JAIPUR

Jaipur

GENERAL INFORMATION
Altitude : 236.53 mtrs.
Best Season : July to March
Rainfall : 31.87 cm
Clothing : Summer light tropical or cotton Winter Woollen.
Season : October to March



Jaipur - In 1876, the Prince of Wales arrived in Jaipur to royal treatment. Not only did his royal host, Maharaja Man Singh II lay out the red carpet but he painted the entire city in pink, the ceremonial colour of welcome. Jaipur, named after its founder Maharaja Jai Singh II, remains pretty in pink to this day. (Every home in the city is obliged by law to maintain this facade.) This is a city whose past co-exists with the present. Here camels and cars stand side by side on the streets and showrooms are busy with artisans making gold glitter with kundan and meena (typical Rajasthani jewellery) work

Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693 - 1743), who came to power at the age of 12 founded and ruled Jaipur form 1727. Even though 28 kings ruled for 6 centuries at Amber, today Jaipur (only 10 Maharajas have sat on the throne in the past 250) is much better known. The city, laid out in a grid pattern, was designed by a young Bengali artist, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya.

Places to see
Hawa Mahal : Is a beautiful building on the main street of Jaipur. It has five storeys and is built of pink sandstone. It means a Palace of Winds and was built in 1799, to enable ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and processions of the city. The top of the Hawa Mahal offers an excellent over view of the city. It has many windows in semi-octagonal shape and there is always a cool breeze blowing through this. This was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh.

Ambar Fort : Which is on a hillock. Raja Man Singh started constructing this Fort-cum-Palace in 1592. He was a commander in Akbar's armed forces. Inside the palace, near the lake, is the Jal Mahal. Here is the Maha Kali temple. The idol is made of black marble and is very attractive. The carvings here of Lord Vishnu, Lord Krishna and Meera Bai. There are a few Jain temples here of which the Mahaveer temple is one of the oldest. The Ram Niwas Gardens here is also worth a visit. It has a zoo with birds, animals and a crocodile park.

Nahargarh : Most of the fort is now in the ruins but it is a pleasant attraction in terms of stunning views you get from here of the countryside. There are few visitors here and solitude inside the ramparts of the fort makes the fort worthy of a good visit. The fort is lit beautifully in the night and dominates the skyline by the day.

Jaigarh Fort : Sawai Jai Singh built the invincible fort of Jaigarh in 1726. Jaigarh was never captured and is therefore in a pretty good shape. A giant mounted cannon-the Jai Ban, one of the largest in the country are preserved here. The extensive parkotas (wallls), watch tower and gateways of Jaigarh dominate the western skyline.

Jain Temple :The exquisite jain temple on the Agra road has some of the most beautiful 19th century paintings in Jaipur style on its walls.

Excursions from Jaipur
Samod : The old palace, renovated and rebuilt in the 19th century provides one of the most gorgeously decorated and painted examples of Rajput haveli architecture. Located 40 km northwest of Jaipur, amidst the quiet of protective hills,this palace is a visual treat. The sleepy little town of Samod has its own cloth printers, bangle makers and other artisans. The palace has recently been converted as a heritage hotel

Ramgarh Lake (32 km on the North east) : 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 monsoons, makes it an idyllic picnic spot

How to Get There
Air:Jaipur is well connected to all the major cities which includes Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Jodhpur, Udaipur. Recently, flights to Dubai has also started from Jaipur by Indian Airlines

Rail: Jaipur is on the Broad Gauge and hence connected to all the metro cities of India. There are daily trains from Delhi in morning (Shatabdhi Exp) and evening (Intercity Exp).

Road: Rajasthan Roadways run very comfortable deluxe & air conditioned buses from Delhi (Bikaner House, Nr. India Gate) to Jaipur. The roads are very good, and it takes around 5-6 hrs from Delhi. You can also come by taxi.