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INDIA TRAVELS >> RAJASTHAN >> JAIPUR
Jaipur was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743), is the capital of Rajasthan. 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.

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. 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. Jaipur's lacquer bangles are famous all over the world.


Places of Interest

Amer Palace
Hawa Mahal
High on the rugged hills outside of town sits ancient forts, including Amer (often called the Amber Fort), where the Jaipur royal house held court for seven centuries. Visitors ridding painted elephants can ascend to the fort to see magnificent gateways, courtyards, pavalions, and a gliterring chamber of inlaid mirrors. Jaipur's most famous landmark is the Palace of the Winds or Hawa Mahal, a fantasia of 1953 ornate of windows set in a rose-colored five storey facade. The palace , tier upon tier of curved arch surmounting fairy casements with "jali", lattice work screens. From here the ladies of the court could look out at festive processions without jeopardizing their modest seclusion..

Jal Mahal
Jantar Mantar
A picturesque palace admist the Man Sagar Lake. It is Jaipur's lake palace surrounded with water. It is built for royal duck shooting parties. The architectural astronomical instruments of 18th century Rajasthani king named Jai Singh contained in an amazing, three-storey-high complex known as Jantar Mantar.

City Palace
Albert Hall Museum
A pride of peacocks adorn an ornate doorway in Jaipur's City Palace. Palace retainers stand at attention as in the past when Jaipur Court was headquartered here. The palace is now a fine museum. It houses a remarkable collection of textiles, paintings, manuscripts, and extraordinary weapons. On display there are two huge urns of silver, said to be the largest silver vessels in the world. Nakkarkhana-ka-Darwaza, the imposing gateway of the City Palace guarded by stone elephants, is monumental.
 It exhibits include a natural history collection, models of yogis adopting various positions, tribal ware, dioramas depicting Rajasthani dances and sections on decorative arts, costumes, drawings and musical instruments
Nearby Attraction

Jaigarh
Sanganer
The western skyline is dominated by the extensive walls, watch towers and gateways of Jaigarh built by Jai Singh in 1726. It is one of the few military structures of medevial India preserved almost intact, containing palaces , gardens, open and covered reservoirs, a granary, an armoury, a canon foundary and several temples. It is the royal treasury for several years. The world's largest cannon on wheels is to be found here. The fort has its own museum and provide an excellent view of Amer Palace. This small town is entered through the ruins of two ' Tripolias ' or ' Triple-gateways '. The town has a ruined palace and a group of Jain temples with fine carvings. Entry to the temples is restricted. 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. It is noted for its hand printed handloom industry using simple techniques.

Vidyadhar's Garden
Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh
Nestled in a narrow valley, this beautiful garden was built in honour of jai Singh's chief architect and town planner. Has beautiful gardens, fountains, pools & some magnificent pieces of sculpture.

Bairath
Gaitor
An important historical place with the excavated remains of a circular Buddhist temple - unique in Rajasthani and the earliest known temple in India. Bairath also has relics of the Mauryan, Mughal and Rajput periods. A mint constructed by Akbar, a beautiful Mughal garden and a remarkable monument with painted chhatris and wall built by Jahangir are other attractions. The cenotaphs of the royal family are at Gaitor, just outside the city walls. The cenotaph of Maharaja Jai Singh II is particularly impressive. The cenotaphs of the maharanis of Jaipur are on Ambr road, midway between Jaipur and Amber. Nearby is the Jal Mahal (water Palace), in the middle of the lake and reached by a causeway.

Nahargarh Fort
Galta

Built in 1734, the Nahargarh Fort lies north-west of City Palace and provides some stunning views of the city down below both during daytime and night.
 The temple of the sun god at Galta is 100m above Jaipur to the east, a 2.5km climb from Surajpol. A deep, temple-studded gorge stands behind the temple and there are good views over the surrounding plains.

Ramgarh Lake
Samode
A huge artificial lake created by constructing a high bund amidst tree covered hills. While the temple of Jamwa Mata and the ruins of the old fort are some of its antiquities, its beautiful landscape, especially during in oils pools, makes it an idyllic picnic spot. The beautiful Samode Palace, has been rebuilt and renovated and provides a fine example of the Rajput haveli architecture and is an ideal spot for outings. The highlight of the building is the exquisite Diwan-i-Khas, which is covered with original paintings and mirrorwork.

Best Season
Languages
September-March
English, Hindi, Rajasthani.