Jaipur - The Pink City

Jaipur :
Known as "The Pink City", Jaipur is not only known for its historical monuments, palaces, royal rajasthan weddings, but also is a shopper's paradise. Touted as one of the finest city to shop in Rajasthan, Jaipur offers a wide range of Rajasthani traditional stuff. No one can forget the vibrant coloured bandhani, lac bangles, Jaipuri jooties and jadau jewellery. Jaipur offers so much in terms of experiences, authentic and rustic folklores, chivalry, and marvelous gardens to amuse and interest every traveler.

Climate :
Summer: 45 °C (Max) - 25 °C (Min)
Winter: 32 °C (Max) - 1 °C (Min)
Rainy Season: June to September, 600 mm rainfall
Best time to visit : November to March

Main Attractions : Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar Mantar

Location :
Geographic: Jaipur is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan, formerly ruled by the valiant Rajputs.
Famous for: Painted pink in 1853, to welcome the Prince of Wales, Jaipur has since been known as the Pink City.

How to Reach Jaipur :
By Air : Built in the satellite town of Sanganer, Jaipur International Airport connects Hyderabad to all major cities in India & the world.
By Road : Delhi- six hours, Agra- four hours.
By Railways : Jodhpur - four & a half hours, Agra - four & a half hours, Delhi - six hours.

Attractions :
Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water at his old capital, Amber. As the king was a great patron of Astronomy, Mathematics and Astrophysics, this is reflected in the design of the buildings including the Royal Palace in the center of the city, all of which can be admired as part of Jaipur city guide.

Some of prime Tourist Places in Jaipur are

Hawa Mahal :
Hawa Mahal, which is now a symbol of Jaipur, was built in 1799. The design reflects Pratap Singh's deep devotion to the Lord Krishna which is in the form of a Mukuta or headgear, adorning the Lord. It is thought that the purpose of the Hawa Mahal was to enable the ladies of the royal family, who were under strict observance of purdah, to be given an opportunity to witness proceedings in the market centre and watch the royal processions and festivities sitting behind the stone carved screens. The Royal family also used the Mahal as a hot weather retreat, since the unusually designed window screens provided very cool environs. Thus, the Hawa Mahal is not just an intricately designed & embellished building, but was also uniquely utilitarian to the Royal family. Hawa Mahal is prime tourist place in Jaipur.

City Palace :
Originally constructed in 1732, by Sawai Jai Singh II, the sprawling compound of the City Palace includes the Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal palaces and it was the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur. The Chandra Mahal palace now houses a wonderful museum but the greatest part of it is still a royal residence. The palace complex, located northeast of the centre of the grid patterned Jaipur city, boasts a grand and extensive array of courtyards, gardens and buildings. The City Palace is a unique opportunity to witness the seamless fusion of Rajput, Mughal and European styles of architecture.

Jantar Mantar :
Built By Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1730, this gigantic observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars' location as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertaining the declinations of planets etc: Built from local stone and marble, each instrument carries an astronomical scale. Bronze tablets, all extraordinarily accurate, were also employed.

Cities near Jaipur