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Rajasthan is the land of forts and
palaces, some large, some small, some pretty, some plain,
but all of them with a history. The land has seen
pleasure, pain, peace, war, luxury, and desert barrenness.
Some forts and palaces attract hordes of visitors, while
some stand off the beaten track, seeing none but a quiet
bird or stray cattle. Each of the forts and palaces in
Rajasthan has a tale to tell, a tale from the days gone
by, when kings rode off to war, and beautiful queens
awaited victory or death, depending on the outcome of the
battle.
Rajasthan has seen turbulent times. It was constantly
under attacks either from Mughals, British armies, and the
Marathas, or faced the destruction caused when Rajput
rulers fought each other over territory.
Certain pockets of the region, where rulers made peace
with their enemies, or learnt how to hunt with hounds and
run with foxes, the grim toll of battle was less. Here,
the palaces are more beautiful, the forts less foreboding,
and the atmosphere - even after centuries - more relaxed. |
