Rajasthan, with its extravagant palaces, crumbling forts, and ancient temples, is, for many, the very essence of India. Here we share our top 10 monuments in Rajasthan to soak up on your next Indian getaway:
1. Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Mehrangarh Fort looming over Jaswant Thada in Jodhpur, Rajasthan
The first on our list of top 10 monuments in Rajasthan is Mehrangarh Fort. Located in Jodhpur, this famously impregnable fortress was built in 1459. Inside the rugged citadel, you’ll find delicate latticed windows and pierced sandstone screens. The palaces – Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace) and Sheesh Mahal (Glass/Mirror Palace) – and other apartments are exquisitely decorated; their ceilings, walls and floors are covered with murals, mirror work and gilt. The palace museum has exquisite rooms filled with lavish royal elephant carriages, palanquins, thrones and paintings. From the ramparts, there are excellent views of the city.
2. Amber Fort, Jaipur
The Ganesh Pol, a beautifully adorned gateway to Amber Fort
Surrounded by ramparts, Amber Fort is one of the most marvellous monuments in Rajasthan. It’s perched on a hill near Maota Lake, on the edge of Jaipur. Construction began in 1592 and carried on over 125 years. Although the fort is in ruins, the interior palaces, gardens and temples retain much of their pristine beauty. Both the art and architecture combine Rajput and Mughal influences in felicitous ways.
3. Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer
A view over Jaisalmer from one of the fort’s 99 bastions
Jaisalmer Fort rises out of the sands of the Thar Desert. The impressive contours of its 99 bastions are softened by the golden hue of the stone. Built in 1156 by Maharawal Jaisal, and added to by his successors, this citadel stands on the peak of a hill. In medieval times, Jaisalmer’s entire population lived within the fort, and even now, thousands of people reside here, making it India’s only living fort. Royal palaces, a cluster of Jain temples, mansions and shops are all contained within its walls.
4. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
The Hawa Mahal, one of Jaipur’s most iconic landmarks, is also known as the Palace of Winds
Jaipur‘s famed Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) was built in 1799 so that the women of the court could discreetly take some air and watch the activity on the street below. One of the most unique monuments in Rajasthan, this five-storey structure is just one room wide, so the wind quickly passes through the building and cools the interior. The building façade has a delicate honeycomb design with close to 1,000 windows.
5. Lake Palace, Udaipur
A view of Udaipur’s Lake Palace, City Palace and Lake Pichola
This 250-year-old white marble palace – now a luxury Taj hotel – floats like a mirage in the middle of Lake Pichola and looks dazzling from the shore. Reached by a short boat ride, it was initially built as a summer retreat by Maharana Jagjit Singh who ruled Jaipur in the 17th century. Today, the palace is only accessible to guests of the hotel, but anyone can enjoy a lovely view of its exterior by taking a boat ride around Lake Pichola. Alternatively, to end your time in Rajasthan on an exceptional note, stay here for a night or two – it’s one of the world’s most famous luxury hotels, a fairy-tale-like experience with an undeniable sense of location.
6. Jain Temple, Ranakpur
The stunning Jain temple in Ranakpur makes an ideal stop when en-route to Udaipur from Jodhpur
This stunning 15th-century temple is located in Ranakpur, halfway between Jodhpur and Udaipur. One of the five holiest places for India’s Jains, the three-story temple contains 27 halls supported by 1,444 elaborately carved pillars – no two carvings are alike. The view of the white-marble complex rising from the fertile plain is awe-inspiring – the relief work on the columns is some of the best in all of India.
7. City Palace, Udaipur
A stunning view from the City Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan
Udaipur’s sprawling City Palace – the largest in Rajasthan – stands on a ridge overlooking the lake. Begun by Udai Singh and extended by subsequent maharanas, the sand-colour City Palace rises five storeys tall, with a series of balconies. Cupolas crown its octagonal towers, which are connected by a maze of narrow passageways. The rooms inside the City Palace Museum contain decorative art: beautiful paintings, colourful enamel, inlay glass-work and antique furniture.
8. Taj Mahal, Agra
The Taj Mahal glows pearlescent pink at sunrise
Okay, it’s not technically in Rajasthan, but rather in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh. Described as an ‘elegy in marble’, the Taj Mahal is an epic monument to Emperor Shah Jahan’s beloved wife. Seeing the magnificent structure in person reveals the minute details of its decoration and its construction and the incredible symmetry of the elements. The Taj Mahal is one of the most recognizable, most reproduced images in the world, and the tale of love and loss that sparked its creation is almost as incredible as the monument’s beauty. Up close the intricately crafted and colourful detail of the building is apparent, but from far away, the magnificent structure appears all white – depending on the sun and the time of day it takes on different hues. At sunrise it’s a pearlescent pink; at sunset, it’s lemon yellow, then orange. Once the sun goes down, the marble is pure white against a black sky.
9. Jantar Mantar Observatory, Jaipur
The Jantar Mantar Observatory in Jaipur, Rajasthan
Neighbouring Jaipur’s City Palace is the Jantar Mantar observatory. Built between 1728 and 1734, some of the instruments are still used to forecast how hot the summer months will be, the expected date of arrival, duration and intensity of the monsoon, and the possibility of floods and famine.
10. Chand Baori, Abhaneri (near Jaipur)
Chand Baori is one of India’s oldest and largest step wells
About 100km from Jaipur, the remote village of Abhaneri, surrounded by wheat fields, is the unlikely location for one of the most awe-inspiring monuments in Rajasthan. An incredible geometric sight, the Chand Baori step-well has around 11 visible levels of zigzagging steps and is 20m deep. The well, the crumbling palace and the Harshat Mata Temple are believed to have been built by King Chand, ruler of Abhaneri and a Rajput from the Chahamana dynasty. Interestingly, it featured in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) as Batman’s prison.
Any of these monuments in Rajasthan can be included on a private tour with us. As experts in tailor-made tours of this particular region, we’re the ideal match to assist with your arrangements. We’ve visited first-hand all the monuments, destinations and hotels we recommend so that you can be assured of a comfortable and memorable experience. Please get in touch if you’d like to begin planning your private tour of Rajasthan together, or take a nosy at our sample itineraries for inspiration.
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