Excursion places .

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Deogarh ; deogarh is  located on the boundaries of mewar, marwar and merwara, about 80miles north-east of Udaipur in the state of rajasthan .as it is at  a height of  about 2100ft above sea level , it is cooler than other parts of rajasthan.in the old times, ‘rawat’ chief of deograh, was one of sixteen umraos [feudal barons] entitled to wait upon the maharana of Udaipur , the capital of mewar. ‘thikanas’ was the name given to these type of feudal estates which were sanctioned by the ruling mahrana  to a nobleman  either due to blood  relationship or for an act of valour.

Khimsar ; khimsar, a fine tourist destination in rajastan,  is located on the route between jodhpur and Bikaner  at  a distance of 92 kms  from jodhpur. Exuding with rustic charm of rajasthan, khimsar is renowned for its  fort. The khimsar fort nestles on the edge of the great thar-desert  in the heart of rural rajasthan the battle-scarred walls and turrets take one to the glorious past of this place. The fort was originally built as protection of the royal family but later was used by  the royal family as their residence in the 18th century .to day , this fort ranks amongst  the premier classified heritage hotels of india . khimsar is must –visit tourist destination if you are planning to travel rajasthan.

Ranakpur; ..ranakpur on one hand is located 96kms  from  Udaipur and on the other 39kms from palna junction on the ajmer and mount abu rail and road tracks. The drive to ranakpur is about relaxing and pleasants as the place is blessed with lush green hills, multitude of flora and fauna. Quiet and serene sourroundings withvery little traffic. As one drives along the peaceful roads, one can relish the overwhelming sights and senery here . it is notable that ranakpur is  considered as one of the five holy  places of jain community  where the most revered jain temple is dedicated to rashabhji .the temple also houses an idol of adinath and is spread over an area of approximatety 48.000sq.ft. this ancient temple owns 29 halls and 1444 pillars, where each  pillars has been intricately carved with distinctive patterns.

Ghanerao;….  Ghanerao  holds with  in its  confines both the jain and hindu temple where  the most notable is the temple of gajanand featuring a life-size  statue of the goddesses ridhi and sidhi, the statue is guarded by hanuman and bhairon on either side .

Shekhawati ; ..shekhawati lies in the triangular area between delhi, Jaipur and Bikaner and comprises jhunjhunun , mandawa, fatehpur, ramgarh, churu, mahansar,mukundgarh, dundlod, nawalgarh, lakshmangarh and sikar districts of rajasthan. The semi-desert region of shekhwati is popularly known as the ‘open –air art gallery’ of rajasthan. This land of ‘shekhna’s clan’  got its name from rao shekha [1433-1488], a cousin of the kachchwalas of Jaipur . shekhawati owns hundreds of havelis ,temples, cenotaphs, well and forts. However , the region is particulary famous for the high quality frescoes, [1750-1930] which are based on traditional mythology, local legend and folklore, Rajput lifestyle, personalities from the epics and historically traceable personalties. Besides, there is a rare blend of traditional indian and europen styles and subjects.

Mandawa; ..mandawa is a one on the finest of the small towns in the shekhawati reigon and 152kms away from the city of Jaipur. This ancient feudal settlement not only  owns a royal castle, but plethora of havelis where the painted walls never fail to amuse the tourists with their never fading allure. Mandawa was founded by Thakur nawal singh, a descendant of rao shekha after whom the entire region is named .today, this little town is also a major centre of a handicrafts and furuniture industry where a painted archway decorated with lord Krishna and his cowherds is very popular. The mandawa family’s collection includes ceremonial costumes and  precious arms with handles of jade. The  havelis worth visiting are those of chokhani, saraj, goenka and ladia.

Khatu shyam ji; … khatu shyamji is famous for the shri shyamji temple which is built in white marble..

Neemrana; … a small beautiful village in  alwar, is located about 122kms from delhi. The village has its own historical importance and is located about 75kms from the main  alwar city . located almost midway between delhi and Jaipur, neemrana belongs to 1464 A.D. when  it was built as a fortified palace , since this town  is situated in the vicinity of  both alwar and delhi, it is the perfect getaway for the people residing in these cities . the neemrana fort and palace is  one of the most important tourist destinations in neemrana, alwar and rajasthan. The fort is located on a plateau that is concealed in a horseshoe pattern in the aravalli hills.

Mandore; … situated 9kms north of the city of jodhour,  was once the capital of marwar prior to the foundation of jodhpur. Today , this tiny town owns extensive gardens with high rock terraces turning it in to an appealing local attraction. These gardens also contain the memorials or cenotaphs of jodhpur rulers, including maharaja jaswant singh and the largest and finest of all the soaring temple-shaped memorial to maharaja ajit singh . mandore is considered an oasis in the desert with its enticing laid out garden . mandore a visual treat because of the vast expanses of greenery of peepal, banyan, palms and plantains along with cascading fountains and lovely peacocks.

Samode; … samode is situated in the indian state of rajasthan  around 42kms from Jaipur to which  it is connected through awell developed network of roads. This small village lies on way to shekhwati and is renowned for its majestic haveli and fort . samode is often referred as a desert  getaway as during day time one can go for a camel ride is a great way to explore the village and the unique customs and traditions prevalent here, a visit to samode is  incomplete without a musical evening of folk dances  and songs where rajasthani  bands and musicians with their colourful dresses and rare musical instruments provide one of the best evenings can have in india,  along with the band the villagers sing under the starlit sky.

Dilwara temples; …. The  exquisitely carved marble temples of dilwara in mount-abu are the finest examlpes of jain temples in india .the hallmark of these temples is the crisp translucent shell-like treatment of marble , which surpasses anything seen else where.

No matter how much one hears or reads about these temples, nothing can prepare one for the sheer elegance and beauty of marble as displayed here . these temples were dedicated to their saints known as the tirthankars and also served as storehouses of illustrated manuscripts and treatises .

There are altogether four important temple in dilwara.

Vimal vashi temple ; …vimal shah, the minister of raja bhimdeo [a local Rajput ruler],built the vimal vashi temple in 1021 A.D. . the temple is 98ft long and 42ft wide and is surrounded by a high wall with 52 cells ,or devkulikas, each of which is surrounded by an arcade of carved pillars. In the main shrine is a majestic image of adinath  cast in gold –brass alloy . the temple consist of an open portico and  a vestibule formed by a single grouping of pillars. The octagonal dome of the shrine is formsd by eleven concentric rings containing patterns of endless variety and is upheld by eight carved colums .the richly carved corridors ,pillars, arches and mandaps or porticoes are bewildering . on the ceiling are engraved rich and elaborate designs of lotus-buds , petals, flowers, geometrical designs and scenes illustrating incidents from the jain and hindu mythologies.

Luna vashi temple ; …. The other important temple here is the luna vashi temple dedicated to the twenty-seconds tirthankar shri neminathji . this magnificent temple was built  in 1230 A.D. by two brothers –vastupal and tejpal, both ministers of viradhawale [a local ruler]. The design and pattern of this temple  was adopted from the vimal vashi temple ,which was built earlier. Here too, the walls, doors, pillars, mandaps, and ceilings are adorned with ornament relief  carvings of a variety of subjects, from flowers and animals to royal processions and battle scenes. The dome of the rungamandap is  outstanding it is divided in to concentric compartments by richly sculptured cardons , each  intervening space being filled with elaborate and elegant designs. The hasthi-shala or elephant halls here are ten in numbers and each contains a white marble elephant, beautifully and proportionately carved and polished to a shine.

Kumbhalgarh; …..kumbhalgarh is a historical site around 30kms northeast of ranakpur. It is the most important fort in the mewar region after chittaurgarh .the  other important place to visit in kumbhalgarh is a wildlife sanctuary known for its wolves .

Temples at desuri;  three temples ,dedicated to lord shiva, lord hanuman and navi mata are among some noteworthy temples at desuri around 16kms from ranakpur. An old mosque situated here is also worth a visit. A temple dedicated to parsuram mahadeo, nestled in the hills, is also close by another near by place, ghanerao, abounds in hindu temples. Most notable is the temple of gajanand with a life-size statue of the goddesses ridhi and sidhi. The statue in the main shrine is guarded by idols of hanuman and bhairon on either side .

Muchhal mahavir temple; ….. the muchhal mahavir templeis situated about five kms from ghanerao in the kumbhalgarh sanctuary. Its distinctive feature is the statue of lord mahavira with a mustache.the two statues of elephants guarding the gateway are splendid examples of temple decoration .in the vicinity are the garasia tribal villages famous for their colourful costumes.

Eklingji temples ;…..the eklingji city abode of some most beautiful shrines is situated about 12miles to the north of Udaipur in rajasthan . located at a distance of 22kms from Udaipur, eklingji is a massive structure encompassing  numerous ancient temples , chiselled out of  sandstone and marble. The temple was constructed in 734 A.D. to procreate the sanctification of lord shiva, the supreme power. The  temples of eklingji are splendidly modelled and are sanctified to lord shiva, sentinel deity of mewar. The maharajas of mewar- who considered them selves to be regent[dewans] under eklingji, regarded this deity as the implicit emperor .