The Rose Pink City founded by Maharaja
Jai Singh II (1693-1743), is the capital of Rajasthan. It is a major
attraction for the first-time visitor. Jaipur is surrounded on all sides
by rugged hills, crowned with forts & enclosed by embattled walls.
Houses with latticed windows line the streets with their rose pink colour,
lending enchantment to the scene which is almost magical at sunset.
The Old City (Known as the Pink City) is a great place to wander around.
The whole city was painted in Pink colour 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 his facade. It is
a very well planned city laid out in a grid pattern and was designed
by a Young Bengali engineer and scholar by the name "Vidyadhar Bhattacharya".
Jaipur was and remains the only city in the world, symbolising the nine
divisions of the universe, through nine rectangular sectors sub-dividing
it. Jaipur is a royal city & this is its most noticeable aspect,
small Buildings & festivals testify to it.
Jaipur & its surroundings are rather like an endless museum. The
city also offers an endless variety of crafts. Jewellers here still
fashion the beautiful enamel-on-gold pendants, studded on the reverse
with precious stones or pearls & turquoise that one sees in miniature
paintings. Jaipur's lacquer bangles are famous all over the world. This
is a city to be visited.
Location
300 kms southwest of Delhi, : Rajasthan
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Jaipur is between October
and March.
How To Get There
AIR: Jaipur has its own airport, and is
well connected to all other tourist and business centres.
RAIL: An excellent connection to Delhi by Shatabdi Express and the Pink
City Express. Other connections to Jaipur are from Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur,
Ahemadabad, secunderabad and Lucknow.
ROAD: A network of reasonably comfortable tourist buses, run by road
corporations of Rajasthan, Haryana and others.
Attractions
The magnificent fort with its huge ramparts &
watchtowers, overlooking the Delhi-Jaipur highway. It is believed to have been
the capital of the "Minas", the original inhabitants of Rajasthan.
City Palace -
Nakkarkhana-ka-Darwaza, the imposing gateway of the City Palace guarded by stone
elephants, is monumental.
Hawa Mahal -
A Pandora's box of wonders, the enchanting Hawa Mahal is a multi-layered palace,
with a profusion of windows and stone screens.
Jai Garh -
Built on a peak, overlooks the palace & city of Amber below. Jal Mahal -
Is Jaipur's lake palace. Surrounded with water.
Jantar Mantar -
The amazing astronomical three-storey-high complex observatory, of an 18th century
Rajasthani king named, Jai Singh.
Nahargarh Fort -
Originally called Sudarshan Garh affords a splendid view of Jaipur
Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh -
Has beautiful gardens, fountains, pools & some magnificent pieces of Sculpture.
Government Central Museum: This is the oldest Museum in the State. The building,
designed by Colonel Sir Swinton Jacob is located in the centre of the sprawling
Ram Niwas Bagh. Built in 1876 when King Edward VII visited India as the Prince
of Wales, it was opened to public in 1886
History
One of the loveliest cities in the world, Jaipur
owes much of its grandeur to the careful planning of great warrior-astronomer
Maharaja Jai Singh II and brilliant architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. This
city was made to order by Jai Singh in 1727 when Mughal Power was on the wane.
The architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya used the principles of town planning laid
in the Shilpa Shastra (an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture), while designing
the city. The same principles were employed when he built the city Palace as
well as the largest stone observatory in the world.
Festivals
Of Rajasthan are Makar Sankranti in the middle
of January, Shitla Mela at Chaksu held in March-April, Gangaur in March-April,
Elephant Festival around March, Teej held in between Feb.-March
Shopping
A major gem and jewellery centre, it is famous
for Kundan work (enamel work on gold). Also there are woollen carpets, cotton
rugs, marble statuary, enamelled wares, brass ware, hand-block printed Sanganeri
and Bagru Cotton fabrics, exotic blue pottery made from crushed quartz, leather
footwear and more
Excursions
11 kms out of Jaipur is the awe-inspiring piece
of Rajput architecture, the Amber Fort. Amber was an ancient capital of Rajasthan.
On the road to Amber at a distance of 6.5 kms from Jaipur are the cenotaphs
of the royal family, at Gaitore. A causeway leads to Jal Mahal Palace situated
in the middle of a lake, opposite the cenotaphs. At night the Nargarh fort situated
6.5 kms away is floodlit. Built in 1726 is Jalgarh Fort which is walking distance
of Amber.
The spectacular Samode palace is located in a small village of samode, located
50 kms north of Jaipur. Other places of interest to the tourist are, the temple
of Sun God at Galta, Sisodia Rani palace and gardens, Vidyadhar's garden, Balaji
and Sanganer
