Jaipur (Rajasthan)

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, Jaipur 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, visited Jaipur in 1876. 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 of Jaipur. 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.

Population: Approximately 1.9 million

Climate: Summers are hot, with temperatures soaring beyond 45°C. Winters are cold with temperatures as low as 8°C.

Best time to visit: October to March. The weather is pleasant, but you should go prepared for winter.

Places of Interest

Amer Palace
This magnificent fort with its huge ramparts & watchtowers is believed to have been the capital of the "Minas", the original inhabitants of Rajasthan.

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. 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.

Jaigarh Fort
This fort was cleverly built to gives 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.

Hawa Mahal
The enchanting Hawa Mahal is a multi-layered palace, with a profusion of windows and stone screens.

Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar, one of the five observatories built by Maharaj Jai Singh, in 1718. He was an avid Astronomer and loved to study the movements of stars. It is the one of largest and the best preserved observatories today. A collection of complex astronomical instruments chiselled out of stone - most of which continue to provide fairly accurate information to this day - is the highlight of the observatory. Constructed with stone and marble, its complex instruments whose setting and shapes are precisely and scientifically designed represent the high -points of Medieval Indian astronomy.

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 of Jaipur.

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.

Excursion

Sanganer
Sanganer is located 16 Kms from Jaipur. It is also known for exquisite Jain temples. Moreover, it is an important centre for crafts and hand-printed textiles that is internationally famous.

The most beautiful temple in Sanganer is the ancient Shri Digamber Jain temple. The temple has fine carvings as those of the magnificent Dilwara temples of Mount Abu. Built in various phases with sky-high shikharas (spires), the temple represents an old style of architecture. The last phase was probably built in the 10th century. The beautiful nij-mandir (inner temple) is a stone shrine with three pinnacles. In the centre is an idol of Parshwanath with 7 serpent hoods. All around it, are carvings of lotuses, creepers and elephants pouring water from pitchers held in their trunks. But the main idol is that of Adinath, installed in the shrine behind this.

Kaurali
Located at 182 kms southwest of Jaipur, it was founded in 1348 and is best known for its Krishna Temples. The Fort, which was constructed over different period, is about 600 years old. The fort was the residence for the royal family until 1950 and is now occupied by monkeys and geese. The Bhawar Vilas Palace, which is owned by the descendents of the royal family and resembles a large manor, is a hotel now. The rooms are comfortable and good meals are available. Karauli is best connected by bus or taxi from Jaipur.

Samod
Samod is located 40 km from Jaipur. This magnificent fort is as charming and romantic in itself, and exhibits grandeur, good taste, class and elegance. The way to the fort's main entrance is through the inside of the village, which can be covered from the highway by a camel safari, with the locals welcoming the guests with smiles and thrilling expressions. The inside of the fort reflects expressions of the medieval architecture that is renovated a bit for the oriental formality. The open courtyards in the centre has separate wings on the sides that extends to 43 spacious rooms & suites having private balconies and views. The walls are in warm colours to highlight the intricate marble work, the antiques and the colourful art with traditional artefacts. The Durbar hall of Samode Palace is one of the most beautifully painted chambers with glass & minakari work and the same goes for the private restricted spaces- meant for the "zannanis", women of the family.

Sariska National Park
This park is situated only 107 kms from Jaipur. Although larger than Ranthambor, it is less commercialised and has less tigers but a similar topography. It covers an area of 800 sq km in total, with a core area of approximately 500 sq km. The Northern Aravali Hills dominate the skyline with their mixture of sharp cliffs and long narrow valleys. The area was declared a sanctuary in 1955 and became a National Park in 1979.

The landscape of Sariska comprises of hills and narrow valleys of the Aravali hill range. The topography of Sariska supports scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses. The broad range of wildlife here is a wonderful example of ecological adoption and tolerance, for the climate here is variable as well as erratic.

How to get there

By Road: Very well connected to Delhi (265 kms) and Agra (250 kms), Jaipur also serves as a convenient gateway to the rest of Rajasthan.

By Air: Jaipur is connected by Indian Airlines and Jet Airways flights with Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Mumbai.

By Rail: Jaipur is served by many super fast and express trains linking it with Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ranthambhore as well as Mumbai.