North
India Travel Guide
Jaipur Tourism
Jaipur is the capital of
the colorful state of Rajasthan and is almost 260 kilometers from New Delhi. It
is very conveniently connected by road, rail and air from the country's capital.
Popularly
and aptly known as the Pink City because of its architectural palaces and monuments
in pink, Jaipur is one of the most interesting and beautiful cities of India.
It was founded in 1727 AD by Sawai Raja Jai Singh and the color pink was used
to create an impression of the red sand stone of the Mughal cities.
Begun
in 1727 and completed in just 8 years, Jaipur was the first city in India to enjoy
rigorous town planning according to the principles laid down in "Shilpa Shastra,"
an ancient Indian treatise on architecture. The city is protected by high walls,
with wide, straight avenues that divide it into nine sectors (apparently reflecting
the nine divisions of the universe, resembling the Indian horoscope), each named
after the commodity and caste who lived and practiced their specific skills here
-- the order and space was at the time a total revolution in Indian cities. Although
these market names still provide some clue as to what can be found in the otherwise
rather uniform rows of shops that line the streets, the overall significance of
these historic divisions is today lost to the traveler on foot trying to negotiate
the chaos of the filth-strewn streets and pushy traders.
Why
Pink?Jaipur is known as the Pink City, a rather idealized description
of the terra-cotta-colored lime plaster that coats the old part of the city's
walls, buildings, and temples. The reasons for painting the town pink are unknown,
but various theories have been tossed about, from using pink to cut down glare,
to Jai Singh II's apparent devotion to Lord Shiva (whose favorite color is reputedly
terra-cotta). Others believe Singh wanted to imitate the color of the sandstone
used in the forts and palaces of his Mughal emperor-friends. The most popular
reason (spread no doubt by "Britishers" during the Raj era) is that
pink is the traditional color of hospitality, and the city was freshly painted
and paved with pink gravel to warmly welcome Edward VII for his visit here in
1876. In 2000 the city was again painted for a state visit, this time by former
U.S. president Bill Clinton, and a few streets became off-limits to cars -- thankfully,
this is still the case at Bapu Bazaar, which as a consequence is the best place
to browse.
Places of Interest
City
PalaceA 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 FortStanding 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
MahalStrange 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
MantarThis 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 FortNahargarh
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
HallErected 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 BaghThe
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.
Jaipur ShoppingWhen
it comes to shopping in Jaipur, it is a paradise. This is one of the few places
where the shoppers may actually watch the skilled artisans producing the articles
they want to buy.
Fairs & Festivals of Jaipur
Gangaur FestivalGangaur Festival is usually celebrated in March or
April, a fortnight after Holi. It is the most colorful and important festival
of Rajasthan. The womenfolk worship Goddess Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva for
marital bliss, long lives of their husbands and conjugal happiness. During this
eighteen-day long festival, the girls and married women dress up in their traditional
ghaghras and cholis. The idols and images of the Goddess are ornamented in beautiful
dresses and exotic jewellery and women make offerings to her for her blessings
with great devotion. The period is considered auspicious for marriages. In Jaipur,
colorful and huge procession highlighting richly bedecked horses and elephants,
music and palanquins are taken out through out the city during the festival in
which the main deity of the festival, Gangaur, is taken from the Palace Gate known
as Tripolia across the city, passing through Chaugan, to Talkatora, which attracts
the tourists.
Elephant FestivalCelebrated in March, this annual
festival of Jaipur is unique in its concept. A number of beautifully bejeweled
and bedecked elephants march gloriously in a grand procession that savors of royal
tastes and participate in several competitions and events at the time of Holi.
The giant pets run races and play polo at Chaugan in Jaipur, the venue of the
Elephant Festival, with their long trunks during the festival. There are dancers,
musicians and a large number of onlookers who come there to witness this majestic
event. The painted elephants covered with richly embroidered velvets look grand
and cute at the same time. The procession is accompanies by booming sound of trumpets
and besides the elephants, there are lancers on horses, chariots, camels, cannons
and palanquins lending their own grandeur to it. There are beauty pageants for
the elephants in which mostly female elephants participate and are groomed industriously
by their 'mahouts' (elephant keepers) for that very purpose.
Kite FestivalMakar
Sahnkranti celebrated on 14th January every year is a day of kite flying at Jaipur.
People fly kites with riotous celebration. Every kite cut loose is an even accompanied
by shouts of 'Woh Kata!' and sky seems nothing more than a big collage of colorful
kites in all shapes and designs. In Jaipur, the Desert Kite Festival is held in
every five years where expert kite makers flaunt their kites, which are sometimes
huge in sizes and often carry social messages or even caricatures of famous personalities.
Open to all, tourists can also participate in various kite-flying competitions.
Teej FestivalCelebrated usually during the first week of August, Teej
festival is marked by rituals and fasts that accompany the monsoon clouds. The
newly washed fields look fresh and beautiful and peacocks can often be spotted
dancing during the season, as women sing Teej songs and enjoy rope swings in their
gardens. Teej marks the beginning of the series of festivals and fairs that ends
only with the Spring festival of Gangaur. Especially in Jaipur, Teej is celebrated
with a special fervor and showers of rain on this day pep up the joyous celebrations
by several degrees. It is considered a day for lovers and would-be life partners
and young boys and girls come to the city from nearby villages, singing and dancing
on bullock and camel carts and open tractor-trailers. The procession on Teej is
the highlight of the festival.
How To Reach Jaipur
By AirAirport nearest to Jaipur is Sanganer Airport, which is hardly
10 km from the city. Domestic flights connect Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad,
Jodhpur and Udaipur to Jaipur. However, there is only one international flight
to Dubai
By TrainJaipur is well connected by trains to all the
major cities of India such as Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Chennai, Bikaner, Jodhpur,
Udaipur, and Ahmedabad.
By RoadA network of good motor able
roads and private and government buses connect Jaipur to all the nearby major
cities such as Delhi and Agra.
