Majestic Rajasthan

Uncover the exotic charm of Rajasthan on a 15-day Budget Adventure

Rajasthan always belongs close to my heart. Being born & brought up in a Marwari family I was always very curious to visit Rajasthan. So it was June 2019 when I visited my place. I must tell you that this is the place where you can explore so many things without spending much. Isn’t it great!! So the first impression of this place still hovers my mind.Rajasthan always belongs close to my heart. Being born & brought up in a Marwari family I was always very curious to visit Rajasthan. I must tell you that this is the place where you can explore so many things without spending much. Isn’t it great!! So the first impression of this place still hovers my mind.

The feeling of Royalnes, the feeling of “Aapno Rajasthan”, the aroma of its soil, the delicious food, lively & open-handed people everything is just outstanding. I was overwhelmed by the simplicity yet a kingly place. The ancient forts, the tombs, its temples, the old streets, and flea market say it all. Each & everything just captivates you towards the rich culture & heritage of India.

Are you ready for one of the most amazing & affordable journeys of your life with me? Do let me know if you love the rich culture of our land which you cannot find anywhere in the world. “PADHARO MHARE DESH”.

So this was my train journey starting from Wardha (Maharashtra), by Sikandrabad, which was around 8:00 am . We reached Jodhpur the next morning. We had tea and coffee at our favorite Ramdev tea stall. I would suggest you to have your tea and coffee at the same place, you won’t be disappointed !!

Then for the further journey of Rajasthan, we have booked 12 seater travels.

DAY 1

1) KHATU SHYAM & SALASAR BALAJI MANDIR

The Khatu Shyam temple is Hindu temple in Khatu village, around 43 kms from Sikar district in Rajasthan. It is considered as one of the important pilgrimage sites for worshiping Krishna and Barbarika, who is often idolized as Kuldevta.

We reached the temple around 12:00 clock. The timing of Aarti Morning Aarti – 8:00 am

Bhog Aarti – 12:30 am

Shringar Aarti – 6:30 pm

Shayan Aarti – 900 pm 

I am giving all the timings so that whatever time suits you, you can get the Aarti accordingly. It took around 2 hrs for darshan. 

 It took around 2 hrs for darshan then we headed towards the pink city “JAIPUR” which is 80 kms from Khatu Shyam.

SALASAR BALAJI MANDIR

Salasar Balaji temple is located in Churu district of Rajasthan.Every year hundreds of devotees come here to seek blessings of balaji. Every year during full moon day(Chaitra & Ashwin) a fare is organized and it is the most crowded period of the year in Salasar.

2 DAYS IN JAIPUR

JAIPUR

It was a marvelous experience for me to visit the city for the very first time. More or less I was very excited about the shopping part, as I had already heard so much about the aesthetic shopping of Jaipur and of course wonderful places and food. Best to visit Jaipur October month , you will experience prettiest climate at this time.

So let’s paint the city red with remarks of love and happiness !!

HAWA MAHAL

Being in Jaipur, “Aur Hawa Mahal nahi dekha to kya dekha”. It is famous for its honey-comb like structure with intricately carved windows which allows cool breeze to flow inside the palace. Explore the multilevel floors of the mahal and experience the magnificent sight that you can’t ever forget in your lifetime.

It is open from 9 to 4:30 pm

Entry fees Adults – Rs.50 for foreigners & for Indians Rs.10

 

CITY PALACE

One of the rich heritage showcasing Jaipur’s royalty. Its splendid architecture, fascinating artifacts on display, and adorning decorations will leave you spellbound. Do visit Diwane khas and Mubaraka khas to have a glance into the lavish lifestyle of the royals.

CHOKI DHANI

Don’t miss this place if you want to taste the real essence of Rajasthan. Choki Dhani is famous for its unlimited entertainment. From authentic Marwari thali with dal bati Churma to Rajasthani folk dance, puppetry folklore, magic shows, astrological readings, and games everything is amazing. The most important part is the way they serve the food with love will win your heart.

Entry Fees

Adults – Rs.1200

Children – Rs.450

Entry is free for children below 3 years old.

Me with my family at Choki Dhani

DUBAI MALL

Visit this place at night, a perfect place for adults to explore. Shopping and kids to have fun. This is a huge mall with all the lavish brands you can think of.  As well as you will find Bandej and Leheriya shops, for which Jaipur is the most famous. It has a variety of products ranging from Arabic perfumes, kids’ stuff, accessories, jewelry, etc. Some stuff you can buy from here which you think is a wise choice for you.

Else you can also shop from outside at reasonable prices rather than spend an extra penny here. 

If you want to know the best places in Jaipur for shopping, please let me know. I will make a separate blog for it.

There is a food court with plenty of restaurant options.

1 DAY IN NAKODA

2)  NAKODA

Nakoda is a small town famous for its beautiful Jain temple with amazing architect

STAY AT NAKODA IN AFFORDABLE RATES 

Nakoda provides the best accommodation facilities by Jain Sanstha at very reasonable prices. For AC rooms, the price is Rs.700 to 800 and for Non-AC rooms, it is Rs.400 depending on the number of beds. 

They also provide simple, hygienic, delicious Jain food at a minimal price. There is a breakfast coupon for Rs.10/person and the timing for breakfast is from 7:00 am to 10 am & lunchtime is 11:00pm to 2:00 pm

So this place is considered the best to stay, even if you have to visit places near Nakoda, you can stay here and explore nearby places.

Then we visited Jasol, which is 8kms away from Nakoda. It is known for the holy temple of  Majisa,many devotees come here to seek blessings from matarani and many newly wed couples seek blessings from Majisa. The Aarti performed in the temple gives me goosebumps. It is miraculous !!

 

CLOTHES

If you are a saree lover or ethnic, especially Rajasthani patterns like leheriya, bandhej, and shibori, you will find everything here, Do some bargaining and you are good to go.

SPICES

You will get the best variety of heeng here, there is a special saag named “Ker Sangri” ,  Marwaris are familiar with this, & others might try it. You can also buy papad, badi & other homemade items of good quality.

TWO DAYS IN NATHDWARA 

3) NATHDWARA

Nathdwara is famous for the temple of Shrinathji, the avatar of lord Krishna. The divine place, the land of lord Krishna. Numerous worshippers visit here on the occasion of Holi, Diwali & Janmashtami.

The one thing that fascinates me the most is the happening, vibrant, and diversifying streets of Nathdwara. You must spend at least two days at this place. You will enjoy eating, shopping, and roaming at the same time.

First thing in the morning, we had breakfast of hot jalebi at Fafda at around 7:00 am. Then we went for darshan at the temple. There was a huge crowd, devotees pushing here & there, but it was an immense joy to see the face of Shreenathi. You can take prasad, flowers, and garland from outside the temple.

SHOPPING

The main market is surrounding the Haveli. Shopping at this place is fun, and at the same time, you will get things at moderate prices with good variety & quality.

Near the Haveli, you will find shops of Shreenathji poshak, jewelry, & other items related to pooja. Then there is the imitation jewelry market, where you will find one of the best quality “JADAU” jewelry, AD jewelry, Kundan jewelry, bargain, & enjoy your shopping on the happening streets of Nathdwara.

You will also get handicraft items for home decor, and traditional wear like skirts, lehengas, and mojris at reasonable prices. Don’t miss the delightful street of Nathdwara. 

I still remember the dry fruit, Thandai, what a heavenly taste it was!! Its Panipuri, chaat, soft sponge dhoklas, jalebi & don’t miss the yummiest onion kachoris. I would recommend MAHARAJA restaurant for simple yet delicious food. I stayed in Maheshwari Bhavan at a moderate price, for Non-AC rooms, it was Rs.300.  

 Glimpse of Fabulous Eating & Shopping Experience In Nathdwara 

2 DAYS TOUR OF UDAIPUR

4) UDAIPUR

The distance of Udaipur from Nathdwara is 45 Kms. Udaipur – Popularly Known as Venice of Italy. This was my two-day trip. It is one of the most spectacular cities in Rajasthan. First, we decided to visit City Palace, the most magnificent marvels architectural palace I have ever seen, with a beautiful lake view.

The Royal City Palace

You can easily spend quality time at this place located at the bank of lake Pichola and take a boat ride. This place is a perfect example of marwar architecture. The magnificently designed balcony, windows, colorful tint glasses, marble and mirror work will make you fall in love with the life of Maharajas.You can also enjoy boat ride in the lake, mentioning the price here

 Rs. 400 per person for adults

 Rs. 200 per person for children

One of the Prime Ministers of the Marwar dynasty, Amir Chand Barwa, built this in the 18th century, the haveli is located in the waterfront of lake Pichola at Gangaur Ghat. We reached there at 2:30 and closing time was 5:30 pm. We made sure that we didn’t miss anything.

Entry fees

For Indians – Rs.60 per person, Rs.30 for children

For International Adult  – Rs.100 per person, Rs.50 for children

For Camera Rs.50

Don’t miss the evening cultural show here.

If you are a peace lover, “Saheliyo ki bari” & “Ambrai ghat” are the best places to find peace and solace .You can relax here in the lap of nature, do breathing exercises, get fresh air in and chill.

Cultural Program at Bagore Ki Haveli

Brahma Temple

 

Now the best part for shopaholics. 

HATHI POL BAZAAR

One can find a variety of local and branded items at the same place. This place is mainly famous for its embroidered and block print apparel,accessories, silver jewelry, and traditional home decor pieces. It is also famous for hand paintings on silk.

For kids I would suggest going to “Under the sun Aquarium”and “Gulab bagh zoo”. It opens at 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Fees for the bagh is Rs.15/person and for zoo Rs.5/person.

At least you need 3 days in Udaipur to fully enjoy the beautiful places,food & culture. So let me know if you want a separate detailed blog on Udaipur. There are so many places to explore here.

2 DAYS IN PUSHKAR

5) PUSHKAR

Pushkar is known as the land of Ghats & its  “Brahmaji temple”. So Pushkar becomes one of the most religious spots of Rajasthan, the small town is submerged between Jodhpur and jaipur famous for its Brahma temple as i already mentioned and camel festival as well. The festival occurs in the month of November so it would be great if you visit Pushkar in winters and experience chilled nights there. We stayed in Maheshwari bhavan at a reasonable price with AC rooms . 

BRAHMA TEMPLE 

As mentioned there are only a few temples in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma. Hindus from all over the world visit this temple .This is a small temple with a beautiful idol of Brahmaji. There is free entry in the temple, you are given lotus flowers to offer Brahmaji. Then you can walk to sacred lake near the temple,

Seek blessings from the priest and they apply a red mark on the forehead,then throw some of your flowers in the lake ! All of this is free.

II)Pushkar Camel Safari

If you are in pushkar and still want to experience camel safari as in jaisalmer, you are good to go for half day safari, full day safari and even camp overnight. It’s a good opportunity for stargazing. It cost around Rs.1000 per person for safari. Apparently it can be good for watching sunrise and sunset too. 

 

 

The beautiful view of Sunset

SHOPPING IN PUSHKAR

Rajasthan is well known for its handicrafts, home decor pieces, clothes, jewelry. So you can find all these things to shop at a great deal . If you want to buy gifts for friends,relatives you can find shoes, jewelry, and dupattas at the best price.

TARAGARH FORT

This is one of the most splendid monuments in Ajmer. Built by  King Ajayraj chauhan, the ancient fort has seen many historic battles.There is free entry inside the fort, tims are 9 to 6:00pm

2 DAYS IN BIKANER

6) BIKANER

Bikaner i would say is one of the most colorful cities of Rajasthan in all aspects. There is so much to explore, to roam around,sandy deserts, to eat around and have fun . This should be in your list whenever you visit Rajasthan. Worth visiting and definetly you would collect beautiful memories and shopping items too from this place !!

I will make a separate blog for BIKANER because it is personally close to my heart and there is so much to talk about the place.

Now i would only tell you that we stayed in maheshwari bhavan, the safest and reasonable place to stay. So stay tuned for the BIKANER blog

Where To Stay In Rajasthan

Here you will find all kinds of options to stay from budget friendly lodges to a palace or fort or 3 star hotels and resorts, so it’s absolutely up to you . Do what your pocket allows you to !!

So this is how you can enjoy Rajasthan state’s each and every place in this 14 days tour. Believe me Rajasthan will not disappoint you even for a single day or a second thought won’t come to your mind that how long & boring it’s getting !! 

Each day you will explore something not only with respect to places but culture, food, traditions, people..ohh!! I forgot to mention but people here are very simple, connected to their roots . After all Rajasthan carries its own royalty and legacy with it. 

So let me know if you want me to make a separate blog for any other place in Rajasthan or any other information related to the above places. I hope the blog is informative and budget friendly for you all. Do visit Rajasthan and share your experiences with me.