Jaipur

Geography

Jaipur also popularly known as the Pink City, historically sometimes rendered as Jeypore, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Jaipur is also the capital of Jaipur District. Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur.
.Jaipur is 260 km from Delhi, capital of India and 240 km from Agra and forms the most chosen tourism golden triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. It a bustling capital city and a business centre with all the trapping of modern metropolis but yet flavoured strongly with an age-old charm that never fails to surprise a traveller. The old Jaipur painted in Pink can grip any visitor with admiration. Stunning backdrop of ancient forts Nahargarh, Amer, Jagarh and Moti Dungri are dramatic testimonials of the bygone era and a reminder of their lingering romance.

History

The pink city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 AD by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan. Being the brainchild of the Maharaja and under his expert guidance the dream city of Jaipur was designed by Vidyadhar, Sawai Jai Singh's talented architect.
One of Jaipur's prime attraction, the Observatory, was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1728 AD. The city is surrounded by the city wall which opens seven darwazas or gates into the city.

Jaipur Attraction

City Palace : Raja Sawai Jai Singh built the City Palace Complex in the heart of his newly founded capital and it is clearly one of the most imposing and magnificent examples of art and architecture. The succeeding rulers made additions to the building later. Presenting a pleasing a blend of Mughal and Rajasthani architecture, a part of this palace is still occupied by the royal family. Sawai Madho Singh built Mubarak Mahal or Palace of Reception in the 19th century to welcome his guests, just as the name suggests. It is now occupied by the costume gallery of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum displaying regal costumes such as exquisite and precious Pashmina Shawls, Benarasi silk saris, Sanganeri prints, embroidery and the voluminous clothes worn by the giant Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I (ruled 1750-68).
Maharani's Palace or Palace of the houses the weaponry section of the museum with weapons as old as belonging to 15th century that are yet in a remarkable state of preservation. Diwan-I-Aam houses the art gallery showcasing rare ancient handwritten original manuscripts of Hindu scriptures, delicate miniature paintings in Rajasthani, Mughal and Persian schools and engrossing painted ceilings. Diwan-I-Khas has two world's largest sterling silver vessels that were made for Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II to carry water from River Ganga to drink on his voyage to England. Besides these, the palace also houses a multi cuisine restaurant and Chandra Mahal Palace, the present residence of the royal family. Visitors are slowed on the ground floor of this palace where they can see the beautiful Peacock in the courtyard outside.

Jantar Mantar: Across the road from the palaces is the famous JANTAR MANTAR one of the five observatories in India . Built by Sawai Jai Singh, this is one of the largest and the best preserved. A passionate hobby of the king in the field of Astronomy, numerology, insighted him to execute this observatory and with the help of skilled labourers, they managed to create a collection of complex astronomical instruments chiselled out of stone and most of which continues to provide accurate information to this day. The most striking instrument is the Brihat Samrat yantra Sundial, an imposing yellow edifice to the far right of the observatory complex which has a 27m high gnomon arm set at an angle of 27degree.The shadow this casts moves up to 4m in an hour, and aids in the calculation of local and meridian pass time and various attributes of the heavenly bodies, including declination the angular distance of a heavenly body from the celestial equator and altitude. This highlight of the observatory has made it a centre of attraction for the tourist visiting Jaipur.

Hawa Mahal : Poet king Sawai Pratap Singh built this palace of winds. This is the most easily recalled landmarks of Jaipur and is also its icon. Located in the city Palace it is best viewed from the outside for the palace is really a facade. This five-storey building overlooking the busy bazaar street is a stunning example of Rajput architecture and artistry with its pink delicately honeycombed 953 sandstone windows known as 'jharokhas'. It was originally built for the ladies of the royal household to watch everyday life and processions in the city from their veiled comfort.
Most people come here to get a view of the facade but they can also climb to the top for a wonderful view from the latticed windows. There is also a small archaeological museum there. Entry to foreigners/citizen is Rs 30/10.

Amber Fort : 11 km from Jaipur, Amber (pronounced Amer) Fort preserve its glory from the days when it was the capital of the ruling Kachhawa clan of the princely state before it was shifted to Jaipur in 1727. Set amidst the picture-perfect beauty of the rugged hills, it is not less charming in its majestic manner. Presenting a delightful blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture, its construction was begun by Raja Man Singh I in 1952 and was finally completed by Sawai Jai Singh I. Built in red sand stone and white marble, it completely overwhelms the visitors with the delicate work of the artistic paradise that appeals to their aesthetic tastes and are a visual delight to behold that lies at the heart of the fort surrounded by the rugged and forbidding fortification walls that surround it.

Jaigarh Fort :The Jaigarh fort is the most spectacular of the three-hilltop forts that overlook Jaipur. In Mughal times, the Jaipur region was a major weapon-producing centre for the Mughal and Rajput rulers, several of which are on display in the fort's museum. It is one of the few military structures of medieval India preserved almost intact, containing palaces, a granary, a well-planned cannon foundry, several temples, a tall tower and a giant mounted cannon-the Jai Ban (Jaivan) which is the largest cannon in the world. Jaigarh Fort is also known as the fort of victory. The display includes a collection of canons, many of which are exquisitely decorated and were used in the Mughal campaigns led by the Rajput King, Raja Man Singh.

Jaipur Festivals

Jaipur is well known for its rich and vibrant culture which is evident in its local festivals; the most famous being the Elephant Festival which is celebrated every year on the eve of Holi, the festival of colors. Another unique festival that is celebrated every year is the Gangaur Festival which is held in the honour of the goddess Gauri and takes place a few days after holi. Another important event is Teej which is celebrated during the months of July/August and is dedicated to the goddess Parvati.

Jaipur Climate

Jaipur weather is quite moderate. The summer season in Jaipur extends from April to July and is pretty hot and humid. The average temperature in summers falls in the range of 45° C (max) to 25.8° C (min). The climate of Jaipur in winters is pretty cold. Lasting from October to March, the winter season experiences average temperature in the range of 22° C (max) to 8.3° C (min). The climatic conditions of Jaipur, Rajasthan during this period lead to sunny day and chilly nights. Monsoons start around the latter half of July. However, the city of Jaipur does not receive much rainfall. Best time to visit Jaipur is during the winters..

How To Reach Jaipur

Flight : The Jaipur airport called the Sanganer Airport is situated about 15Km from the city and it takes about 25 minutes to reach the city. All the major airlines of India have regular flights for Jaipur.

Train : All the major trains like Shatabdi, Intercity Express etc are another option to travel to Jaipur. For a truly princely experience, there is a special luxury train, the Palace on Wheels, which starts every Saturday and is available for taking a round the Rajasthan trip starting from Delhi and covering cities like Udaipur, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Alwar etc..

Road : Regular buses ply to and from Jaipur. Both deluxe and ordinary buses of Rajasthan Roadways ply at regular intervals from all the major cities in India.