Rajasthan is located in Northwestern India and has boundaries with the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat as well as a long international boundary with Pakistan. Rajasthan, a land of Maharajas (kings), palaces and preening peacocks is renowned for its monuments, art and culture that go back to several centuries. There is romance in Rajasthan s forts and palaces and the shimmering Thar desert. Rajasthanis are a handsome people with colorful costumes. They express themselves in color and sound not easily seen or heard anywhere else in the country. Rajasthan overwhelms with color found in bustling bazaars; in wide ranging costumes of its people; in streets where elephants and camels vie with buses and cars.

Capital : Jaipur Population : 44 million Area : 342 239 kmē Languages :Rajasthani, Hindi Best time to visit : October - March Climate (°C) Apr - June: 45 - 32 July-Sept: 40 - 35 Monsoon Oct - Dec: 38 - 32 Jan - Mar: 35 - 30, but can drop to 0 degrees.

The climate of Rajasthan can be divided into four seasons: Pre-Monsoons, Monsoon, Post-Monsoon and Winter. Pre-monsoon, which extends from April to June, is the hottest season, with temperatures ranging from 32C to 45C. In western Rajasthan the temp may rise to 48C, particularly in May and June. At this time, Rajasthan only hill station, Mt Abu registers the lowest temperatures. In the desert regions, the temperatures drops in night. Prevailing winds are from the west and sometimes carry dust storms (we call them andhi). The second season Monsoon extends from July to September, temp drops but humidity increases making it very un comfortable, even when there is slight drop in the temp (35C to 40C). We have about 90% of our rains in this period. The Post-monsoon period is from Oct to December. The average maximum temperature is 33C to 38C, and the minimum is between 18C and 20C. The fourth season is the winter or cold season, from January to March. There is a marked variation in maximum and minimum temperatures, and regional variations across the state. January is the coolest month of the year. And temp may drop to 0C in some cities of Rajasthan, like Churu. There is slight precipitation in the north and north-eastern region of the state, and light winds, predominantly from the north and north-east. At this time, relative humidity ranges from 50% to 60% in the morning, and 25% to 35% in the afternoon.