Pushkar, Udaipur, Jaipur and Jaisalmer are some of the leading cities where such marriages have taken place.

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Our tour takes in the Rajput Suite, for which craftsmen were brought from Udaipur in Rajasthan to restore the ornate inlaid marble flooring.

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An hour from Udaipur, another Indian city, the authors spotted well-tended homes with motorcycles in the courtyard and children in starched school uniforms.

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This is a place wrapped in legends of feudal chivalry and romance, one that packs more history into every square metre than many better-known places, including Agra and Udaipur.

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You cannot leave Udaipur without spending time on the water.

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There is magnificent Mehrangarh looming large over sea-blue Jodhpur, the golden sandcastle at Jaisalmer, the palaces of Udaipur, Pushkar's reverent yet carnival charm, the storybook whimsy of Bundi and the painted havelis (ornately decorated residences) sprinkled through Shekhawati.

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Shankari Devi from the Indian city of Udaipur arrived on Sunday and spent the night in the open but her conclusion this morning was that "we had a good bath so all the troubles were worth it".

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