Music from the Land of Kings

In a world of religious tension, it is music that brings disparate traditions together. India - 'land of contrasts' is a tourist cliche, but there is always an element of truth in the most tired catchcry, and there is no doubt that the subcontinent has many rich and varied cultural experiences to offer the adventurous visitor.
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In a world of religious tension, it is music that brings disparate traditions together. India – ‘land of contrasts’ is a tourist cliché, but there is always an element of truth in the most tired catchcry, and there is no doubt that the subcontinent has many rich and varied cultural experiences to offer the adventurous visitor.

But even fellow Indians view Rajasthan as the most colourful and diverse state of all. Rubbing shoulders with Pakistan, the mostly-desert land sprawls across India’s north-west border. No wonder the name means Land of Kings – in days long gone no fewer than 22 principalities fitted inside the area that today is called Rajasthan. Trade routes, warlords, feudalism, Mughal rule and of course, the British Raj have all shaped the many traditions of this vast area. In a country of festivals, Rajasthan has more than most – and naturally, every festival must have music.

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Judi Jagger
About the Author
Judi Jagger is a freelance writer who lives on 15 acres of rural isolation overlooking an island. She loves how the Internet can bring the world to her. When she does venture out, it is to the theatre and cinema and to visit galleries and bookshops. In a previous life she has been a teacher, a librarian, a cleaner (very, very briefly) and a hospital admissions clerk. The nicest thing anyone has told her was that she was “educated, not domesticated”. It was meant disparagingly. She will get round to putting it on a T-shirt one day.