Essential Hindi phrases

'Please come in' — the opening half of Rajasthan's famous welcome, padhaaro mhaare desh. Used constantly and meant.

The Rajasthani greeting, roughly 'many greetings'. Hindi works everywhere, but this one marks you as someone who noticed where they are.

How much for this? In Jaipur, where the tourist and local price for the same object can differ fourfold, this is the most economically significant phrase you will learn.

The title document for urban land, issued here by the Jaipur Development Authority. Most Jaipur property is 99-year leasehold on a JDA patta rather than freehold, and the distinction matters.

The dry, superheated wind that blows across Rajasthan from April to June. Not a metaphor — it is a named meteorological phenomenon and it can be lethal.

112 is the national emergency number; 108 is the free ambulance line. Under Rajasthan's Right to Health Act, emergency treatment must be given without prepayment.

A traditional courtyard mansion. Many in the walled city are now heritage hotels or homestays, and the courtyard is the reason they stay cool without air-conditioning.

The walled city, painted terracotta pink in 1876 for a royal visit and required by municipal bylaw to stay that colour. It is a legal obligation on building owners, not a tradition.

Baked wheat balls drowned in ghee with lentils and a sweet crumble. The definitive Rajasthani meal, and heavier than it looks.

A fried pastry stuffed with spiced onion or lentils, eaten for breakfast. Rawat's pyaaz kachori near the station is the benchmark and there is usually a queue.

Enamelling and stone-setting techniques. Jaipur is the world's principal centre for cut coloured gemstones, and these are the crafts built around them.