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The
desert tells a story of men living in perfect harmony with a hostile
nature. These simple people have evolved a culture which is simple,
refreshing and at ease with their surroundings. The manner in which
Thar Desert people have survived with dignity on natural
resources without any outside aid, serves as a contrast to many a
materialistic modern society.
The
Thar Desert located in the western India, is a fast emerging tourist
attraction. Many may not consider largely untouched desert
landscapes with thin and scattered vegetation as ideal for tourists.
Its inhabitants, however, make this place different. Unlike the
Sahara and Kalahari Deserts, Thar Desert teems with life, with
color and with contrast. This unique desert cannot be explained.
Only by coming and seeing for oneself can the stranger absorb its
rare beauty.
It
boasts a people, fiercely proud of their cultural heritage and
traditions; they have their own pace of life, their own philosophy.
The human population is scattered over endless miles. Here and there
one can see small villages and beside them clusters of houses called
DHANIS. Occasionally the village has a single Dhani (small hut)
located miles away. An agricultural society it continually struggles
for its crops and cattle against difficult weather conditions, and
for water, and for their very survival.
Their houses have become things of beauty. Dhanis (small huts) are
very well planned for summer, winter and monsoon seasons as well.
Natives use neither cement nor bricks. The walls, instead, are built
of wood and mud, the roofs of thatch. Interior and exterior have
thoughtful and elaborate features. The women of the families try
their best to decorate them with a skill that cannot be matched
elsewhere. In every season of the year their houses always appear
neat and clean.
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