About Jaipur
Rajasthan's beautiful Pink City Jaipur, was the stronghold of a
clan of rulers whose three hill forts and series of palaces in the
city are
important attractions. Known as the Pink City because of the
colour of the stone used exclusively in the walled city, Jaipur's
bazaars sell embroidered leather shoes, blue pottery, tie and dye
scarves and other exotic wares. Western Rajasthan itself forms a
convenient circuit, in the heart of the Thar desert which has
shaped its history, lifestyles and architecture.
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Photo Gallery
 Founded
in AD 1727 by Sawai Jaisingh II, Jaipur the capital of
Rajasthan is popularly known as the Pink City with broad avenues
and spacious gardens. The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is steeped
in history and culture. Here the past comes alive in magnificent
forts and palaces, blushed pink, where once lived the maharajas.
The bustling bazaars of Jaipur, famous for Rajasthani jewellery,
fabric and shoes, possess a timeless quality and are surely a
treasure-trove for the shoppers. This fascinating city with its
romantic charm takes you to an epoch of royalty and tradition.
Jaipur has been laid according to the conventional nine-grid
pattern that astrologers believe to be lucky, and which has been
recommended in the ancient Indian treatise on architecture. Each
grid consists of a square, and these have been planned so that, at
the heart of the city is the City Palace. Spread around it, in
rows, are public buildings, the residences of noblemen, the living
and trading quarters of merchants and artisans. Straight, wide
roads run through the city, while a high, crenellated wall that
forms its defense is pierced with seven gateways that serve as
entry points. Today, these walls may be more difficult to spot
since the city has grown far beyond its original plan, but they
are still there, proof that though Jaipur saw no great siege, it
was more than adequately prepared for it.
Jaipurs
architectural planning may have been ancient, but its
execution was definitely modern. Best represented by the City
Palace complex, it brought together all that was excellent in
Rajput and Mughal architecture, creating a new tradition that
found wide currency over much of north India. As in the Mughal
tradition, the durbar or court areas became much more open,
characterised by a series of arched pavilions held on delicately
crafted pillars. Ornamentation had always be en a part of the
states architectural heritage, now it became much more opulent.
The private wings of the family also extended their entertainment
areas. Since defence was no longer a primary concern, larger, more
ornamental windows were built to over look the streets or
courtyards outside these wings. Gardens were no longer planned
within the internal courtyards only, but were added to the
external vistas, and water, a basic feature of Mughal palaces and
gardens, was utilised in a similar fashion, in canals and
fountains.
Jaipur has much
to offer visitors everything from pageants and festivals to
extraordinarily clad people, a wealth of handicrafts, a royal
legacy of palaces, and sightseeing that will occupy their time.
However, should the visitors simply choose to walk around the
streets of the old city instead, they will not regret it. All of
Jaipur is an architectural gem, and no scheduled sight seeing can
even hope to do justice to this rare city.
Transportation
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Air
: Indian Airlines connect Jaipur with Delhi, Jodhpur, Udaipur,
Aurangabad, Bombay, Varanasi, Calcutta, Ahmedabad.
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Flight
Information
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Rail :
Jaipur is connected by rail with Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Ajmer,
Abu Road (Mount Abu), Udaipur, Bombay and Sawai Madhopur.
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Train
Information
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Road :
Good motorable roads connect Jaipur with Delhi 258 km, Agra 236
km, Bikaner 321 km, Udaipur 405 km, Ajmer 131 km, Jodhpur 316
km, Bharatpur 176 km, Jaisalmer 638 km and Bombay 1202 km
- Bus
: Regular buses ply from Jaipur to the above places and Alwar,
Kota, Sariska, Mathura, Indore, Chittorgarh and Barmer.
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Bus Timetable
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