As do colourful tales of valour of a bygone era which keep up the morale of these brave people who fought wave after wave of invaders. As do the dexterous skills of its craftsmen, famed for their exquisite designs in vibrant colours which have kept the human spirit alive for centuries amidst severe living conditions. As if to defy the parched brown landscape, the women of this state wear probably the most colourful dresses in the world. Shocking pinks swirl with cobalt blues and leafy greens. Deep maroons are offset by sunshine yellows.
Crimson flirts with royal purple.
And all this is embellished with the fabled embroidery of the land. You see it everywhere on the choli, the ghaghra, the odhni, and even on the mojari which is embroidered with colourful threads in intricate patterns. The mojari is vegetable tanned and has excellent thermal insulation qualities. The footwear has been so perfected over the centuries, that even after being heated on a sand bath at 60 C for 36 hours, the temperature inside it is only 31 C. Even today, about 2000 families spread across nearly 75 villages are still involved in making mojaris. While women artisans make the uppers, their dexterous fingers embroidering colourful designs, men stitch the soles on.