Rajasthan

(“land of kings”) Modern Indian state on
the border of Pakistan between the
states of Punjab and Gujarat, created by
combining a network of princely states
with Ajmer, formerly under British control. These principalities were the remnants of small kingdoms, usually
maintained by force of arms, giving
Rajasthan its well-entrenched martial
tradition. Many cities in Rajasthan have
large forts originally built as defensive
strongholds, which in modern times
have been popular tourist attractions.
Geographically, the state is split diagonally by the Aravalli Hills, creating two
distinct climatic zones. The south gets
more rainfall and has traditionally been
more thickly settled, whereas the north
blends gradually into the Thar Desert—
rendered cultivable in recent years by a
system of irrigation canals. While the
state’s most important pilgrimage site is
the city of Pushkar, other locales of
interest abound. Among them, the temple of Hanuman at Mehndipur has
gained regional importance as a site for
curing mental illness, and the Karni
Mata temple in the village of Deshnok is
noted for its sacred rats. For general
information about Rajasthan and all the
regions of India, an accessible reference
is Christine Nivin et al., India. 8th ed.,
Lonely Planet, 1998.