To all these places, and to meet all these people, the photographer Rajesh Bedi has followed

the paths less travelled in Rajasthan. Over the past five years he has sought to record

centuries’ old ways of life and how they are changing. He has spent weeks in the company

of desert and tribal communities. He has captured extraordinary aerial landscapes from a

camera mounted on a kite and from a hot air balloon. The last in particular was not easy.

Sudden rises of air temperature made ballooning hazardous and Rajesh found himself

being dragged through thorns in the balloon’s basket, and making very rough landings.

He was left bruised and wishing he had a reinforced spine, but luckily his camera remained

intact. The result of his endeavours is a very personal view of Rajasthan. At all times his aim

has been to look beyond what a visitor would generally see, and present every subject from

a fresh perspective. He hopes that he has managed to reflect at least a little of the essence

of this immensely varied and vast land. His subject, Rajasthan, is modern India’s largest

state, extending over more than 340,000 sq. kilometres. Roughly divided into two parts,

the west comprises the shifting dunes and scrublands of the Thar Desert, the easternmost

part of the Saharan-Arabian desert zone. The heart of this desert is locally known as the

Marusthali—the land of the dead. Over vast areas of the Thar ruled the Maharajas of

Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Protecting the south and eastern part of the state from the

advance of the desert is the ancient mountain range whose name, Aravalli, literally means

an obstacle in the way. To the south and east of the Aravallis, which are older than the

Himalayas,, lie the semi-arid and more humid regions of the state. Here ruled the senior

most of all the Rajput princes, the Maharanas of Mewar, from their strongholds of Chittor

and Udaipur. To the north, ruled the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their

own proud and distinctive character. Their collective wealth of tradition and culture - their

vivid colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response

to the challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their own

proud and distinctive character. Their collective wealth of tradition and culture - their vivid

colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response to

the challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant

Singh, explained to Rajesh, ‘How does society adjust to the desert? Not by conquering

nature, but by submitting to the greatness of nature, and then nature will take care of you.

The desert is a harsh but beautiful land, and it is a great ennobler. And so we were taught

to protect the land, our mother, and imbued with a sense of honour and of hospitality.’

The juxtaposition of opposites is not just to be found in the dry earth and the bright

colours of Rajasthani dress, but in nature itself. Temperatures vary from almost freezing in

winter to above 50 degrees centigrade in summer. Brief monsoon rains can be torrential

and transform arid areas into tapestries of green. Although in the past decades water

from the Himalayas has been brought by canal to parts of the Thar, transforming it and

its ecology, and resulting in new kinds of arable farming, in the areas beyond the canal’s

reach, traditional pastures still exist. Until recently, they have been preserved, unpolluted

and water sources carefully tended. As the scholar Pankaj Jain put it, the Rajasthan desert

supports a ‘higher density of human and animal populations than any other desert region

in the world because of the conservation practices of its people.’ A quarter of India’s

livestock is to be found in Rajasthan. This amounts to 55 million animals including 12

million cattle, 14 million sheep, 17 million goats, 24,000 horses and 70,000 camels.

The serried ranks of tents at the tiny pilgrimage town of Pushkar, where temples

surround a pristine lake, and Mughal Emperors once hunted cheetah and Asiatic lion, bear

witness to the huge tourist attraction that the annual livestock fair here has become. It

was clear to Rajesh that the influx of visitors hadchanged the character of this fair, but that

across the state there were other fairs largely beyond the tourist gaze. In Jaswant Singh’s

home village of Jasol in the desert district of Barmer, the fair was established over 700

RaRe RajasthanRajesh Bedi

Roli Books

Ro

li

Rajesh BediText

Gillian WRiGhT

RaReRajasthan

ISBN: 978-81-7436-565-1

www.rolibooks.com

Photographs

Rajesh Bedi

TextGillian WRiGhT

RaReRajasthan

Photographs

Rajesh Bedi

TextGillian WRiGhT

RaReRajasthan

6 7

IntRoductIon

Herdsmen sit around a fire stirring a rich kheer made from rice and camel’s milk. On the edge of the desert, a family that needs

no locks to safeguard its thatched, baked-mud house, pulls a branch across the courtyard entrance and sets off with its sheep

and goats to traditional grazing grounds. Blackbuck kick and leap in the air close to the villages where they know instinc-

tively that local people will protect them. The desert blooms white. Close to the border with Pakistan, a massive brick-built fort

lies in ruins. In earlier times great caravan trains from Sindh would rest here before setting off along the ancient trade routes

that crossed Rajasthan to Gujarat, Delhi and central and western India.

To all these places, and to meet all these people, the photographer Rajesh Bedi has followed the paths less travelled in Rajasthan.

Over the past five years he has sought to record centuries’ old ways of life and how they are changing. He has spent weeks in the company

of desert and tribal communities. He has captured extraordinary aerial landscapes from a camera mounted on a kite and from a hot air

balloon. The last in particular was not easy. Sudden rises of air temperature made ballooning hazardous and Rajesh found himself being

dragged through thorns in the balloon’s basket, and making very rough landings. He was left bruised and wishing he had a reinforced

spine, but luckily his camera remained intact.

The result of his endeavours is a very personal view of Rajasthan. At all times his aim has been to look beyond what a visitor would

generally see, and present every subject from a fresh perspective. He hopes that he has managed to reflect at least a little of the essence

of this immensely varied and vast land.

His subject, Rajasthan, is modern India’s largest state, extending over more than 340,000 sq. kilometres. Roughly divided into two

parts, the west comprises the shifting dunes and scrublands of the Thar Desert, the easternmost part of the Saharan-Arabian desert zone.

The heart of this desert is locally known as the Marusthali—the land of the dead. Over vast areas of the Thar ruled the Maharajas of Bikaner,

Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Protecting the south and eastern part of the state from the advance of the desert is the ancient mountain range

whose name, Aravalli, literally means an obstacle in the way. To the south and east of the Aravallis, which are older than the Himalayas,,

lie the semi-arid and more humid regions of the state. Here ruled the senior most of all the Rajput princes, the Maharanas of Mewar, from

their strongholds of Chittor and Udaipur. To the north, ruled the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their own proud and distinctive character. Their collective

wealth of tradition and culture - their vivid colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response to the

challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant Singh, explained to Rajesh, ‘How does society adjust

to the desert? Not by conquering nature, but by submitting to the greatness of nature, and then nature will take care of you. The desert is

a harsh but beautiful land, and it is a great ennobler. And so we were taught to protect the land, our mother, and imbued with a sense of

honour and of hospitality.’

The juxtaposition of opposites is not just to be found in the dry earth and the bright colours of Rajasthani dress, but in nature itself.

Temperatures vary from almost freezing in winter to above 50 degrees centigrade in summer. Brief monsoon rains can be torrential and

transform arid areas into tapestries of green. Although in the past decades water from the Himalayas has been brought by canal to parts

of the Thar, transforming it and its ecology, and resulting in new kinds of arable farming, in the areas beyond the canal’s reach, traditional

pastures still exist. Until recently, they have been preserved, unpolluted and water sources carefully tended. As the scholar Pankaj Jain put

it, the Rajasthan desert supports a ‘higher density of human and animal populations than any other desert region in the world because

of the conservation practices of its people.’ A quarter of India’s livestock is to be found in Rajasthan. This amounts to 55 million animals

including 12 million cattle, 14 million sheep, 17 million goats, 24,000 horses and 70,000 camels.

The serried ranks of tents at the tiny pilgrimage town of Pushkar, where temples surround a pristine lake, and Mughal Emperors once

hunted cheetah and Asiatic lion, bear witness to the huge tourist attraction that the annual livestock fair here has become. It was clear to

Rajesh that the influx of visitors hadchanged the character of this fair, but that across the state there were other fairs largely beyond the

tourist gaze. In Jaswant Singh’s home village of Jasol in the desert district of Barmer, the fair was established over 700 years ago to mark

a victory in a famous battle. Unlike Pushkar, it is held at the peak of the hot weather, and all livestock except cattle are sold, marking a

reverence for the cow as mata or mother.

The Wild Side /NuTuriNg The Wild Side / PreServiNg The NaTural heriTage

At the Chandrabhaga fair held each year near Jhalawar to coincide with the full moon of the month of Kartik (October-November),, Rajesh

met the breeders of the sturdy Marwari horse and herdsmen selling camels ranging in colour from ginger-blonde to dark chocolate. The

herdsmen invited Rajesh to share their evening meal. As they ate, they told him that they were not sure whether their semi-nomadic lifestyle

6 7

IntRoductIon

Herdsmen sit around a fire stirring a rich kheer made from rice and camel’s milk. On the edge of the desert, a family that needs

no locks to safeguard its thatched, baked-mud house, pulls a branch across the courtyard entrance and sets off with its sheep

and goats to traditional grazing grounds. Blackbuck kick and leap in the air close to the villages where they know instinc-

tively that local people will protect them. The desert blooms white. Close to the border with Pakistan, a massive brick-built fort

lies in ruins. In earlier times great caravan trains from Sindh would rest here before setting off along the ancient trade routes

that crossed Rajasthan to Gujarat, Delhi and central and western India.

To all these places, and to meet all these people, the photographer Rajesh Bedi has followed the paths less travelled in Rajasthan.

Over the past five years he has sought to record centuries’ old ways of life and how they are changing. He has spent weeks in the company

of desert and tribal communities. He has captured extraordinary aerial landscapes from a camera mounted on a kite and from a hot air

balloon. The last in particular was not easy. Sudden rises of air temperature made ballooning hazardous and Rajesh found himself being

dragged through thorns in the balloon’s basket, and making very rough landings. He was left bruised and wishing he had a reinforced

spine, but luckily his camera remained intact.

The result of his endeavours is a very personal view of Rajasthan. At all times his aim has been to look beyond what a visitor would

generally see, and present every subject from a fresh perspective. He hopes that he has managed to reflect at least a little of the essence

of this immensely varied and vast land.

His subject, Rajasthan, is modern India’s largest state, extending over more than 340,000 sq. kilometres. Roughly divided into two

parts, the west comprises the shifting dunes and scrublands of the Thar Desert, the easternmost part of the Saharan-Arabian desert zone.

The heart of this desert is locally known as the Marusthali—the land of the dead. Over vast areas of the Thar ruled the Maharajas of Bikaner,

Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Protecting the south and eastern part of the state from the advance of the desert is the ancient mountain range

whose name, Aravalli, literally means an obstacle in the way. To the south and east of the Aravallis, which are older than the Himalayas,,

lie the semi-arid and more humid regions of the state. Here ruled the senior most of all the Rajput princes, the Maharanas of Mewar, from

their strongholds of Chittor and Udaipur. To the north, ruled the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their own proud and distinctive character. Their collective

wealth of tradition and culture - their vivid colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response to the

challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant Singh, explained to Rajesh, ‘How does society adjust

to the desert? Not by conquering nature, but by submitting to the greatness of nature, and then nature will take care of you. The desert is

a harsh but beautiful land, and it is a great ennobler. And so we were taught to protect the land, our mother, and imbued with a sense of

honour and of hospitality.’

The juxtaposition of opposites is not just to be found in the dry earth and the bright colours of Rajasthani dress, but in nature itself.

Temperatures vary from almost freezing in winter to above 50 degrees centigrade in summer. Brief monsoon rains can be torrential and

transform arid areas into tapestries of green. Although in the past decades water from the Himalayas has been brought by canal to parts

of the Thar, transforming it and its ecology, and resulting in new kinds of arable farming, in the areas beyond the canal’s reach, traditional

pastures still exist. Until recently, they have been preserved, unpolluted and water sources carefully tended. As the scholar Pankaj Jain put

it, the Rajasthan desert supports a ‘higher density of human and animal populations than any other desert region in the world because

of the conservation practices of its people.’ A quarter of India’s livestock is to be found in Rajasthan. This amounts to 55 million animals

including 12 million cattle, 14 million sheep, 17 million goats, 24,000 horses and 70,000 camels.

The serried ranks of tents at the tiny pilgrimage town of Pushkar, where temples surround a pristine lake, and Mughal Emperors once

hunted cheetah and Asiatic lion, bear witness to the huge tourist attraction that the annual livestock fair here has become. It was clear to

Rajesh that the influx of visitors hadchanged the character of this fair, but that across the state there were other fairs largely beyond the

tourist gaze. In Jaswant Singh’s home village of Jasol in the desert district of Barmer, the fair was established over 700 years ago to mark

a victory in a famous battle. Unlike Pushkar, it is held at the peak of the hot weather, and all livestock except cattle are sold, marking a

reverence for the cow as mata or mother.

The Wild Side /NuTuriNg The Wild Side / PreServiNg The NaTural heriTage

At the Chandrabhaga fair held each year near Jhalawar to coincide with the full moon of the month of Kartik (October-November),, Rajesh

met the breeders of the sturdy Marwari horse and herdsmen selling camels ranging in colour from ginger-blonde to dark chocolate. The

herdsmen invited Rajesh to share their evening meal. As they ate, they told him that they were not sure whether their semi-nomadic lifestyle

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

14 15

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

14 15

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

22 23

a deseRted centuRy VIllage

Rajasthan, is modern India’s largest state, extending over more than 340,000 sq. kilometres. Roughly divided into two parts, the

west comprises the shifting dunes and scrublands of the Thar Desert, the easternmost part of the Saharan-Arabian desert zone.

The heart of this desert is locally known as the Marusthali—the land of the dead. Over vast areas of the Thar ruled the Maharajas

of Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Protecting the south and eastern part of the state from the advance of the desert is the ancient

mountain range whose name, Aravalli, literally means an obstacle in the way. To the south and east of the Aravallis, which are

older than the Himalayas,, lie the semi-arid and more humid regions of the state. Here ruled the senior most of all the Rajput princes, the

Maharanas of Mewar, from their strongholds of Chittor and Udaipur. To the north, ruled the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their own proud and distinctive character. Their collective

wealth of tradition and culture - their vivid colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response to the

challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant Singh, explained to Rajesh, ‘How does society adjust

to the desert? Not by conquering nature, but by submitting to the greatness of nature, and then nature will take care of you. The desert is

a harsh but beautiful land, and it is a great ennobler. And so we were taught to protect the land, our mother, and imbued with a sense of

honour and of hospitality.’ The juxtaposition of opposites is not just to be found in the dry earth and the bright colours of Rajasthani dress,

but in nature itself. Temperatures vary from almost freezing in winter to above 50 degrees centigrade in summer. Brief monsoon rains can

be torrential and transform arid areas into tapestries of green. Although in the past decades water from the Himalayas has been brought

by canal to parts of the Thar, transforming it and its ecology, and resulting in new kinds of arable farming, in the areas beyond the canal’s

reach, traditional pastures still exist. Until recently, they have been preserved, unpolluted and water sources carefully tended. As the scholar

Pankaj Jain put it, the Rajasthan desert supports a ‘higher density of human and animal populations than any other desert region in the

world because of the conservation practices of its people.’ A quarter of India’s livestock is to be found in Rajasthan. This amounts to 55

million animals including 12 million cattle, 14 million sheep, 17 million goats, 24,000 horses and 70,000 camels.

The serried ranks of tents at the tiny pilgrimage town of Pushkar, where temples surround a pristine lake, and Mughal Emperors once

hunted cheetah and Asiatic lion, bear witness to the huge tourist attraction that the annual livestock fair here has become.

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

22 23

a deseRted centuRy VIllage

Rajasthan, is modern India’s largest state, extending over more than 340,000 sq. kilometres. Roughly divided into two parts, the

west comprises the shifting dunes and scrublands of the Thar Desert, the easternmost part of the Saharan-Arabian desert zone.

The heart of this desert is locally known as the Marusthali—the land of the dead. Over vast areas of the Thar ruled the Maharajas

of Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Protecting the south and eastern part of the state from the advance of the desert is the ancient

mountain range whose name, Aravalli, literally means an obstacle in the way. To the south and east of the Aravallis, which are

older than the Himalayas,, lie the semi-arid and more humid regions of the state. Here ruled the senior most of all the Rajput princes, the

Maharanas of Mewar, from their strongholds of Chittor and Udaipur. To the north, ruled the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their own proud and distinctive character. Their collective

wealth of tradition and culture - their vivid colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response to the

challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant Singh, explained to Rajesh, ‘How does society adjust

to the desert? Not by conquering nature, but by submitting to the greatness of nature, and then nature will take care of you. The desert is

a harsh but beautiful land, and it is a great ennobler. And so we were taught to protect the land, our mother, and imbued with a sense of

honour and of hospitality.’ The juxtaposition of opposites is not just to be found in the dry earth and the bright colours of Rajasthani dress,

but in nature itself. Temperatures vary from almost freezing in winter to above 50 degrees centigrade in summer. Brief monsoon rains can

be torrential and transform arid areas into tapestries of green. Although in the past decades water from the Himalayas has been brought

by canal to parts of the Thar, transforming it and its ecology, and resulting in new kinds of arable farming, in the areas beyond the canal’s

reach, traditional pastures still exist. Until recently, they have been preserved, unpolluted and water sources carefully tended. As the scholar

Pankaj Jain put it, the Rajasthan desert supports a ‘higher density of human and animal populations than any other desert region in the

world because of the conservation practices of its people.’ A quarter of India’s livestock is to be found in Rajasthan. This amounts to 55

million animals including 12 million cattle, 14 million sheep, 17 million goats, 24,000 horses and 70,000 camels.

The serried ranks of tents at the tiny pilgrimage town of Pushkar, where temples surround a pristine lake, and Mughal Emperors once

hunted cheetah and Asiatic lion, bear witness to the huge tourist attraction that the annual livestock fair here has become.

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

30 31

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

30 31

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

36 37

In a village near the hill fort of Ranthambore, the women of this house

have painted their courtyards with intricate patterns in white lime in

preparation for the festival of Diwali.

36 37

To all these places, and to meet all these people, the photographer Rajesh Bedi has followed

the paths less travelled in Rajasthan. Over the past five years he has sought to record

centuries’ old ways of life and how they are changing. He has spent weeks in the company

of desert and tribal communities. He has captured extraordinary aerial landscapes from a

camera mounted on a kite and from a hot air balloon. The last in particular was not easy.

Sudden rises of air temperature made ballooning hazardous and Rajesh found himself

being dragged through thorns in the balloon’s basket, and making very rough landings.

He was left bruised and wishing he had a reinforced spine, but luckily his camera remained

intact. The result of his endeavours is a very personal view of Rajasthan. At all times his aim

has been to look beyond what a visitor would generally see, and present every subject from

a fresh perspective. He hopes that he has managed to reflect at least a little of the essence

of this immensely varied and vast land. His subject, Rajasthan, is modern India’s largest

state, extending over more than 340,000 sq. kilometres. Roughly divided into two parts,

the west comprises the shifting dunes and scrublands of the Thar Desert, the easternmost

part of the Saharan-Arabian desert zone. The heart of this desert is locally known as the

Marusthali—the land of the dead. Over vast areas of the Thar ruled the Maharajas of

Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Protecting the south and eastern part of the state from the

advance of the desert is the ancient mountain range whose name, Aravalli, literally means

an obstacle in the way. To the south and east of the Aravallis, which are older than the

Himalayas,, lie the semi-arid and more humid regions of the state. Here ruled the senior

most of all the Rajput princes, the Maharanas of Mewar, from their strongholds of Chittor

and Udaipur. To the north, ruled the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their

own proud and distinctive character. Their collective wealth of tradition and culture - their

vivid colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response

to the challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant

Rajasthan is made up of 26 former princely states and territories, each with their own

proud and distinctive character. Their collective wealth of tradition and culture - their vivid

colours, crafts, music, dance, language and literature - is to a large extent a response to

the challenges of living in a difficult environment. As the author and politician, Jaswant

Singh, explained to Rajesh, ‘How does society adjust to the desert? Not by conquering

nature, but by submitting to the greatness of nature, and then nature will take care of you.

The desert is a harsh but beautiful land, and it is a great ennobler. And so we were taught

to protect the land, our mother, and imbued with a sense of honour and of hospitality.’

The juxtaposition of opposites is not just to be found in the dry earth and the bright

colours of Rajasthani dress, but in nature itself. Temperatures vary from almost freezing in

winter to above 50 degrees centigrade in summer. Brief monsoon rains can be torrential

and transform arid areas into tapestries of green. Although in the past decades water

from the Himalayas has been brought by canal to parts of the Thar, transforming it and

its ecology, and resulting in new kinds of arable farming, in the areas beyond the canal’s

reach, traditional pastures still exist. Until recently, they have been preserved, unpolluted

and water sources carefully tended. As the scholar Pankaj Jain put it, the Rajasthan desert

supports a ‘higher density of human and animal populations than any other desert region

in the world because of the conservation practices of its people.’ A quarter of India’s

livestock is to be found in Rajasthan. This amounts to 55 million animals including 12

million cattle, 14 million sheep, 17 million goats, 24,000 horses and 70,000 camels.

The serried ranks of tents at the tiny pilgrimage town of Pushkar, where temples

surround a pristine lake, and Mughal Emperors once hunted cheetah and Asiatic lion, bear

witness to the huge tourist attraction that the annual livestock fair here has become. It

was clear to Rajesh that the influx of visitors hadchanged the character of this fair, but that

across the state there were other fairs largely beyond the tourist gaze. In Jaswant Singh’s

home village of Jasol in the desert district of Barmer, the fair was established over 700

RaRe Rajasthan Rajesh Bedi

Roli Books

Ro

li

Rajesh BediText

Gillian WRiGhT

RaReRajasthan

ISBN: 978-81-7436-565-1

www.rolibooks.com