About Jaipur

The Rose Pink City founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743), is the capital of It is a major attraction for the first-time visitor. Jaipur is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts & enclosed by embattled walls. Houses with latticed windows line the streets with their rose pink colour, lending enchantment to the scene, which is almost magical at sunset.

The Old City (Known as the Pink City) is a great place to wander around. The whole city was painted in Pink colour by Maharaja Man Singh II when Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, visited Jaipur in 1876 AD. Today, every home within the city is obliged by law to maintain its facade. It is a very well planned city laid out in a grid pattern and was designed by a young Bengali engineer and scholar by the name "Vidyadhar Bhattacharya". Jaipur was and remains the only city in the world, symbolising the nine divisions of the universe, through nine rectangular sectors sub-dividing it. Jaipur is a royal city & this is its most noticeable aspect, small buildings & festivals testify it. Jaipur & its surroundings are rather like an endless museum.

Shopping

A major gem and jewellery centre, Jaipur is famous for Kundan work (enamel work on gold). Also there are woollen carpets, cotton rugs, marble statuary, enamelled wares, brass ware, hand-block printed Sanganeri and Bagru Cotton fabrics, exotic blue pottery made from crushed quartz, leather footwear and more. The city also offers an endless variety of crafts. Jewellers here still fashion the beautiful enamel-on-gold pendants, studded on the reverse with precious stones or pearls & turquoise that one sees in miniature paintings. The town is an important centre for craft, industry and produces some of the finest hand printed textiles from units of block and screen printers. This textile is popular all over the country and abroad. On the Ajmer Road, the ground level fort is still in good shape. It is noted for its hand printed handloom industry using simple techniques. Jaipur's lacquer bangles are famous all over the world. This is a city to be visited.

GETTING THERE

Air:Jaipur has its own airport, and is well connected to all other tourist and business centres.
Rail: An excellent connection to Delhi by Shatabdi Express and the Pink City Express. Other connections to Jaipur are from Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ahemadabad, Secunderabad and Lucknow.
Road: A network of reasonably comfortable tourist buses, run by road corporations of Rajasthan, Haryana and others.

Tourist Attractions in Jaipur

FORTS AND PALACES

Amer Palace

The magnificent fort with its huge ramparts & watchtowers, overlooking the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. It is believed to have been the capital of the "Minas", the original inhabitants of Rajasthan.

City Palace

Nakkarkhana-ka-Darwaza, the imposing gateway of the City Palace guarded by stone elephants, is monumental. A Pandora's box of wonders, the enchanting Hawa Mahal is a multi-layered palace, with a profusion of windows and stone screens.

Hawa Mahal

Pandora's box of wonders, the enchanting Hawa Mahal is a multi-layered palace, with a profusion of windows and stone screens.

Jai Garh

Built on a peak, Jai Garh overlooks the palace & city of Amber below. Jal Mahal is Jaipur's lake palace. It is surrounded with water.

Nahargarh Fort

Originally called Sudarshan Garh, it affords a splendid view of Jaipur. Beyond the hills of Jaigarh, stands the fort of Nahargarh like a watchful sentinel guarding Sawai Jai Singh's beautiful capital. Much of the original structures are now in ruins, but the lovely buildings added by Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II in the 19th century are preserved in a good condition. Some of the rooms provide the most spectacular view of the city below.

MONUMENTS

Jantar Mantar

The amazing astronomical three-storey-high observatory, of an 18th century Rajasthani king, named Jai Singh.