the site of the largest Muslim fair in India. More than five lakh devotees belonging to different communities gather from all parts of the subcontinent to pay homage to the Khwaja on his Urs (death anniversary) during the first six days of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic calendar.)

The pilgrims who come to seek the blessings of the Khwaja make rich offerings called nazrana at the holy spot where the saint has been entombed. The offerings of rose and jasmine flowers, sandalwood paste, perfumes and incense contribute to the fragrance that floats in the air inside the shrine. Also offered by devotees are the chadar, ghilaph and neema, which are votive offerings for the tomb.

Rajasthan Travel : An Amazing Experience

India's desert state, Rajasthan is known world over for its unending expanse of Great Indian Thar Desert and desert's ship Camel. A land of vibrant colours, rich culture and craft, magnificent forts and palaces, colourful bazaars and friendly people, Rajasthan lures millions of tourists to the state from across the world. While the vibrant events like the Pushkar Camel Fair and Desert Festival of Jaisalmer offer you a traditional Rajasthan experience, the royal monuments like the Jal Mahal and the Hawa Mahal take you back in a bygone era. So, visit the desert land of Rajasthan for experiencing a vacation of lifetime on your own.

Popular Cities of Rajasthan
Visit Rajasthan to explore its charming cities like the Pink city - Jaipur, City of lakes - Udaipur, Sun city - Jaisalmer, Golden city Jaisalmer, Bikaner and many other enchanting cities.
Ajmer
Bikaner
Pushkar Jaipur
Jaisalmer
Jodhpur
Udaipur Jaisalmer

Tourist Attractions
Commonly referred to as the ‘land of kings’, Rajasthan boasts of plethora of attractions such as imposing forts and monuments, rich and varied wildlife, colourful fairs and festivals and much more.
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
Jaisalmer Fort
Jaigarh Fort

City Palace - Jaipur
Lake Palace
City Palace - Udaipur
Ranthambore National Park Tiger - Ranthambore National Park

Things to do in Rajasthan
If you are really looking for a thrilling vacation, then Rajasthan ends your search. Enjoy an exciting ride on Camel’s back or go for camping in Sam Sand Dunes or spot wildlife in their natural habitat by Elephant or Jeep Safaris.
Wildlife Safari in Rajasthan
Camel Safari in Thar Desert
Jeep Safari in Rajasthan Journey on Palace on Wheels
Visit Pushkar Camel Fair
A Journey to Rajasthan Village Wildlife Safari In Rajasthan

Culture not to Miss
Rajasthan, a land of vibrant colours is known for its rich and varied culture. Even today, Rajasthan retains its rich cultural heritage in music, arts, crafts, clothes and various other forms.
Rajasthan Cuisine
Rajasthan Dance
Rajasthani Wedding
Gypsy of Rajasthan
Shopping in Rajasthan
Marwari Wedding Rajasthani Dance

Suggested Tours of Rajasthan
Covering the highlights of Rajasthan in a short itinerary is not an easy job. For your convenience and ultimate holidaying experience, we are suggesting you some best tours for Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Cultural Tour (16 D)
Rajasthan Wildlife Tour (10 D)
Royal Rajasthan Tour (10 D)
Golden Triangle Tour (07 D)
Rajasthan Budget Tour (14 D)
Rajasthan Desert Safari (06 D)
Rajasthan Palaces Tour (10 D) Rajasthani Boy

Heritage Hotels in Rajasthan
Rajasthan's major attraction, the Heritage hotels provide you a unique opportunity to stay at stunningly beautiful forts and palaces. Opt any of the Rajasthan Heritage hotel for a royal vacationing experience.
Jaipur Heritage Hotels
Jaisalmer Heritage Hotels Jodhpur Heritage Hotels
Udaipur Heritage Hotels