The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is also known as the 'Pink City'
due to beautifully constructed palaces, havelis and forts, all painted in
pink. The literal meaning of Jaipur is 'the city of victory', which was
built in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh-II. Jaipur was the first planned city of
its time, planned by Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, a Bengali architect. A strong
wall encircles the old city, which was built with an aim to protect the
city, even today it has a suggestion of formidable strength. Jaipur has wide
straight avenues, roads, streets and lanes and uniform rows of shops on
either side of the main bazaars, all arranged in nine rectangular city
sectors (chokris). The city itself is an attractive creation worthy of
universal admiration.
Jaipur offers an array of attractions for tourists. Mesmerizing monuments,
comfortable and luxurious hotels, parks, gardens, etc make Jaipur a
tourist's paradise.
Attractions in Jaipur
» City Palace : The City Palace in Jaipur is a
historic landmark. The palace interior houses a Museum, that displays some
exquisite items related to history and culture of Rajasthan.
It also has an art gallery with a fine collection of paintings, carpets,
royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical works in Arabic, Persian, Latin
and Sanskrit, acquired by Sawai Jai Singh-II for his study of planets and
their movements.
» Jantar Mantar : The Jantar mantar at Jaipur is one
of Jai Singh's five remarkable observatories built in the various parts of
the country and is the largest of all. It is constructed with stone and
marble, signifying the medieval astronomy. The Ram Yantras used for gauging
altitudes are unique in their isolation.
» Hawa Mahal : Hawa Mahal was built by the
poet king Sawai Pratap Singh. It was conceived to provide adequate vantage
position behind delicate stone carved jali screens to the women in the
palace, for watching the royal processions passing through the bazaar below.
» Albert Hall : This hall is situated in the
beautiful Ram Niwas Bagh and was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh in
the year 1886 under the drought relief work of Rs 4 Lacs. It was designed by
Sir Swinton Jaicob. Presently the hall is used as a museum.
» Jal Mahal : This tiny palace is romantically
located in the middle of a small lake. This was supposed to be a hunting
lodge for the royal family. It can only be viewed from the banks of the
lake.
» Amer Fort : Amer was the capital of Kachhwahha
rulers of the old state of Dhundhar, for seven long centuries before Jaipur
was built. Amer Fort is the complex of palaces, halls, pavilions, gardens
and temples, which were built by Raja Man Singh, Mirza Raja Jai Singh and
Sawai Jai Singh over a period of about two centuries.
» B M Birla Planetarium : This planetarium is
equipped with modern computerized projection system and offers unique
audio-visual educational entertainment. The planetarium also consists a
science museum.
» Galtaji : Galtaji, the pilgrimage, lies beyond the
gardens amidst the low hills, guarding the city. There are temples,
pavilions and holy kunds ( natural springs and reservoirs ) providing a
serene green landscape to view. The small temple of the Sun God, built by
Diwan Kriparam on the top of the highest peak, is visible from all parts of
the city.
» Laxmi Narayan Temple : The Laxmi Narayan temple
built by the Birla family, looks divine and grand in sparkling white marble.
It is situated at the foot of a hill.
» Nahargarh Fort : It is situated beyond the hills
of Jaigarh, guarding Sawai Jai Singh's beautiful city. It now remains as
ruins, but the lovely building added by Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho
Singh II still survive.
» Sargasuli : Also known as Isar Lat, this tower was
erected in the mid-18th century by Maharaja Ishwari Singh to commemorate a
battle victory. The tower, dominating the skyline on the western side of
Tripolia Bazaar is the highest structure in Jaipur.
» Govind Devji Temple : In the central pavilion of
the sprawling Jai Niwas Garden to the north of the Chandra Mahal is the
spire less temple of Lord Krishna. This is the most famous and popular
temple in Pink City attracting devotees from all over the country.
» Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh : The largest and the most
famous garden, Sisodia Rani ka Bagh, was built by Sawai jai Singh II in the
18th and 19 th century, for his Sisodia queen. It consists of tiered
multilevel gardens with fountains, watercourses and painted pavilions.
» Jaigarh Fort : The extensive parkotas
(walls), watch-towers and gateways of Jaigarh are quiet famous. It is one of
the few military structures of the medieval India preserved almost intact
containing palaces, gardens, open and covered reservoirs, a granary, an
armory, a well-planned cannon foundry, several temples, a tall tower and a
giant mounted cannon-the Jai Ban - the largest in the country.
» Gaitore : It is located off the Jaipur-Amber road
and is the final resting place for the Maharajas of Jaipur. Situated in a
narrow valley, the cenotaphs of the former rulers consists of typical
chhatri or umbrella-shaped memorials. Of special mention is Jai Singh II's
chhatri because of the carvings that have been used to embellish it.
» Moti Doongri : This small palace is a replica of a
Scottish castle, perched on a hilltop. It was once occupied by Maharaja
Madho Singh's son who was confined here and for some time it was home to
Maharani Gayatri Devi.
» Ram Niwas Bagh : This garden was planned by
Maharaja Ram Singh in the 19th century as a famine relief project, this
extensive park consists of a zoo, aviary, herbarium museum and sports
complex. An added attraction is Albert Hall, designed by Sir Swinton Jacob,
a British architect.
» Vidyadharji ka Bagh : This exquisite garden was
laid for the private pleasure of the architect of the city, it has delicate
pavilions bordered by water channels, and a larger pavilion overlooking the
whole complex. It is located at Ghat Ki Guni and is now open for private
picnics.
Getting There
» By Air : The nearest airport is the Sanganer
airport, at a distance of around 11 km from the city center. There are
direct flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, and some
other cities from Jaipur.
» By Rail : From Delhi, there are many trains that
connect Jaipur and other cities in Rajasthan; foremost among them is the
Palace on Wheels. Other important trains include, Shatabdi Express and Pink
City Express both from Delhi.
» By Road : Jaipur is connected directly to
Delhi by a well-maintained road. The city is also connected to most of the
tourist destinations in Rajasthan as well as Agra. Therefore the road
connectivity to Jaipur is quiet good.
