Local traditions and culture in State of Rajasthan

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Diwali one of the major Hindu festivals, it is celebrated to commemorate the victory of god over the evil, when Lord Rama defeated Ravana and rescued his wife Sita from his custody.The main festival day falls on the no-moon day of the dark half of Kartik, according to the Hindu lunar calendar. Celebrated with vigor and gaiety by people of every religion, the magical effect of Diwali creates an atmosphere of joy and festivity. Innumerable lamps are lit on the roofs and windowsills of the houses, thus, giving a divine look to the whole scenario. It is said that Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth, roams the earth on this day and enters the house that is pure, clean and brightly illuminated. Therefore, people, before exchanging gifts and bursting crackers, offer prayers to the deity.
Diwali reminds us of mouthwatering, delicious sweets such as Kheer, Barfi , Pedas, Rasgullas, Laddos etc. On the whole this is a people-oriented festival when enmities are forgotten, families and friends meet, enjoy and establish a word of closeness.

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A wonderful pilgrim centre which symbolises national unity and communal harmony as devotees of all religions come here to pay homage.
The majestic Shri Ramdev temple at Ramdevra, Runicha, 13 kms from Pokram in Jaisalmer district, houses the shrine of Ramdev. He is believed to have been incarnated on earth for the benefit of humanity and was born in the houses of Ajmalji in the Tomar Rajput family.
Since childhood, he performed many miracles ans won the hearts of the people. He also performed a miracle before him. He is also believed to have killed a domon called Bhairav.

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Kolayat is situated 50 km from Bikaner on Jaisalmer road.A large number of people come to Kolayat to redeem themselves by taking holy dips in the Kolayat lake throughout the year, but it is considered very auspicious to take a dip on Kartik Poornima. The lakeside is dotted with temples. Ghats named after these temples allow privacy to the pilgrims, with some ghats meant only for women. Visiting Kolayat has been considered to be a tirtha or pilgrimage of great importance and people believed that one day's stay at Kolayat benefits as much as 10 years spent at any other sacred place. The legendary Maharishi Kapil and the Kapilayatan lake find mention in the Puranas and Kapil Muni is believed to have descended from Lord Brahma. Take boating tour around the lake and see local people activcties on bathing ghats.

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Elephant-headed Hindu god, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.He is also in Jainism, and he is important in the art and Methology of Buddhist Asia. As the remover of obstacles, Ganesha is invoked when beginning worship or starting any newventure.

He has four hands, elephant's head and a big belly. His vehicle is a tiny mouse. In his hands he carries a rope (to carry devotees to the truth), an axe (to cut devotees' attachments), and a sweet dessert ball "Laddoo" (to reward devotees for spiritual activity). His fourth hand's palm is always extended to bless people. A unique combination of his elephant like head and a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents tremendous wisdom, intellegence, and presence of mind.

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The famous Pushkar Fair is a great tourist attraction. People from around the globe come to the ancient religious town of Pushkar which is transformed into a spectacular fair ground in the month of Kartik. People bathe, worship and delight in the dazzling wares of roadside stalls. Camels are bought, sold, beautified, raced and parade. Most unusual are the small groups of men and women seen busy tattooing their hands and other parts of the body.
The fair is predominantly a rural gathering. Villagers come from different parts of the state and bring their cattle with them. On spectacular sanddunes camel, horse and bullock races are great crowd pullers. All roads lead to the lake, which is flooded with pilgrims. The movement of the crowd is like a tide of colour with currents of crimson, yellow and turquoise.

Evenings at the Pushkar Fair have their own charm. The silent night is pierced by calls of camels. Ballads are sung by actors in passionate tones. Folk
dramas, skits and folk dance are organised for the entertainment of the
tourists.

After a pleasant desert trip, I was invited to a few drinks by Vijay, the owner of the tour company. His friend, a Brahmin (caste), joined us for dinner, but refused to drink. Vijay is a Rajput (caste), thus he can eat meat and drink alcohol. Even to this day, India is still defined by its casts. Just look at the personal ads of the news papers. They're full of ads that usually start off with the type of caste!

Somewhere on my walk through Bikaner, I came across a railroad track crossroad with the "do not cross" barrier down. Funny, cause there was no train coming and so the locals where crossing under the bar, even those in mopeds and motorcycles where doing it. I looked both ways and followed suit. As I was going so a local explained to me that the bloody thing comes down and blocks traffic for 30 minutes before the train crosses!

I first came across this term while visiting the Mekeragarh Fort in Jodhpur. As I walked past the Loha Gate, I noticed the handprints of 36 royal satis (31 on one side and 5 on the other side). The wives of the Maharayas performed this sacred act upon the death of their husbands. They will literally jump into the funeral pyre of their husbands and thus burn alive to their sacred death. This practice was quite acceptable in the past. It was done by royal and non-royal widows. Even to this day, one can still hear stories of modern day satis taking place on secluded villages. The India gov't doesn't endorse satis though so a major investigation usually follows.