Yesterday’s royal pursuits are today’s modes of relaxation, leisure opportunities that are as exotic as they are varied. Not that the people of Rajasthan lacked for occasions where they could practice their skills in the vast terrains that lay at their command. The Land may appear, at first sight, unexciting for the pursuit of sports, but the people clearly though otherwise, and under the patronage of nobility, a well-entrenched system of skillful outdoor activities was encouraged. Skilled warriors and horsemen, for example, The Rajputs were able to refine their riding skills when it came to competitive sports, creating among the finest polo teams in the world. At a less privileged level, the villagers too responded with races for camels and cattle, unusual competitions that ranged from turban-tying to racing horse carriages and carts. If Polo was nurtured in Rajasthan, safaris and safari camps were an essential part of their defence strategy. The extensive water bodies in Rajasthan are now seeing the orgin of water-related sporting activities.