Jaipur - The Pink City

Jaipur is a beautiful tourist city in the state of Rajasthan and has earned universal renown as the “Pink City", and pink it is, with beautiful constructed palaces, havelis and forts. The city has been named after Maharaja Jai Singh II. The city of Jaipur was built in 1727 A. D. according to well defined architectural design and plan. Jaipur was the first planned city of its time.

Jaipur was planned by Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, a Bengali architect, in a grid system with 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). Seven of these blocks were meant for the public and the remaining two consisted of palaces and state buildings. The city was further encircled by the city wall and entry was through seven gates.

The city itself is an attractive creation worthy of universal admiration. There is a feast in store for tourists. Attractive monuments, Comfortable and luxurious hotels, parks, gardens, and excursions of nearby places of interest, make Jaipur a tourist's paradise. The crafts of Jaipur have ensured a prominent place for the city in the world of arts and crafts. Festivals and fairs in Jaipur are as lively as the city itself.

General Information

Capital of Rajasthan - Jaipur
Time zone - IST (UTC + 5: 30)
Main Languages - Rajasthani, Hindi, English
Airports – Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Kota
Climate - Summer – 45 degrees to 17 Degrees
Winter – 32 degrees to 7 degress
Monsoon – July to September
Best time to visit – October to March

Forts & Palaces

Amber Fort

Amber Fort is situated in Amber, the ancient capital of the Kachhwaha Rajputs on a hillside overlooking Maotha Lake 11 km. from Jaipur on the Delhi - Jaipur road. 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. It is a classic fusion of Mughal and Hindu architecture, built in red sandstone and white marble.

Two flights of stairs rise from one end to the chowk, one leading to the elegant temple of Shila Mata and other to the palace complex. The Sheesh Mahal which is a delightful hall of mirrors has been constructed in such a manner that even a small flicker of light reflects and illuminates the hall.

The building walls are painted with hunting practices and other activities during the times of Maharajas. Precious stones are embedded in the plaster walls of many palaces. The medieval buildings of Jaipur reveal the elegance and charm of the royal family as well architectural feats.

City Palace

The City Place of Jaipur is a major tourist attraction in Rajasthan. The carved arches are supported by grey-white marble columns studded with floral motifs in gold and coloured stones. Two elephants carved in marble guard the entrance. The City Palace complex houses several palatial structures constructed by many legendary rulers.

The city palace is divided into two parts- one houses Sawai Man Singh Museum and other is still the residential palace of the former Maharaja.

The museum of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II has an extensive collection of various types of Rajasthani dresses, a fascinating armoury of Mughal and Rajput weapons, swords of all shapes and sizes, with chased handles, some of them inlaid, enameled, encrusted with jewels and encased in bold and magnificent scabbards. 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.

Other significant attractions within the City Palace complex are the Textile, Art Gallery, Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Sukh Nivas & Shobha Nivas, Chhavi Nivas & Mukut Mahal.

Albert Hall

It is situated in the beautiful garden of Jaipur city, Ram Niwas Bagh. It was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh in the year 1886 under the drought relief work of Rs 4 Lacs.

The design of the building was done by Sir Swinton Jaicob. Presently the hall is used for museum purpose.

Jantar Mantar

Jantar mantar is one of Jai Singh's five remarkable observatories. The Jantar Mantar is a re-phrasal of the Sanskrit word yantra mantra which means instruments and formulae.

Constructed with stone and marble its complex instruments whose settings and shapes are precisely and scientifically designed represent the high points of Medieval Indian astronomy. The monument was made to measure the local time, the sun's declination, altitude, the declination of stars, planets and to determine eclipses.

Hawa Mahal

Built by the poet king Sawai Pratap Singh, the Hawa Mahal is the most strikingly designed monument in Jaipur. Hawa Mahal or "The Palace of Winds"was built in 1799 A.D

Constructed in pink sandstone, Hawa Mahal is intricately carved and bordered with white motives. This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure endorse 953 small peepholes, each with tiny lattice worked (jali) pink windows and arched roofs with hanging cornices. The interiors of Hawa Mahal are stark and plain with a mass of pillars and passages that lead to the top storey.

The main motive behind the making of Hawa Mahal was to provide adequate vantage position behind delicate stone carved jali screens to the palace women for watching the everyday life and royal processions passing through the bazaar below.

The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when it catches the early morning sun and is bathed in its golden light making it glow like a gem.

Other Places of interest in Jaipur

• Nahargarh Fort
• Jaigarh Fort
• Sargasuli the tower dominating the skyline on the western side of Tripolia Bazaar is the highest structure in Jaipur
• Birla Temple (Laxmi Narayan Temple) on Jawahar lal Nehru Marg
• Govind Devji Temple
• Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh on Jaipur – Agra Road
• Rajmandir Cinema
• Central Park
• Statue Circle and Birla Auditorium

Fairs & Festivals

Teej

Teej festival is celebrated during the arrival of rainy season, every year in the Hindu Month of Shravan (August). This festival is dedicated to the Goddess Parvati.

Though celebrations are held all over the state, they are particularly colorful in Jaipur where a procession goes through the heart of the old city. Teej is basically a women's festival and celebrates the return back of Parvati to the abode of Shiva, her husband.

Women dress in colourful leharia sarees or costumes offer puja to Goddess Parvati and spend time in groups at swings that are specially erected for the festival. During the festival, the ladies decorate their hands and feet with Mehndi. It is said that the darker the color of Mehendi the more the husband loves his wife.

Gangaur

Idols of Issar and Gangaur, manifestations of Shiva and Parvati, are worshipped by women, and particularly those unmarried to achieve husband like Shiva. Married women also do puja for the welfare, health and long life of their spouses and a happy married life.

The festival is celeberated on the first day of Chaitra (March-April), fortnight after Holi and continues for eighteen days. Married and umarried women keep fast for 18 days i.e. take meal once a day, adorne in their best clothes, put meendi in their palms and feet and enjoy the festival. The Festival involves colorful dances, musical performances and joyful celebrations. The festival is also celebrated in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Nathdwara, Udaipur and Banswara but in different styles.

Elephant Festival

Elephant Festival is held in the month of Phalgun (March), on the day of Holi, by the people of Jaipur, The caparisoned elephants, their bodies painted with floral decorations by the mahouts, are a sight to behold.

The venue of the Elephant Festival is the Chaugan Stadium or polo field. The elephant's owners decorate their elephants with bright colors, jhools (saddle cloth) and heavy jewellery, painting their trunks, foreheads and feet with floral motifs and adoring them from tusk to tail with interesting trinkets. The tourists select the elephant for the ‘Best decorated Elephant' Shield. Other exiting events are elephant race, polo and tug of war between elephant and 19 men and women.

The Elephant Festival has become a major draw for the tourists during their travel and tour of Jaipur.

Makar Sakranti

Makar Sankranti ushers in the New Year and is celebrated on January 14. Across India it is celebrated as a harvest festival. The devotees take a holy dip in the tank at Galtaji. Popularly known as the Kite Flying Festival, it is celebrated by flying thousands of kites in the sky during the day and at night

This is the day of kites at Jaipur. Jaipurites are famous for their expertise in kite flying. The kite flying starts, well before the Makar Sankranti day and continues after the festival. It is a treat to watch the skyline of the Pink City, studded with colorful kites.

Shitla Ashtmi

This festival is locally called as Basoda, is celebrated in March-April, during every year the Hindu Month of Chaitra on Krishna Paksh to ward off the dreaded disease of small pox. The most famous fair is held at the Shitla Mata temple in Chaksu (on the Jaipur Kota Road), people gather here to pray and celebrate.

On this occasion, women do not enter their kitchen and consume the goodies prepared the previous evening. The festival is also used for trading and selling in wares such as shoes, clothes, foodstuff, utensils and agricultural implements. A cattle fair is also organised during the fair.