Rajasthan is set to get a huge investment, so here’s why you should put it on your bucket list now

Good news for Rajasthan, because the Indian state is set to get a huge injection of funds. The conglomerate Tata has joined forces with the Shanghai Urban Construction Group and a whopping 16.76 billion Indian rupees is being put into the project (that’s nearly £200 million).

The money will be used to rejuvenate the Dravyawati River, making it into a tourist hotspot as well as preventing the flooding of the surrounding areas by October 2018.

murek #amberfort #amberpalace #jaipur #rajasthan #india #incredibleindia #asia #instapic #instadaily #hbouthere #vsco #vscocam

A photo posted by barteg (@emci_) on Aug 8, 2016 at 7:56am PDT

Not only will this influx of money hugely help the area and bring tourists in droves, but Rajasthan is already somewhere you should put on your travel bucket list.

Rajasthan is India’s largest state and occupies the north-western side of the country. Known as the Land of Kings, we have picked out the top five reasons why you should book your next trip there.

A photo posted by mjl31🍍💛 (@mjl31) on Aug 6, 2016 at 4:54am PDT

One thing Rajasthan definitely knows how to do, and that’s architecture. We’re talking knock-out palaces, gigantic forts and beautiful temples – all laden with history. Here are just three to give you a taste.

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

A photo posted by Sarvesh Bramhe (@sarvesh_bramhe) on Aug 6, 2016 at 11:38am PDT

City Palace, Jaipur

A photo posted by Pawel Gralewitz (@pawelgralevitz) on Mar 23, 2016 at 8:53am PDT

Dilwara Temples

Folk culture

Thanks to such a long and diverse history, Rajasthan has become known for its folk dance, music, art and culture. Check out some musical performances, or watch a traditional puppet show when you’re there.

Festivals

Rajasthan is famed for beautiful and often ostentatious festivals. You name it, they’ve got it – from festivals for camels to celebrations of the desert. Here are three of our favourites:

Mewar festival, which welcomes the spring season in Udaipur.

Welcome the advent of spring with #MewarFestival. pic.twitter.com/w4hHkV0m7X

— Rajasthan Tourism (@my_rajasthan) April 9, 2016

Kite flying festival, Jaipur.

@TarekFatah Sankrant, kite flying festival in Jaipur. Kites are flown with fervour by people of all religions. pic.twitter.com/AZmITa5aLY

— vgolcha (@vgolcha) January 14, 2015

Elephant festival, Jaipur.

Food

A lot of the Rajasthani region is taken up by desert, and this has had an inevitable effect on its cuisine. Food was historically designed to last for a few days, and water shortages mean milk is often used as a substitute.

The cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, in line with the Hindu religion. Luckily for those with a sweet tooth, there is no real divide between desserts and main meals as they are served at the same time.

Lakes

Rajasthan is full of surprises: not only is it covered by vast areas of desert, but it also boasts some beautiful lakes.

One of our favourites is Lake Pichola in Udaipur, which has four islands on it. And palaces, because you can’t ever have too many of them.

Jag Mandir Island Palace on Pichola Lake, India pic.twitter.com/YI64uf0j9h

— HANNU (@hansgi61) August 6, 2016

You can see why it’s often referred to as the Venice of India.

Of course it’s nearly impossible to pick just five reasons to visit this vast and eclectic region – but surely this list is enough to make you want to pack your bags and fly on out there.

With this injection of cash, Rajasthan is only going to get more appealing for visitors.