Jaipur

Area -200.4 sq. km Population -1,458,483 (1991)
Best Time to Visit -October to March

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Jaipur Travel Guide

Jaipur - A Introduction

Jaipur, also known as the Pink City of India, was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743) and is the capital of Rajasthan. Jaipur is surrounded by hills and dotted with forts, and is one of the links to the famed Golden Triangle of North India along with Delhi and Agra. Jaipur also serves, as the most convenient entry point to Rajasthan, India's most colorful and vibrant state. An extremely well planned city, it was designed by an engineer and scholar Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, the Shilpa Shasta (Vastu). It was planned in a grid system with wide straight avenues, roads, streets and lanes and uniform rows of shops on either side of the main roads. Jaipur remains the only place where the nine sectors that sub-divide the city symbolize the nine divisions of the universe. Jaipur is surrounded by a wall having seven gates and was built for protection from invading armies and wild animals that lurked just outside in the jungles that surrounded the city. The Old City, also known as the Pink City, is a wonderful place to wander around. The whole city was painted pink by Maharaja Man Singh II when Prince of Wales, later Edward VII. Today, every home within the city is obliged by law to maintain this facade. Houses with pink latticed windows line the streets, and look almost magical at sunset. Jaipur's regal heritage is evident in its architecture and culture. Beautifully laid out gardens and parks, attractive monuments and marvellous heritage hotels, once the residence of Maharajas are testaments to the Rajasthan of yesteryears. The arts and crafts of the state are amazing. You'll find elaborately fashioned jewellery, the multi-coloured 'bandhini' fabrics, richly decorated handlooms, and other trinkets at the colourful bazaars. These bazaars are a lot of fun not just what's available, but also for the cheerful people in their traditional costumes.. For the first-time visitor, it is an intriguing and unforgettable experience.

Places of Interest

City Palace

A magnificent structure, the palace occupies one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur and is a wonderful blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture. The City Palace is now converted into a museum, except a small portion that is still used by the royal family. Built in the fortified campus style, the palace covers almost one-seventh part of the city. Constructions and additions to the palace continued until twentieth century. The palace houses an extensive collection of rare manuscripts, Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures, Mughal carpets, costumes and textiles, arms and weapons, objects of art and royal paraphernalia. One of the major attractions in the museum is the portion that is devoted to the arms and ammunition used by the royal family in the past. Other important attractions are the Textile and Costume Museum, Art Gallery, Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, and Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Am.

Amber Fort

Standing tall over a small hillock overlooking the Pink City, Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthan fort-palace. Amber today is nothing but a reflection of the glorious past of the fierce Kachwaha Dynasty that ruled over this region from 12th to 18th century. Man Singh I started the construction of this fort in 1592 and, perhaps, it was the defence that topped his priorities before constructing this fort. The rugged walls of this fort may not look beautiful from outside, but the interior is a virtual paradise and painted scenes of hunting and wars adorn the walls along with precious stones and mirrors set into the plaster. Half the fun at Amber Fort is the walk from the road to the fort with majestic views of the surrounding valley. An elephant ride up to the fort is also an unforgettable experience.

Jaigarh Fort

This fort was cleverly built to give its archers an advantage over their targets. It is said that Raja Man Singh buried huge treasures here. The fort also houses the Jai Ban - the largest cannon in Asia, rumored to have been test fired only once. Situated in the north of Jaipur, the Jaigarh Fort is structurally similar to the Amber Fort. Other attractions in the Jaigarh Fort include three water tanks, a museum, and breathtaking views of the city below.

Hawa Mahal

Strange though it may seem, this most famous landmark of Jaipur is not actually a palace but a series of sandstone screens. This pink structure was constructed so that the ladies of the palace could watch the royal processions without being seen by any outsider. This sandstone edifice was named Palace of Winds after the many brass wind vanes that adorned it until 1960s.

Jantar Mantar

This largest stone observatory in the world has a very interesting story behind its construction. Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of five observatories in India including this one, was a great admirer of developments in science and technology, especially astronomy. Before constructing this observatory, he sent his emissaries to all corners to the world, who returned with many manuals of cutting-edge technology including a copy of La Hire's Tables. He built the structures following every detail given in the manual, but at the end, he found to his astonishment that the observatory was 20 seconds more accurate than that given by La Hire. Situated near the gate of the City Palace, the observatory has 18 large instruments, many of them still in working condition.

Nahargarh Fort

Nahargarh meaning abode of the tigers was built by Jai Singh to bolster the defense of Amer. Originally called Sudarshan Garh, Nahargarh offers a breathtaking view.

Albert Hall

Erected in the middle of Ram Niwas Garden, Albert Hall was built in 1876 to mark the visit of Prince of Wales. It was designed by Sir Swinton Jacob and opened in 1887 as a public museum. It contains a fine collection of sculptures, paintings, decorative art objects, natural history specimens, an Egyptian mummy and a celebrated Persian Garden Carpet.

Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh

The terraced Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh (the Garden of Sisodia Queen) is situated on the Jaipur-Agra road at a distance of 6 km. The garden was created by the queen of Jai Singh II as an escape from the court intrigues. The landscaped gardens and murals of the life of Lord Krishna, decorating its interiors, are breathtakingly beautiful.

Excursion: Places nearby Jaipur

Ajmer

Ajmer was founded in the 11th century by Ajaydev, a local Rajput ruler. The city is famous for the dargah (tomb) of Sufi Saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti, whose Urs is celebrated every year in the seventh month of the Muslim lunar calendar. Pushkar, a small holy town of Hindus near Ajmer, is now famous for its camel fair that attract the tourists from all over the world.

Kishangarh

The miniature paintings of the Kishangarh School developed in the mid-18th century under the patronage of the royal family of Kishangarh. The hallmark of these paintings is the sharp profiles, slanted eyes, and aquiline noses that make them distinctively different from other paintings of the same genre in India. The main attractions of Kishangarh are its fort and Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), now converted into a hotel.

Roopangarh Fort

The Roopangarh Fort was constructed by King Roop Singh of Kishangarh in 1648 exclusively for defence. Originally a nine-turreted fort, new additions were continuously made to it in couse of time. The different styles of architecture can be distinctly observed in the fort. Kishangarh and Roopangarh are both situated at a distance of around 100 km far.

Sanganer

This small town with its ruined palace and old Jain temples is situated around 12 km south-west. However, more than its architecture, the town is famous for its block-printing and paper-making traditions. Chipa Basti is the place where you can watch the printers in workshops doing screen and block-printing.