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It was in the deserts of Rajasthan that maharajas and moghuls continuously waged brutal, bloody battles, for land, glory, power, wealth and water. Wars that pitted, not only Muslims against Hindus, but brothers against brothers and sons against fathers.

After all, when you have 28 wives and countless concubines, who is the heir apparent? Fortified palaces like these, which dot the landscape all through Rajisthan, are some of the legacies of this era.

We arrived in these parts during a cold snap with evening temperatures dipping near the freezing point. It was hard to imagine late spring here, when the mercury often climbs to a stifling 55ºC (130ºF).