Udaipur.

                                                        


Udaipur is a royal city that had been the capital of Mewar rulers for centuries. The romantic city of Udaipur has a legend behind its origin and it goes like this. Once, Maharana Udai Singh happened to meet a holy sage when he was on his hunting expedition in the Aravalli Hills. The Sage counseled the King to establish a kingdom in the fertile valley that would be well-protected by the elevated Aravalli Hills. Subsequently, Maharana Udai Singh laid the foundation stone of Udaipur in 1557 A.D.

Chittorgarh was the previous capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar. Maharana Udai Singh was a successor of the Sisodias, who claimed to be the descendants of the Sun God. The Sisodias are believed to be the oldest ruling family in the World. Amongst the warrior clans, Sisodias are recognized as the most powerful ones in Rajasthan. Another reason for shifting the capital from Chittorgarh to Udaipur was constant attacks of enemies.
                                    


In 1568, Chittor was attacked by the Mughal emperor, Akbar and to ward off this danger, Udai Singh shifted the whole kingdom to Udaipur. Udaipur was naturally safe under the fortifications made by Aravalli Hills. Since that time, Udaipur developed into a full-fledged city. Slowly when the Mughal Empire undermined, the Sisodias reasserted their freedom. They recaptured most of the parts of Mewar with the exception of the Chittorgarh Fort.

Udaipur continued to be the capital of Mewar, till it became the princely state of British India in 1818. When India got independent in 1947, the Maharaja of Udaipur granted the place to the Government of India. At that time, Mewar was merged into the state of Rajasthan.
                                    

The Battle Of Haldighati 1576.

Remembered as the most important event in Rajput history, the Battle of Haldighati was an “Indecisive Battle”. It was fought between Akbar (Ruler of Mughals) and Maharana Pratap Singh I (Ruler of Rajputs). It was a short-span battle that lasted for only 4 hours.

The political struggle behind the battle was that by fifteenth century nearly all Rajput kingdoms had surrendered under Mughal ruler, except Mewar who was unwilling to compromise on its independence. To persuade Mewar Ruler Rana Pratap Singh, Akbar had sent many envoys to have talks on peace treaties. Ultimately, Rana Pratap did agree to sign the treaty but only on his own terms that he would not tolerate the leadership of any foreign ruler.

 

Ignited on the bold stand of Rana Pratap, Mughals decided to fight against Rana Pratap, also allied by Raja Man Singh of Amber. The two armies stood agaist each other at the Haldighati pass. Rana Pratap was an exceptionally good warrior and he stood proudly on his horse Chetak to take a plunge in the challenge. The battle was a fierce one with strong repulsions from both sides; ecstatic techniques were displayed at the war front. 

The battle of haldighati continued in guerilla manner. The battle was significant for the tenacity displayed by Rajputs and Bhils and the art of defensive mountain warfare. Maharana Pratapsingh established a great example of courage and bravery in the battle of Haldighati.

The Flourishing Economy Of Rajasthan.

Easy access to largest consumer markets, Rajasthan touches six major states of the Northern, Western and Central India. It is a natural corridor between the wealthy Northern and the prosperous Western states of the country, which makes and important trade and commerce centre. Rajasthan has been investing in capacity building through development of a strong institutional network at all levels. The state has 1,050 colleges including 80 engineering colleges, 58 polytechnic institutes and 846 industrial training institutes (ITIs). Rajasthan‟s rugged forts, beautiful palaces, picturesque TharDesert, bird sanctuaries and national parks, lively fairs and festivals, lakes and mountains, fascinating handicrafts and colourful culture make the state an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists. At current prices, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Rajasthan was about US$ 46.4 billion in 2009-2010. The average annual GSDP growth rate, from 1999-2000 to 2009-2010 was about 10.1 per cent. The natural resources, policy incentives and infrastructure in the state are favourably suited for investments in sectors such as cement, IT and ITeS, ceramics, tourism, automotive and agro-based industries. Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP) and Rajasthan Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) are responsible for promoting investments and developing industrial infrastructure in the state. The Government of Rajasthan is promoting development of several SEZs across the state for sectors such as gems and jewellery, handicrafts, IT, electronics and textiles. According to the Reserve Bank of India, FDI inflows from April 2000 to May 2010 amounted to US$ 470 million.

Be Positive

दोस्तों, आज कल लोग बाग़ ज़िन्दगी के प्रति  बहुत ही उदासीन रवैया अपनाने लगे है | जिंदिगी बहुत ही नायब तोहफा है यह चीज़ उनलोगों से पूछो जिन्होंने हाल ही मे किसी अपने को खोया हो |ज़िन्दगी को तरीके से, आराम से, मज़े से पर  सावधानी से उसका पूरा मज़ा लेते हुए जीना चाहिए |

किन्तु आजकल लोग लापरवाह बहुत ज्यादा होगए है |दिनचर्या में बहुत कुछ बदलाव लाकर व् अच्छे बुरे में फर्क न करते हुए शराब ,सिगरेट का बेहिसाब  सेवन करने लगे है | यहाँ तक की गाडी चलने में भी लापरवाही करते हुए हेलमेट ना लगाना ,हर काम को आराम से टालने आदि को दिनचर्या में शुमार कर चुके है | इसी आदत के चलते देश के नौजवान आजकल शारीरिक श्रम करने से कतराने लगे है जिससे देश को नुक्सान हो रहा है |

आज अगर युवा जिंदगी को धुवे में उडाएगा तो कल ज़िन्दगी उसे राख के धूर में तब्दील करने में समय नहीं लगाएगी इसी लिए आज देश में लोगो की औसत उम्र ८० से ६९ साल ९ महीने  हो गई है |

आज लोग योग की और भाग रहे है |उन्हें भोजन में वो आहार चहिये जो पचने में आसन हो क्योकि फिर से यहाँ शारीरिक श्रम की कमी से पाचन क्रिया कमज़ोर हो जाने से हर चीज पचने में परेशानी है और इसी वजहे से आज लोगो को महामारी के जैसे एड्स और केंसर रोग भारी तादाद में जीवन लील रहे है |

तो मित्रो आज से हम जीवन को व्यवस्थित बनाने का संकल्प ले कर स्वयं तथा देश का कल्याण करे |

Rajasthan Ki Kathputliyaa

"Kathputli", the word itself brings to front the colorful images of Rajasthan. Kathputli means a Puppet and it is one of the most popular performing arts of Rajasthan. Kathputlis are string marionettes which dance based on popular legends. These puppets are controlled by a single string that passes from the top of the puppet over the puppeteers. The puppeteer uses ballads to narrate the stories. These stories or tales of romance and chivalry are told with movements of string puppets. Characteristic to this form are the shrill voices produced by the lead puppeteer which are spoken through a bamboo Kathputli, the Rajasthani puppetry, originated a thousand years ago. Bhat Community was the first to practise this art. It soon grew into a major art form of the region as it was patronised by many rulinh families in the state. Puppeters were known to travel across vast regions through various villages in order to entertain people. Puppet plays were not only a source of entertainment but also very helpful in spreading awareness as the puppeteers used to narrate stories of various historical heroes. 

The puppet shows tackled problems like the dowry system, women's empowerment, illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, and cleanliness. Thus these shows used to spread awareness about the social problems and the ways to overcome them.

Various types of puppets or Kathputlis are used during the Kathputli Traditional Dance in Rajasthan. These include Glove Puppets, String Puppets, Rod Puppets and Shadow Puppets.

For a performance, a small stage is set where puppeteers show puppetry and narrate the story. In the performance, music or ballad plays an important role as the entire performance is based upon the ballad. Sometimes, the puppeteer makes use of various sound effects to achieve the reality impact and give a quality entertainment. The puppeteer shows all his skills to make puppets dance on his tunes. It recounts historic anecdotes, replay tales of love, and include much screeching and high-pitched sound as the puppet twirl and move frenetically at the time of performance.

Rajasthani Shakahari Bhoj.

The cuisine of rajasthan is primarily vegetarian and offers a fabulous variety of mouthwatering dishes. The spice content is quite high in comparison to other Indian cuisines, but the food is absolutely scrumptious. Rajasthanis use ghee for cooking most of the dishes. Rajasthani food is well known for its spicy curries and delicious sweets. 

There is an enormous variety of sweets in Rajasthan, which are relished and savored by all. In Rajasthan, the sweet dishes are had before the meal, with the main course and after the meal unlike other desserts. Therefore, sweet dish is never called dessert in Rajasthan. When a guest arrives in the house of a Rajasthani, he/she is served food in a proper manner. Self service concept is considered rude and thus it does not form part of the etiquettes of Rajasthanis. 

The cooking style followed in Rajasthan is based on the natural climatic conditions of this desert land. There is scarcity of water and fresh green veggies in the state of Rajasthan, which has an adverse impact on its cooking. In the desert belts ofRajasthan, it is preferred to use milk, butter milk and butter in larger quantities to minimize the amount of water while cooking food. 

Dried lentils and beans obtained from native plants like sangria are used extensively in the preparation of Rajasthani dishes. Gram flour is the major ingredient in the making of a couple of delicacies such as "pakodi" and "gatte ki sabzi". Powdered lentils are liberally used in the preparation of papad. Rajasthanis are quite fond of chutneys, which are prepared using different spices such as coriander, turmeric, garlic and mint.

Out of all the Rajasthani dishes, dal bati churma is perhaps the best known. For those who are in a lookout for variety,Rajasthan has a lot to offer. Infact, as you travel from one part of the state to another, you'll find that every region has something unique, which reflects in its food as well. There is a popular sweet of each region like Mawa Kachori of Jodhpur, Rasogullas of Bikaner, Ghevar of Jaipur, Malpuas of Pushkar etc.

Popular Rajasthani dishes:

• Bail-Gatte
• Balusahi
• Besan-Chakki
• Chaavadi
• Churma
• Dal-Bati
• Dhungari Hui Chaach
• Ghevar
• Googri
• Jhajariya
• Laapasi
• Nukhti
• Panchkoota
• Raabdi
• Tarfini

Popular Rajasthani curries:

• Beans ki sabji
• Gajar ki sabji
• Guwar fali ki saag
• Karela ki sabji
• Keri ki sabji
• Khaddi
• Kicha ki sabji
• Kikoda ki sabji
• Makki ki raab
• Matar ki sabji
• Moranga ki sabji                                                                                                                                                              ........                  

The Rajasthani Painting forms...

Phad painting
The Phads are traditional form of scroll paintings from rajasthan .These are paintings on cloth .the cloth used for it is generally 30 feet long and 5 feet wide.Phads are painted in vibrant hues to depict various episodes and historic scenes which acts as visual narratives.Former rulers of the land like Prithviraj Chauhan ,Amar singh Rathor and Tejaji were the protagonists in Phad paintings .Recently new heroes like Pabuji and Narayandevji have taken over.Nevertheless ,what remains important is that the tradition has found a way of existence.

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PICHWAI PAINTINGS
Pichwai is a ritual art form ,an offering made to Hindu gods.They are called as the Nathdwara style of painting in which the painting is hung on the backdrop of the idol to depict Shrinathjee in different moods.They have deep religious roots and are devotionally rendered by the painters.The pichwai paintings are done in dark rich hues on rough hand spun cloths.Now a days these pichwai paintings are also made on silk cloth the fast colours used in these paintings give a glow to it.

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Hadauti painting
the earliest example of hadauti painting is the chunar ragamala,painted in 1561.The painting showed marked influence of Mughal style.they depicted worship,hunting ,courtroom trail and procession.In 18th century hadauti painting style was popular for its intricate and violent hunting scenes.