Places to visit in Jaipur
Jaipur also known as the ‘Pink City’ is the capital of the North Indian State of Rajasthan. Named after its founder Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743), this royal city of the former Rajputana is one of the most glorious places to visit in India. In fact, Jaipur is a famous stop on the favourite tourist circuit of India, the Golden triangle tour. Surrounded by the Aravalis, the city is dotted with hill forts-listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India, splendid palaces, and many fascinating architecture. Jaipur tours are perfect for history lovers, the cultural enthusiasts and visitors who love to be pampered by royal hospitality.
Houses in the city were coloured pink in 1876 to honour the visit of the British Monarch, the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, by Maharaja Man Singh II. Extremely well-planned, Jaipur city was designed by an engineer and scholar Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, Vastu Shastra. In fact, the old city is one of the proposed world heritage sites in India. The walled city has seven gates, built for protection from invading armies and wild animals. The planned grid system has wide straight avenues, roads, streets and lanes and uniform rows of shops on either side of the main roads. Amazingly, Jaipur remains the only place where the nine sectors that sub-divide the city symbolise the nine divisions of the universe.
Now with the changing time, Jaipur city has become a treasure of fascinating sights. Perched on the hills are the Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort and the Nahargarh fort. In the heart of the city is the beautiful City Palace, which is the residence of the royal family and also one of the finest museums in Rajasthan. Jantar Mantra, the royal observatory is one of the listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites. An unmissable gem in the city, looking like floating in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake, is the grand red-sandstone palace made of red sandstone, most of it submerged. The Hawa Mahal is an iconic landmark in the city that is a tribute to the glorious days of royalty.
As delightful as its sights are the arts and crafts of the Rajasthan. For the shopaholics there is much to explore. From the multi-coloured ‘bandhini’ fabrics, richly-decorated handlooms, jewellery and other trinkets, the colourful bazaars of Jaipur have it all. Keeping the traditions of the former days alive there is the delicious gastronomy of Rajasthan, elephant rides and pampering hospitality. Besides the tourist attractions in Jaipur, the city serves as a gateway to the other royal cities of Rajasthan.
Amber Fort
The Amber Fort is located 11 km away from Jaipur. Amber was once the ancient capital of Jaipur. The Fort is an excellent illustration of Rajput architecture, impressively situated on a hillside facing a lake, which reflects its walkways and walls.
City Palace
City Palace The City Palace is still the dwelling of the former royalty H.H Bhawani Singh Ji of Jaipur. This Palace still has an extensive collection of art, carpets and old weapons.
Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal (Palace of winds) Constructed by Maharaja Sawaj Pratap Singh in 1799, the Hawa Mahal is one of the Jaipur’s main landmarks, the front of the Mahal has pink windows and latticework screens. This mahal was initially constructed for the ladies of the imperial household to watch the ordinary life and parades of the city.
Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar (Observatory): It was built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1728. Jantar Mantar appears to be an inquisitive collection of sculptures but in fact each construction has a detailed purpose such as measuring the positions of stars, altitudes and azimuths, and calculating eclipses. The most striking instrument is the sundial which is 27 meter tall gnomon. The shadow this casts moves up to 4 meters an hour.
Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal is a palace in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, India. The palace and the lake around it were renovated and enlarged in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.
Albert Hall Museum
The Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur is the oldest museum of the state and functions as the state museum of Rajasthan, India. The building is situated in Ram Niwas garden outside the city wall opposite New gate and is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. It is also called the Government Central Museum
