Rajasthan

India - A long-distance journey to your own self
The classic India shocks for first-time arrivals in a big city like Delhi or Mumbai include not only the traffic, but also the unfamiliar noise levels, the dense crowds, the air you don't want to breathe and the sudden loss of privacy. Obviously being stared at is part of everyday life in India, but let's be honest: as a Western tourist, you do nothing else and photograph every exotic person without asking.

On the positive side, mutual curiosity about foreigners can not only provide deep insights into Indian culture (and yourself), but also make for unforgettable anecdotes. Regardless of whether you are traveling to India out of personal interest in the culture or whether you prefer to drive from the airport in an air-conditioned car straight to a chic resort - this country and its people will leave no one untouched. Those who are open to new things and leave critical expectations at their home airport will find the overall experience of India to be overwhelming and enriching. Everyone else might find themselves shaking their heads in disbelief day in, day out and wishing they were back home as soon as possible.

Adventure with a luxury factor
Notorious India skeptics are advised: India is undoubtedly a country full of contrasts, and as repulsive as the man-made ugliness is, the thriving life is at the same time of such extreme and intoxicating beauty. The landscape and culture between the foothills of the Himalayas in the north and the villages on the edge of the semi-desert of Thar in southern Rajasthan are so varied, interesting and enchanting that you could spend weeks, or even months, just marveling.

There is no shortage of experiences in the north alone. The colorful palette ranges from yoga somewhere in the vast forests in the northwest to a camel ride through the starlit night in the Rajasthan desert, from an elephant safari in the Corbett National Park near Haridwar to the bustling camel market in Pushkar - there are around 1,000 kilometers and probably many more maharaja palaces, forts and temples in between. The importance of the Himalayas, the source of the Ganges and its pilgrimage sites such as Haridwar and Rishikesh (which now also offers good white-water rafting opportunities in addition to countless ashrams) are very characteristic of the fertile north-east. Then there are the yellow-clad sadhus, the red-clad monks near Dharamshala (the exile of the XIV Dalai Lama) and places like Shimla or Dera Dhun, which gained their reputation as hill stations mainly due to the British colonial power. Today, it is the Indian upper class that flees Delhi for the cooler mountains during the unbearable summer months.

Land of two worlds
The political center of Delhi is divided into two worlds. The narrow, crowded alleyways of Old Delhi are markety and colorful and form a contrast to the spacious avenues, parks, villas and embassies of New Delhi with the magnificent India Gate, the modern shopping and business center Connaught Place and the western-dressed Indian women. Rajasthan, on the other hand, is much more traditional. Here, women still predominantly wear traditional garments, look after the house and children and often work as day laborers in road construction, dressed in colourful saris and with gold bangles on their brown arms.

In the "land of the sons of kings", Rajasthan, where most of the population live as farmers from grain cultivation and their buffaloes, you can still see men with magnificent turbans, camel and donkey carts on the streets, meditating sadhus under mighty trees, beautifully adorned women at their temple rituals. However, you usually have to travel off the beaten tourist track and take the time to let yourself drift away, without a window between you and life outside.

Fairytale like Bollywood
No question: the legacy of the maharajas conjures up the fiction of a fairytale life for every visitor to India. In addition, there is the colorful dream of Bollywood and the Indian film star Shahrukh Khan, who has risen from middle school student to superhero of a nation. Because a Bollywood fairy tale usually has happy endings that are suitable for families, a trip to India will end happily even for skeptics, that is, as long as they don't wake up from their dreams ...

As a region full of contrasts, the north has made a name for itself as the "heart of India". From the source of the holy Ganges to the Thar desert, you will experience impressions from a fairytale world. Especially when you sleep in the magnificent palaces of the legendary maharajas.

Highlights

Connoisseur special tip:

SAFARIS OF ALL KINDS
The shortest route from Delhi to the desert leads to Shekhawati, where the Silk Road brought forth rich merchants' houses. If you fancy a (very uncomfortable!) camel safari, there are good options here. You are most likely to see elephants in Corbett National Park, Uttaranchal. A safari "high to elephant" is also possible. You have a very good chance of seeing one of the 35 or so tigers in Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan. In the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan, there have been no tigers in recent years. Recently, however, tigers were reintroduced as part of "Project Tiger". (Attention: Not everywhere where tigers and elephants are advertised, there actually are some!)

DIPLOMATISCHE VERTRETUNGEN

in Germany
Indian Embassy
Tiergartenstraße 17, 10785 Berlin
Phone +49 30 257950
www.indianembassy.de

in Austria
Indian Embassy
Kärntner Ring 2, 1010 Vienna
Phone +43 1 5058666
E-Mail: emb.vienna@mea.gov.in
www.indianembassy.at

in Switzerland
Indian Embassy
Kirchenfeldstrasse 28, 3005 Bern
Phone: +41 31 3501130
Fax +41 31 3511557
E-mail: hoc.berne@mea.gov.in
www.indembassybern.ch

Lage

Indien

Fläche

342.239 km²

Bevölkerung

68,89 Millionen

Sprache

Hindi, Rajasthani Sprachen, Panjabi

Hauptstadt

Jaipur

Religion

Hinduism, Islam

Weather

Das Klima wird wie überall in Indien durch die Monsune geprägt, deren Ergiebigkeit zwar erheblichen jährlichen Schwankungen unterworfen ist, von denen jedoch die südöstlichen Regionen Rajasthans immer mehr profitieren als der Nordwesten. So erhalten die ariden Gebiete Nordwestrajasthans hingegen nur 100 mm. Der Begriff Monsun, abgeleitet vom arabischen mausim (Jahreszeit), beschreibt im weiteren Sinne alle jahreszeitlich wechselnden Winde, im engeren das System des südasiatischen Raums. Die Entstehung lässt sich aus dem Zusammenwirken des planetären Windsystems und der thermischen Gegensätze zwischen Land und Meer erklären.

Beste Reisezeit

August, April, Mai, Juni

Klima

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperaturen	10	12	17	22	27	31	33	33	30	24	16	11
Min. Temperaturen	1	2	6	11	15	20	22	21	19	11	4	1
Sonnenstunden	4	5	7	8	10	11	10	10	9	8	6	4
Regentage	10	10	11	10	8	8	9	7	6	5	8	10

Zeitverschiebung

Mitteleuropäische Zeit (MEZ) plus 4,5 Stunden (während der europäischen Sommerzeit plus 5)

Währung

Indische Rupie

Visa

Touristenvisum:
Personen, die Indien als Touristen besuchen oder Freunde und Verwandte treffen wollen, erhalten ein Touristenvisum mit sechs Monaten Gültigkeit. Touristenvisas können weder verlängert noch umgewandelt werden.

Vaccinations

No vaccination requirements for direct travel from Europe. Malaria and hepatitis A and B vaccinations are recommended. Information without guarantee.