In the stillness of noon as our bus negotiated a steep turn in the deep woods of the Aravalli Hills, it struck me that I was in a place unlike the Rajasthan of my imagination. Peahens, and not colourful peacocks, pecked calmly in a shallow stream running between wild forest stretches. Was I really in Rajasthan? Where were the swashbuckling Mewari heroes on horseback that the history books spoke of? Where were the sand dunes and camels that geography books showed? Yes, there were a few women in colourful saris, and some men in striking turbans, but here on the way to the Jain temples in Ranakpur, was a Rajasthan that was unexpected, unseen, uncommon, unspoilt.

Earlier, the young tourist information officer at Udaipur had a suggestion for me. “You must see the Ranakpur Jain Temples at night, Madam,” he had said. “The way the flickering oil lamps cast their light on the white marble carvings is beautiful. And all around you the hills seem to be watching over you as you meditate.” I didn’t see Ranakpur by night, but the beauty reflected in his eyes as he softly waxed eloquence about the place stays with me. That is the true beauty of Rajasthan, the way our images of it, and the realities merge to weave a stunning tapestry in our senses. The glorious palaces and havelis, the bright glass bangles on dainty-looking hands carrying pots of water, the handlebar-moustaches on

faces with wild eyes, the awesome sweeps of desert sands, the beautiful textiles and handicrafts, however clichéd, are all there across one of the largest of the 28 states of India.

“You need a lifetime to see all of Rajasthan, but even a few days here can leave you with enough memories to be savoured for a lifetime,” said a friend who is convinced she was a knife-dancer in rural Jaipur in her earlier incarnation. Other friends, the family, the Internet and free trip advisor newsletters that I had signed up for rained information on me. It appeared that I must first decide the identity closest to my persona – was I an adventure tourist, religious traveller, reveller, crafts freak, romantic junkie, foodie, or nature worshipper? Or simply a tourist with a ‘to-do’ list and a list of places offering the cheapest and best of everything? Because the state has something specific to offer for each kind of person.

Some of it has to do with history. Before 700 AD, the region now known as Rajasthan was a part of several republics including the Malavas, the Mauryans, Kushans, Saka Satraps, Guptas and Huns. The Rajput clans rose to ascendancy from the eighth to the 12th century. Mughal domination of parts of the region peaked at the time of Emperor Akbar. Later, almost all the princely states of Rajasthan entered into treaties with the British. The erstwhile