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 (Jaipur)
Amer Palace
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.
Hawa Mahal
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
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.
Jantar Mantar
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
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.
Jaigarh
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.
Nahargarh Fort
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.
Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh
Has beautiful gardens, fountains, pools & some magnificent
pieces of sculpture.
Albert Hall Museum
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:
Bairath
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.
Gaitor
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.
Galta
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
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.
Samode
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.
Sanganer
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
Nestled in a narrow valley, this beautiful garden was built
in honour of jai Singh's chief architect and town planner.
Best Season:
September-March
Languages:
English, Hindi, Rajasthani.
Travel
Information:
Air : There
are flight connections to Delhi, Kota, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Aurangabad,
Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Rail : An
excellent connection from Delhi is Shatabdi Express which
provides a fast, air-conditioned rail service. Other connections
to Jaipur are from Bikaner, Jodhpur, LJdaipur, Ahmedabad,
Secunderabad, Agra, Lucknow, Mumbai and Calcutta. Some important
train connections are : Marudhar Express (Varanasi-Jaipur-Jodhpur);
9770 Express (Jaipur-Purva), .Gujarat Mail (Mumbai-Jaipur-Delhi
Sarai Rohilla); Shatabdi Express (New Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer);
Superfast Express (Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jaipur); Mandore Express
(Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jaipur-Jodhpur); Intercity Express (Jaipur-Delhi
Sarai Rohilla); Chetak Express (Udaipur-Jaipur-Delhi Sarai
Rohilla); Ahmedabad Mail (Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jaipur-Ahmedabad);
Jodhpur Mail (Marwar-Jaipur-Delhi Sarai Rohilla).
Road : A
convenient mode of travel to Jaipur is by road, through a
network of comfortable tourist buses. Rajasthan Roadways runs
excellent regular service of AC and Deluxe Coaches from Delhi
(From Bikaner House, Pandara road and ISBT, Kashmeri Gate)
Some Road distances are Delhi 259 km, Udaipur 405 km, Jodhpur
336 km, Ahmedabad 657 km.
Local Transport: Unmetered auto-rickshaws,
buses, cycle-rickshaws. The Rajasthan State Roadways operates
regular bus service to Amer Palace and around the city.
 Click
Here to See More Place Near Ranthambore
|
