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 |
