Rajasthan is a land waiting to share its stories.

Located in the north-western part of India, the state, literally meaning “Land of Kings”, is bestowed with a rich history and landscape that attracts tourists from different parts of the world every year. The magnificent Thar Desert, the Aravallis, the forts and wildlife sanctuaries, and the Sutlej-Indus river valley are part of the diversity of the state.

Rajasthan is also a popular location for filming in India. Films including The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), The Deceivers (1988), The Far Pavilions (1978), and many others have been shot in the state. Some locations in the state resemble or at least remind the viewer of the scenic landscapes and architecture in Europe.

Go through the following list and judge for yourself.

1. Jaipur

Known as the “Pink City”, the city of Jaipur is a popular tourist destination. It is among the World Heritage sites and in the year 2008 was voted as the seventh best place to visit in Asia.

Notable attractions in the city include the Jal Mahal, the Hawa Mahal, Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, and the Nahargarh Fort. The Jal Mahal, a location that can on any given day challenge the Trakai Castle in Lithuania, rests in the Man Sagar Lake.

Jaipur is also a popular location for filming. The city boasts of a rich list of foreign films perhaps owing to the ease with which to receive film and documentary permissions in India. Films such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), The Deceivers (1988), The Far Pavilions (1978), Holy Smoke! (1999) and others have been shot here. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel went on to make $137 million worldwide.

2. Jodhpur

Jodhpur is a beautiful city among the sand dunes of Rajasthan.

Popular for the Mehrangarh Fort, which has been a location for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and The Jungle Book (1994), the city attracts a large number of travellers throughout the year. The fort itself sits at a height of 400 feet and covers a vast area of about five kilometres. The fort has also been used to record a collaborative album by world-renowned musicians in 2015.

Films including The Darjeeling Unlimited, a 2017 comedy-drama, and the Autobiography of a Princess (1975)starring Madhur Jaffrey and James Mason were also shot in the city.

Today, Jodhpur is popular for its royal feasts, blue houses, and its desert safaris.

3. Udaipur

“The City of Lakes”, Udaipur is another famous location in the state of Rajasthan. It is often considered to be one of the most romantic places in India and is therefore thronged by national and international tourists.

The city has a well-established lake system from which it takes its name but also has many forts, palaces, natural gardens, galleries, and architectural temples. The Lake Palace is Udaipur is at par with the Lazienki Palace in Poland. But it is for another reason that the city is famous.

The popular 1983 spy-thriller Octopussy, in the James Bond series was shot in the city featuring Roger Moore in the role of James Bond. The film shows The Monson Palace or the Sajjan Garh Palace located overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake. The song “Dance Me If You Can” from The Cheetah Girls (2008) was also shot at The Monsoon Palace. The view from the palace is astonishing and makes for a perfect location for filming in India.

4. Jaisalmer

If you are looking a location for documentary shooting in India, look no further beyond the city of Jaisalmer. The city, also known as “The Golden City” stands on a ridge of yellow sandstone and is home to several ornate Jain temples, sandstone architecture and houses. The forts in Jaisalmer are magnificent and the city itself is reminiscent of the Jain heritage that been homed here since the 12^th century.

In particular, the desert in Jaisalmer share similar folklores of the desert in Morocco making the city a portal to another time. Visit the city for the Desert Festival that attracts tourists from the world over.