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Celebrating Rajasthan Diwas - 21st to 30th March 2005
The people of Rajasthan, who rejoice everyday in effervescent
ways of their life, who enliven their traditions every now &
then in festivities & revelries, are all set to celebrate
Rajasthan Diwas in a grand manner this year throughout the state
from 21st March to 30th March.
Fifty-six years ago, on 30th March 1949, took place the grand
unification of the erstwhile princely states of Rajputana giving
birth to Rajasthan state in the Union of India. Since then, 30th
March is celebrated as Rajasthan Diwas every year. The year 2005
marks a new beginning for these celebrations. With Rajasthan
emerging as a frontrunner in tourism industry, Government of
Rajasthan continues to add new attractions to its repertoire of
festivals while bringing forth the vast range of Rajasthani Folk
Art, Craft, Dance & Music.
With the aim of showcasing the state's culture & heritage and
reviving the traditional sports, cuisines and folk-art,
Government of Rajasthan has announced state-wide Rajasthan Diwas
Celebrations from 21st March to 30th March 2005. These
celebrations stand apart for the sheer range of participation
that it would elicit from people at large with sports & cultural
competitions being organised for them at levels of districts &
divisions culminating to state-level finals in Jaipur.
Craft-Bazaar, Food Festival, Night Bazaar, Sports competitions,
spectacular fire-works, Mega Cultural Concerts, and competitions
for school students are but a few events planned by the state
government as a part of Rajasthan Diwas Celebrations, 2005.
Lighting of Rajasthan Diwas torches in 32 districts of Rajasthan
and their arrival to the capital city - Jaipur via their
divisional headquarters form a part of the event "Run for
Rajasthan", an event forerunner to the 10-day celebrations
beginning on 21st March 2005. Internationally and nationally
famed sportspersons of Rajasthan would participate in a relay on
21st March from SMS Stadium to Albert Hall, Jaipur; carrying a
torch lighted from the flames of all 6 divisional torches.
The mega festival would mark its beginning on 21st March with
the lighting of Rajasthan Diwas flame at Albert Hall amidst
cheering from a gathering comprising of VIPs & eminent persons
besides the people of Rajasthan. An enthusiastic
live-performance by Police & Military Bands and
well-choreographed vivacious performances by the folk artists in
Musical Symphony at Albert Hall would mark the grand inaugural
of Rajasthan Diwas celebrations. Not to be missed would be the
view of city's sky as a colourful canvas adorned with thousands
of balloons.
Craft Bazaar showcasing the art forms, handicrafts, pottery
styles, prints & textiles, embroideries, carpets, wood & metal
work of different regions of Rajasthan promises to be a major
attraction for visiting tourists as well as the residents in
Rajasthan throughout the 10-day celebrations. Taking care of the
educative needs of craftsmen, the state government has planned
to organise awareness-seminars & design-workshops at Jawahar
Kala Kendra, Jaipur to benefit the talented craftsmen. Puppet
shows and folk performances by Kalbelia, Manganiyars, Garasias,
Sahariya, Bheels and other tribes every evening in Jawahar Kala
Kendra have been planned as added attraction for the visitors to
Craft Bazaar.
Tantalizing the taste buds would be the mouth-watering Marwari,
Mewari, Hadoti, Dundhari, Brij and Punjabi delicacies that would
be savoured by the people in the Food Festival to be held in
Jaipur from 21st March to 30th March, 2005 during the course of
Rajasthan Diwas Celebrations. Pavillions, offering the region
specific Rajasthani-cuisine, would undoubtedly add to the
delight of tourists and Rajasthanis alike 10-day Rajasthan Diwas
Celebrations would herald revival of traditional & rural sports
like Kabbadi, Kho-Kho, Rumal Jhappatta, Teerandazi (Archery),
Camel Cart Race, Elephant Polo, Tonga Race and other sports like
Satoliya, Bullock Cart Race, Mulkhum, Rassa-kassi and Bhartiya
Kushti etc. As part of celebrations, competitions would be held
at District & Division level and the winning teams would compete
in the State-level finals to be held in Jaipur between 21st
March-30th March 2005. Rajasthan Diwas Celebrations has come in
as a timely opportunity to recognise the talented sportsperson
of our state and to showcase & popularise the traditional games
amongst the younger generations. Modern day popular sports like
Golf & Horse Polo would also form a part of the competitions.
No festival can be exciting without the charm & laughter of
children. To enlighten the school going kids about the heritage
& glory of Rajasthan, theme based competitions like debate,
quiz, essay writing, drawing & painting would be organised in
Jaipur during the course of celebrations. The winning teams of
division level competitions would participate in the final
rounds to be held in the capital city. Adding to the vivacity of
the celebrations would be the vibrant folk dance & song
performances by the school students in the competitions at
different levels of district, division, and state. While praying
for the prosperity, development, and progress of people in
Rajasthan, divine blessings would be sought by organising
Maha-Aarti at Birla Mandir(Temple) in Jaipur on 21st March. In
subsequent days, Maha-Aartis would be organised during the dusk
time in significant temples of different parts of the city and
the harmony of bhajans would soothe people throughout the state.
One of the most unique features of these celebrations, never
seen before in any other festival, would be the Night Bazaar. An
ensemble of shoppers' items ranging from handicrafts, clothes,
potteries, carpets, internationally renowned quilts, blankets &
jewellery to day-today household commodities, would ensure a
shopping experience par imagination to the Pink-city dwellers
every evening till midnight. Night Bazaar would definitely
herald a new era of late-evening activities in the city.Amidst
all merriments would be the most enchanting Holi Festival. The
festival of colours would add its hues to the joys of Rajasthan
Diwas Celebrations with the plans of a Mega Holika Dahan on 25th
March. Colourful fire-works on the occasion promises to
spellbound Jaipurites with its spectacular display. The grand
Elephant Festival on 25th March would further add to the glory
of entire celebrations. This fervor would soon be followed next
day by an enthralling play of colours in Hotel Khasa Kothi,
Jaipur. Further more, foreigners enjoying the open-bus city tour
would be able to experience the gaiety, exhilaration, and joys
of Pink city dwellers amidst their distinctive play of colours.
Grand cultural shows and live concerts every evening in the
ambience of majestic Albert Hall, Amer Fort and other equally
eye-arresting venues have been planned to entertain people
throughout the celebrations. A variety of programmes ranging
from Classical Music & dance performances, Ghazal Evening,
Bollywood Celebrity Evening to Nritya Natika, Natya Sandhya etc.
would be held during the celebrations in Jaipur. Tourists and
residents would get an opportunity to enjoy the performances of
nationally famed artists who are shining stars of the
constellation of celebrities in their own field.
Source : Rajasthan Tourism
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Udaipur's Royal Past Attracts Tourists
A glimpse into the royal past of Udaipur through a sound and
light show is attracting tourists to Rajasthan's famed city of
lakes.
The one-hour Son et Lumiere (sound and light show) titled
"Legacy of Honour" presents glimpses of 1,500 years of history
of the Mewars of the state. The privately initiated project was
started a week ago by the Udaipur royalty to attract tourists to
the city.
The narrative traces 15 centuries of history that includes the
foundation of Mewar by Bappa Rawal, the 'Johar' (self-immolation
to protect honour) of Chittor's Rani Padmini, the story of
Mughal emperor Humayun and Rani Karmavati, the story of
Pannadhai who sacrificed her own son for the safety of Prince
Udai Singh and the battle of Haldi Ghati.
The show ends on a contemporary note, recounting the vision of
Maharana Bhagwat Singh who turned the palace into a heritage
hotel more than 40 years
ago and who instituted the Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation
(MMCF) Trust to both conserve Mewar's rich heritage and develop
the region.
"We feel that this show would certainly help to boost tourism in
the city," Trilok Sharma, secretary, MMCF said. He said that
around 600,000 tourists, both domestic as well as foreign, visit
the city every year.
"We are thrilled. We didn't know Mewar had such a rich history,"
said an Italian tourist.
L M Wong, a tourist from US said, "It is indeed a wonderful
experience. I won't mind sitting the whole night long if history
is presented in such a fascinating manner."
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