ABOUT JAIPUR |
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Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan is also known as the Pink city because of the pink wash applied to the buildings in this city. Jaipur, a royal city with its fairy-tale palaces, rugged fortresses display remarkable harmony in architectural splendor. Jaipur's craft, especially lacquer bangles are famous all over the world. Jaipur is one of the most popular destinations on a tourist's itinerary. The magnificent forts, beautiful havelis and colorful bazaars make Jaipur a popular tourist destination among tourists. It's proximity to Agra, the City of Taj, further adds to its appeal. Jaipur is part of the famous Golden Triangle Tourist circuit that includes Delhi and Agra. |
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| History of Jaipur |
| Jaipur, the pink city was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh II, a Kachhwaha Rajput, who ruled from 1699-1744. Initially his capital was Amber, which lies at a distance of 11kms from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. Jaipur is the first planned city of India and the King took great interest while designing this city of victory. He consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the lay out of Jaipur. |
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| After several battles with Marathas, Jai Singh was keen on the security aspect of the city. Due to this reason, he focused on his scientific and cultural interests to make a brilliant city. Being, a lover of mathematics and science, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him design the city architecture. Vidyadhar referred the ancient Indian literature on astronomy, books of Ptolemy and Euclid, and discussed the plan with the King. |
| With a strategic plan, the construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks, out of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, whereas the remaining seven blocks were allotted to the public. In order to ensure the security, huge fortification walls were made along with seven strong gates. |
| According to that time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1853, when Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted in Pink color to welcome him. Still, the neat and broadly laid-out avenues, painted in pink provide a magical charm to the city. Jaipur is rich in its cultural and architectural beauty, which can be traced in the various historical and aesthetic places that reside in the city. This city of victory really wins the hearts of the people with its splendid charisma. |
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| Geography of Jaipur |
| Jaipur is located at 26.92°N 75.82°E. It has an average elevation of 432 meters (1417 feet). The pink city is to the north-east. Additions have been made to the original section in the south and the west. The tourist attractions are in the old part of the town as are the shopping centers. Jaipur is a planned city and the roads and by lanes are laid out in a grid pattern, which makes orientation easy. The new part of the town isn\'t difficult either. There are three interconnecting roads - Mirza Ismail road (MI road), Station road and Sansar Chandra Marg. Along the sides of these roads are most of the hotels and the train station. |
| The capital of the desert state of Rajasthan, Jaipur has hot and scorching summers and cool winters, which are pleasanter. The mercury rises to as high as 45 °C in summers, when the minimum temperature is 25.8 °C. For those who are not used to the glaring sun, visiting Jaipur in winters is a better option, when the maximum temperature restricts itself to about 22 °C. Monsoons however are not much of a problem in Jaipur. |
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| Tourist attractions of Jaipur |
| The Pink City of Jaipur has a number of architectural wonders that attract tourists from all over the country and abroad. Most of the foreign tourists also tour this city of majestic forts and beautiful havelis. There fore, a tour of Jaipur can at no time be called a dull affair. |
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| Amber Fort is the first on the list of many tourists on a sightseeing tour of the major tourist attractions in Jaipur. Set on a hilltop on the outskirts of Jaipur, it took nearly 2 centuries to complete this fort. Built by Raja Man Singh in the 16th century and completed by Sawai Jai Singh in the 18th century, the Amber Fort has several sites worth a visit. |
| Some of the prominent attractions within Amber Fort in Jaipur include Maota Lake, palaces with intricate mirror work, pavilions and murals depicting hunting scenes. A blend of Mughal and Rajasthani architecture, Amber Fort can be toured either by road or an elephant ride. Jaigarh Fort and Namarari Fort are the other forts that are popular tourist attractions in Jaipur. |
| Another popular tourist attraction in Jaipur is the Hawa Mahal. Built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799, the purpose of this intricately carved five-storey Mahal was to allow women from royal families to observe the processions passing on the road below. Hawa Mahal also provides magnificent views of Jantar Mantar, City Palace and the famous local market below that are the other popular tourist attractions in Jaipur. |
| A stunning example of Mughal architecture blending with the Rajasthani styles, the City Palace is a museum that houses rare manuscripts, Mughal and Rajasthani miniature arts, weapons and other items used by the royal family members. Jantar Mantar, built in stone and marble, is the most extensive of the five observatories built by the warrior-astronomer Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. It is a popular tourist attraction in Jaipur as it showcases India\'s scientific prowess in a time when US didn\'t exist. |
| Other major tourist attractions in Jaipur include the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir (Birla Temple), Govind Deoiji Mandir, Rambagh Palace, Central Museum and Kanak Valley. |
