Further west, the remote desert outpost of Jaisalmer , built from a local sandstone that glows in the evening light, is the "Golden City" - birthplace, and undisputed king, of the Rajasthani camel safari . In the far south of the state, Udaipur hasn't gained a color tag yet, but it could be called the "White City": coated in decaying lime wash, its waterside palaces and havelis (mansions) are perfectly reflected in the still waters of Lake Pichola, framed by a distant vista of desert hills.

As an extension to the "Golden Triangle" of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur, the route stringing together these four cities has become the most trodden tourist trail in India. From November until March, thousands of visitors may be moving around it at any one moment, and you'll find the same faces - and the same kinds of souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants - cropping up time and again.

But with dependable accommodation and transport available in all but the most out-of-the-way places, it's easy enough to step off the merry-go-round of established sights into more remote areas. Northwest of Jaipur, the desert region of Shekhawati is littered with atmospheric little market towns whose richly painted havelis, castles and mausoleums see barely a trickle of visitors.

The same is true of Bundi , in the far south of the state, where one of western India's most imposing hilltop palaces presides over a compact warren of traditional buildings that have barely altered since medieval times.

Other incentives to venture into less frequented corners of the state are Rajasthan's wonderful wildlife sanctuaries. Of these, Ranthambore, where you can watch tigers prowling around Rajput ruins and lakeside jungles, is deservedly the most famous, but Sariska, between Jaipur and Agra, boasts almost as many big cats and equally serene landscapes. For sheer profusion, however, the Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur , on the eastern border of Rajasthan near Agra, is unmatched in South Asia. Literally hundreds of species of birds, from giant saras cranes to tiny scarlet finches and incandescent kingfishers, feed here in the winter months, creating an unforgettable spectacle and a welcome respite from the frenetic cities that inevitably dominate most visitors' itineraries in this state.

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