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Palaces:The pink city of Jaipur is steeped in Rajasthani history and tradition. Forts, palaces, monuments and old buildings speckled all across Jaipur speak of its rich cultural heritage. The city was conceived and designed in 1727 AD by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh and was later named after him. The principles of town planning used to design the city were based on the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. Every aspect of the city – streets, sidewalks, height of the buildings and number and division of blocks - was based on geometric harmony and sound environmental and climatic considerations. The entire city was arranged in a grid with nine rectangular city sectors.
Jaipur sits on a dry lakebed in a somewhat arid landscape, surrounded on three sides by the Aravalli hills surmounted by forts and crenellated walls. It was once enclosed within fortified walls 20 ft high and seven gates, intact till today. The wall was built for protection against invading armies.
The city looks almost magical at sunset when the sunrays paint different hues of pink on the walls. It was painted a ‘welcoming pink’ during the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1876.
Jaipur is best explored on foot and the adventurous visitor willing to go into the inner lanes can discover a whole new world. The bustling bazaars famous for Rajasthani jewellery, fabric and shoes, possess a timeless quality and are surely a treasure trove for the shoppers. Vegetable-laden camel carts thread their way through streets jam-packed with cars, rickshaws, bicycles, tempos, motorcycles and pedestrians frantically dodging the crazy traffic. Jaipur has long out stripped the confines of its city wall and is today among the most polluted places in Rajasthan.
Palaces of Jaipur
In Jaipur, you are never too far from its rich tapestry of history. Not only is the architecture a delightful medley of the ancient and the medieval, there are also stunning reminders throughout the city. The bustling bazaars of Badi Chaupar, for example, with their tiny shops and their endless meandering lanes, recreate vignettes of life as it must have been centuries ago. No wonder it’s so exciting to just walk around, as traders pick up fistfuls of semi-precious stones and offer them to you for a few rupees, or as you watch a silversmith at work on a particularly ornate piece of jewellery.
Not many visitors will have the opportunity to visit private homes where lifestyles encapsulate the past and link it with the coming millennium with an elegance and grace that is rare outside this state. Fortunately, several of the palaces and townhouses of Jaipur have been converted into palace and heritage hotels, and these allow you a peep into the way the families of Rajputana once lived amid all this splendour.
Some of the palaces a guest can stay in, or visit would include the following:
Rambagh Palace: The sprawling residence of the governess of Maharaja Ram Singh, it became his favourite retreat and later, a hunting lodge. Designed by British architects as a formal palace, Rambagh came to embody princely chic when Maharaja Man Singh and Maharani Gayatri Devi occupied it. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, the sprawling palace embodies good taste and is one of the country’s premier palace hotels.
Rajmahal Palace: A small palace when compared with Rambagh, Rajmahal was established in 1729 for one of the Sisodia princesses so she could distance herself from the intrigues of the Kachchawaha zenana. It later became the Residency occupied by various British Residents. In that status, it also played host to visiting dignitaries from around the world, whether Queen Elizabeth II or Jacqueline Kennedy, as private guests of the Jaipur royals. It is a palace hotel. TOP^
Jai Mahal Palace: First developed in the mid-18th century and used as a residence for various British officials, Jai Mahal is Jaipur’s first palace hotel, though it was considerably smaller before rooms were added to it in the 1980s. The new construction is in amazing harmony with the old structure and the garden upfront is a faithful recreation of Babur’s first Mughal garden in Dholpur.
Narain Niwas: A garden house set in a mango orchard and built by Thakur Narain Singh of Kanota as a personal residence, Narain Niwas is not particularly impressive as far as its architecture goes, though it has a restful ambience characterised most obviously by the deep verandah where guests now lounge. Its fortified family home at Kanota, a 40-minute drive from Jaipur, has more definitive architecture and visitors can call ahead if they wish to visit, or even stay there.
Sightseeing
Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds): Hawa Mahal or Palace of winds is one of the most popular landmarks of Jaipur. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. The Mahal is a five-storey building made of sand stone. It was designed to allow Rajput women to view the streets and bazaars down below without being seen. Each storey has semi-octagonal overhanging windows that are carved into honeycomb, perforated screens. The building is just one room deep and allows in the cool westerly winds through the windows. The top of the palace affords a beautiful view of the city.
The City Palace: The City Palace is in the heart of the Pink City of Jaipur. It occupies a huge area comprising many pavilions, courtyards, chambers, gardens and palace. Maharaja Jai Singh II started its construction, while the later Maharajas made modifications and additions. The palace is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. A portion of the palace is still retained by the present Maharaja and his family, while the rest of it is open for the general public to look at.
As one enters the palace, the first building is the Mubarak Mahal or guest pavilion, built by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh in the late 19th century as a reception centre for visiting dignitaries. It is now part of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum where a collection of royal costumes is on display.
The diwan-e-Am (public audience hall), diwan-e-khas (private audience hall), maharani’s palace and the chandra mahal (moon palace) are some of the other attractions at the palace. The diwan-e-khas exhibits enormous silver vessels 160 cm tall, which are believed to be the largest silver sterling objects in the world. These vessels were filled with the holy Ganga water and carried to London for use by Maharaja Madho Singh II.
Jantar Mantar: Jantar Mantar is an observatory built by the astronomer king, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1726. The observatory is equipped with futuristic scientific instruments or yantras. Each yantra has a specific purpose to measure the positions of the stars, altitudes, time of the day, or even calculating eclipses.
Forts
Amber Palace & Fort: The Amber fort situated on a hillside, 11 km from Jaipur on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, is a classic Rajasthan fort-palace. The fort overlooks the Maota Lake, which provides breathtaking reflections of the Fort-Palace. Construction of the fort began in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh and was completed by Maharaja Jai Singh I. It was once the headquarters of the Kachhwahas Rajput dynasty.
Amer (as it is populary known) is a superb example of Rajput architecture. Fusion of the Rajput and Mughal styles is clearly evident; the rooms are small and intimate, typical of the Mughal style, while the successive courtyards and narrow passages are particularly Rajput. The palace walls are painted with scenes of hunting and battle. Crushed precious stones and mirrors have been used for these paintings, which have retained much of their original colour. Hall of Victory, Ganesh Pole or Elephant gate and Sheesh Mahal or Palace of mirrors, are some of the popular attractions at the fort.
One can reach the fort on foot, or on elephant back.
While at Amer, one can also look at the Jaigarh Fort, the ancient fortress on the crest of the hill above and the 400-year-old Kali Temple.
Jaigarh Fort: The Jaigarh fort was built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1726 and was named after him. At a walking distance from the Amber Fort, Jaigarh served as a treasury for the Kachhwahas. It is one of the few military structures of medieval India preserved almost intact. It contains palaces, gardens, open and covered reservoirs, a granary, an armoury, a well-planned cannon foundry, several temples, a tall tower and a giant mounted cannon.
Nahargarh Fort: The Nahargarh fort is a picturesque fort, about 8 km from Jaipur. Maharaja Jai Singh II built it in 1734. Also known as the Tiger Fort, it is floodlit at night and can be seen from the highway. The fort provides a magnificent view of the Man Sagar Lake and the palatial duck blind in the midst of the lake.
Jal Mahal: A lake palace, it was the summer resort of the royal family.
Excursions
Gaitor: Gaitor is 15km from Jaipur and is famous for the cenotaphs or chhatris of Jaipur rulers. It contains the cenotaphs of Maharaja Pratap Singh, Maharaja Madho Singh II and Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II besides others. The cenotaph of Maharaja Jai Singh II is the most spectacular. It is a white marble structure with 20 intricately carved pillars.
Galta: Galta is 20 Km from Jaipur and is famous for its natural springs which have curative powers. Some of the places worth visiting in and around Galta are Sisodia Rani and Bagh, a palace and temples dedicated to the Sun god, Vishnu and Hanuman.
Sanganer: Sanganer is about 40 Km from Jaipur and is famous the world over for textile block printing. Sanganeri prints are very much in vogue for dress material or upholstery. Sanganer also specialises in papermaking and the famous blue pottery of Jaipur. The town also houses a couple of temples and an old palace.
Shopping:
Jaipur is a treasure trove for the shopper. One can find the country’s finest jewellery here, including a style called kundan or enamelled-ware. Jaipur also specialises in marble work, woollen carpets, cotton rugs, hand-block printed Sanganeri and Bagru cotton fabrics, tie and dye, brassware, exotic blue pottery made from crushed quartz and leather footwear. There are also places where you can find copies of antiques down to the last detail.
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Marble Carvings
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Khajanchion ka Rasta
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Lac Work
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Maniharon ka Rasta (Tripolia Bazar)
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Tie and Dye
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Kishanpal Bazar
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Shoes
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Ramganj Bazar
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Block Printing
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Sanganer Village
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Hand made paper
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Sanganer Village
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Blue Pottery
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Sanganer Village
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Carpets
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Achral House, Subhash Chowk
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Getting There:
By Air: Jaipur is well connected by air to Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Varanasi and some other big cities in India. Regular flights ply between Jaipur and these places.
By Rail: There are regular trains plying between Jaipur and most parts of India. The Shatabadi Express that connects Delhi with Jaipur is one of the most convenient trains.
By Road: Jaipur is about 260 km from Delhi. Regular state transport buses and taxis ply on this route. The Rajasthan Roadways operate many deluxe and air conditioned buses between Delhi and Jaipur.
Cultural Calendar
Teej (July-August)
Gangaur (March-April)
Elephant Festival (March-April)
General Information
- Best time to Visit: October to March.
- Area: Jaipur City (Municipal limits 64.75 sq. km., Pink City 9.8 sq. km.)
- Altitude 431 metres
- Climate :summer - 45.0 degree C (Max.) 25.8 degree C (Min)
winter - 22.0 degree C (Max.) 8.3 degree C (Min)
- Clothing:summer - light tropical
winter - light woollen
- Languages : English, Hindi, Rajasthani.
STD Code 0141
Important Telephone numbers
Police :100.
Fire :101.
Ambulance :102.
Passport off: 379256, 379257, 379258.
Police Control Room :565555, 565559.
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