Jaipur Tourism |Jaipur Sightseeing |Hotel in Jaipur |Jaipur Map

Abbour Jaipur:

Jaipur also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.5 million.

Jaipur is the first planned city of India, located in the semi-desert lands of Rajasthan. The city which once had been the capital of the royalty now is the capital city of Rajasthan. The very structure of Jaipur resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal families. At present, Jaipur is a major business centre with all requisites of a metropolitan city.

The city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex, (Hawa Mahal), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of the King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. The observatory, Jantar Mantar, is one of the World Heritage Sites.Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in Rajasthan and India.

History of Jaipur:

Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who ruled from 1699–1744 and initially his capital was Amber, which lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. The King consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the layout of Jaipur. Finally under the architectural guidance of Vidyadar Bhattacharya, (initially an accounts-clerk in the Amber treasury and later promoted to the office of Chief Architect by the King) Jaipur came into existence on the classical basis of principles of Vastu Shastra and similar classical treatise.

After waging several battles with the Marathas, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II was keen on the security aspect of the city. Being a lover of Astronomy, Mathematics and Astrophysics, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him to design many other buildings including the Royal Palace in the center of the city.

The construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the science of Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks, of which twoconsist the state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to the public. Huge fortification walls were built along with seven strong gates.

For the time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1853, when the Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted pink to welcome him during the regime of Sawai Ram Singh. Today, avenues remain painted in pink, provide a distinctive appearance to the city. In the 19th century the city grew rapidly; by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The city's wide boulevards were paved and lit.

The city had several hospitals. Its chief industries were of metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls' school
(1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers, particularly the Jain, Marwaris and the administrators Kayastha. Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur, the last maharaja of Jaipur, died on April 17, 2011 at a private hospital in Gurgaon following multi-organ failure

Geography of Jaipur:

Jaipur is the headquarters of the Jaipur district which is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan. It is located at 26.92°N 75.82°E.It has an average elevation of 431 metres (1417 ft).

The major rivers passing through the Jaipur district are Banas and Banganga. Ground water resources to the extent of about 28.65 million cubic meter are available in the district. Although serious drought is rare, poor water management and exploitation of groundwater with extensive tube-well systems threatens agriculture in some areas.

Climate of Jaipur:

Jaipur has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) receiving over 650 millimetres (26 in) of rainfall annually but most rains occur in the monsoon months between June and September. Temperatures remain relatively high throughout the year, with the summer months of April to early July having average daily temperatures of around 30 °C (86 °F). During the monsoon there are frequent, heavy rains and thunderstorms, but flooding is not common. The winter months of November to February are mild and pleasant, with average temperatures ranging from 15–18 °C (59–64 °F) and with little or no humidity. There are however occasional cold waves that lead to temperatures near freezing.

Culture of Jaipur:

Jaipur is a hotspot for culture. Cultural Centres like Jawahar Kala Kendra and Ravindra Manch have helped promote the unique culture of the state of Rajasthan. Albert Hall Museum (Government Central Museum) hosts several arts and antiquities. There is a Government Museum at Hawa Mahal, an art gallery at Viratnagar. Jaipur also hosts the Numismatic Section, Directorate. The Town Hall (Old Vidhan Sabha
Bhawan) is slated to be converted into a museum. There are figurines depicting various forms of Rajasthani culture along various parts of the city. The city also decorated its flyovers with different interesting themes.

Arts and Crafts:

The rulers of Jaipur patronized a number of arts and crafts. They invited skilled artisans, artists and craftsmen from India and abroad. The different communities settled in various parts of city and made Jaipur their home. As a result, Jaipur is a major hub for various kinds of arts and crafts. Some of the crafts include Bandhani; Block printing; Stone carving and Sculpture; Tarkashi; Zari, Gota, Kinari and Zardozi; Silver Jewellery; Gems, Kundan, Meenakari and Jewellery; Miniature paintings; Blue Pottery; Ivory carving; Shellac work; Leatherware, etc.

Performing Arts:

Jaipur also has its own performing arts. The Jaipur Gharana of Kathak is a notable example. Others include Tamasha.

Jaipur Cuisine:

The city has a very delectable cuisine. Some of the local dishes have become world-famous names. Typical dishes include Dal Baati Churma, Missi Roti. Sweet dishes include Ghevar, Feeni, Chauguni ke laddu, Mohan Thal.

Jaipur sightseeing:

Hawa Mahal:

Hawa Mahalis a palace in Jaipur, India. It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Usta in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. Its unique five-storey exterior is also akin to the honeycomb of the beehive with its 953 small windows called jharokhas that are decorated with intricate lattice work.The original intention of the lattice was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to observe strict "purdah" (face cover).

Built of red and pink sandstone, the palace is situated on the main thoroughfare in the heart of Jaipur’s business centre. It forms part of the City Palace, and extends to the Zenana or women's chambers, the chambers of the harem. It is particularly striking when viewed early in the morning, lit with the golden light of sunrise.

Amber Fort:

Amber Fort is located in Amber (a town with an area of 4 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi), 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India. It is one of the principal tourist attractions in the Jaipur area, located high on a hill. The ancient citadel, the capital of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber from 1037 to 1727 AD, was shifted to present day Jaipur in 1727. Amber Fort is known for its artistic style, blending both Hindu and Mughal elements. The fort with its large ramparts, series of gates and cobbled paths, overlooks the Maota Lake, at its forefront.

The aesthetic ambiance of this formidable fort is seen within its walls on a four level (each with a courtyard) layout plan in well turned out opulent palace complex built with red sandstone and marble consisting of the Diwan-e-Aam or the "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-e-Khas or the "Hall of Private Audience", the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace) or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over the water cascade within the palace. Hence, the Amer Fort is also popularly known as the Amer Palace.The palace was lived in by the Rajput Maharajas and their families. At the entrance to the palace near the fort’s Ganesh Gate, there is also a temple dedicated to Sila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult which was gifted to Raja Mansingh when he had defeated the Raja of Jessore in Bengal (Jessore is now in Bangladesh) in 1604.

This fort along with Jaigarh Fort located immediately above on the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of same Aravalli range of hills, is considered as one complex, as the two are well connected by subterranean passage. This passage was meant as an escape route in times of war for the royal family members and others in the Amer Fort to shift to the more redoubtable Jaigarh Fort.

Annual tourist visitation to the Amer Palace in Amer town was reported by the Superintendent of Department of Archaeology and Museums to the Amber Palace as 5000 visitors a day, and 1.4 million visitors were reported during 2007.

Jaigarh Fort:

Jaigarh Fort is a fort situated on the hill premonitory called the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the Aravalli hill ranges; it overlooks the Amber Fort and the Moata Lake, near Amber in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. It was built as a defence fortification by Sawai Jai Singh III in 1726 to protect the Amer Fort and the palace complex within it and was named after Jai Singh II.

The fort, rugged and similar in structural design to the Amber Fort, is also known as Victory Fort. It has a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi)along the north-south direction and a width of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi). The fort features a cannon named “Jaivana”, which was manufactured in the fort precincts and was then the world's largest cannon on wheels. The palace complex (Laxmi Vilas, Lalit Mandir, Vilas Mandir and Aram Mandir) located within the fort has a well-tended garden where the royal family resided, the Shubhat Niwas (an assembly hall of the warriors), an armoury and a museum.

Jaigarh Fort and Amber Fort are connected by subterranean passages and considered as one complex.

Nahargarh Fort:

Nahagarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the pink city of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The view of the city from the fort is breath taking. Along with Amber Fort and Jaigarh Fort it formed a strong defence ring for the city. During the Sepoy revolt of 1857, Nahagarh served as a refuge for Europeans fleeing from the havoc created by mutineers in neighboring states. The word Nahargarh means the abode of tigers. Legends say that it was named after Prince Nahar whose spirit haunted the place and obstructed construction of the fort. Built mainly in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, it is partially in ruins. It was extended in 1868. The rooms are linked by corridors and still have some delicate frescos. There are nine apartments for the nine queens the Maharaja had and all are well planned and decorated. Nahargarh is also called the hunting residence of Maharajas.

City Palace:

City Palace, Jaipur, which includes the Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal palaces and other buildings, is a palace complex in Jaipur city, the capital of the Rajasthan state, India. It was the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur, the head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan. The Chandra Mahal palace now houses a museum but the greatest part of it is still a royal residence. The palace complex, which is located northeast of the centre of the grid patterned Jaipur city, incorporates an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens and buildings. The palace was built between 1729 and 1732, initially by Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber. He planned and built the outer walls, and later additions were made by successive rulers right up to the 20th century. The credit for the urban layout of the city and its structures is attributed to two architects namely, Vidyadar Bhattacharya, the chief architect in the royal court and Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, apart from the Sawai himself who was a keen architectural enthusiast. The architects achieved a fusion of the Shilpa shastra of Indian architecture with Rajput, Mughal and European styles of architecture.

Jantar Mantar:

The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (King) Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It is modeled after the one that he had built for him at the Mughal capital of Delhi. He had constructed a total of five such facilities at different locations, including the ones at Delhi and Jaipur. The Jaipur observatory is the largest and best preserved of these. It has been inscribed on the World Heritage List as "an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period". Early restoration work was undertaken under the supervision of Major Arthur Garrett, a keen amateur astronomer, during his appointment as Assistant State Engineer for the Jaipur District.

Jal Mahal:

Jal Mahal (meaning "Water Palace") is a palace located in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, India. The palace and the lake around it were renovated and enlarged in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.

The urban lake gets filled up during the rainy season; over the years, once the reservoir became full during rainy season, it got covered with Hyacinth. During this period the red stoned palace became approachable only by boat and through a causeway, and presented a spectacle on the way to Jaipur city from Delhi.

The lake got polluted due to sewage flow from the Jaipur city. The palace remained uninhabited, was not maintained and hence not visited by tourists. To remove the ecological damage caused to the lake due to indiscriminate pollution from the city sewage, restoration measures were undertaken, since 2001, after a detailed study by the Government of Rajasthan. But serious efforts were initiated only in 2004 through a very large restoration project undertaken through a joint-venture company called the Project Development Company Limited (PDCOR Ltd), Jaipur, a private enterprise (a consortium led by KGK Group), in association with the Government of Rajasthan, with institutional support provided by the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), a parastatal organization of the Government of India, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOE&F). The basic objective of the project is conservation and management of the lake in regard to ecological development, sustainable fisheries development, and wildlife development. The purpose of the project is also to cater to the tourist industry, because Rajasthan attracts the largest number of tourists every year; 650,000 national and 175,000 international tourists are said to visit the state every year. Tourism in the state of Rajasthan is generally monument-centric, particularly in Jaipur and in this
context Jal Mahal has an important role.

Rambagh Palace:

The Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan is the former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur and now a luxury Taj Palace Hotel, located 5 miles (8.0 km) outside of the walls of the city of Jaipur on Bhawani Singh Road. Preferred by celebrities and sport stars across the globe, Rambagh Palace, is widely considered to be one of the best hotels around the world.

Albert Hall Museum:

Albert Hall Museum is a museum in Jaipur city in Rajasthan state of India. It is the oldest museum of the state and functions as the State museum of Rajasthan. The building is situated in Ram Niwas Garden outside the city wall opposite New gate and is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The building was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob and was opened as public museum in 1887. It is also called the Government Central Museum. Maharaja Ram Singh initially wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh II, decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram Nivas Garden. The museum has a rich collection of artefacts like paintings, carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures, colourful crystal works etc.

It is named after King Edward VII (Albert Edward), during whose visit to the city as the Prince of Wales, its foundation stone was laid on February 6, 1876.

Govind Dev Ji Temple:

The Hindu temple Govind Deo Ji is situated in Jaipur in Rajasthan state of India. It is located in the City Palace complex. The temple is dedicated to Govind Deo Ji (LordKrishna) .The image of the deity was brought from Vrindavan here by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. According to popular legend, Lord Krishna's idol in the temple looks exactly like Krishna's form while his incarnation of Earth.

The deity originally belonged to Srila Rupa Goswami who was a disciple of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

For Vaishnavites, particularly followers of Lord Krishna, this is one of the most important temple in the world after Vrindavan.

'Aartis' and 'Bhog' are offered to the deity seven times a day, when the idol is unveiled for 'Darshan' .Thousands of devotees visit the temple daily and even larger number visit during Janmashtami.

Galtaji:

Galtaji is an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site situated 10 km from Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan, on the Jaipur-Agra highway near Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh. The site features temples, pavilions, natural springs and holy 'kunds'.

It is believed that Saint Galav spent his life here and practiced meditation.

The main temple is the Temple of Galtaji, built in pink stone; it comprises a huge complex and is famous due to the large tribe of monkeys who live here. These rhesus macaques were featured in the National Geographic channel's 'Rebel Monkeys' series. The temple features a number of pavilions with rounded roofs, exquisitely carved pillars, and painted walls. The temple is surrounded by natural springs and reservoirs that are considered holy. There are seven tanks here and the Galta Kund is considered the holiest. A large number of people take a holy bath in these tanks, especially on Makar Sankranti.

There is another temple in the complex, the temple of Balaji. Yet another notable temple at Galta is Surya Temple; Surya is dedicated to the Sun God and was built in the 18th century.

The place is known as Monkey temple (Galwar Bagh) in travel literature.

Birla Mandir:

Birla Mandir, Jaipur is a hindu temple located in Jaipur, India and is part of one of the several Birla mandirs located all around the country. The grand temple is located on an elevated ground at the base of Moti Dungari hill in Rajasthan. The temple is sometimes also referred to as the Laxmi Narayan Temple.

Gardens:

The city is doted with beautiful gardens and parks. Prominent among them are Ram Niwas Garden, Sisodia Rani Garden and Palace, Vidyadhar Garden, Kanak Vrindavan, Central Park, Jawahar Circle Garden, Technology Park in Mansarover, Vidyadhar ka Bagh in Goner. Other places of interest include Chand Baori (stepwell), Chokhi Dhani (a village resort), Kathputhli slum a Jaipur slum, Raj Mandir Cinema (a beautiful cinema hall).Jaipur is beautiful City

Jaipur Transport:

Road:

The city of Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is centrally located. National Highway No.8 links Delhi to Mumbai, National Highway No.12 links to Kota and National Highway No.11 links Bikaner to Agra, passing through Jaipur district with a total length of 366 km. The total length of different types of roads in the district was approximately 4,102 km in March 2000.RSRTC operates bus service to all the parts of Rajasthan and New delhi, Uttar pradesh, Haryana, Madhya pradesh.Bus service is operated from Sindhi camp, Jawahar nagar bus stand, Durgapura bus stand, Sodala bus stand.

City Bus:

City buses are operated by Jaipur City transport Services Limited (JCSTL) of RSRTC under JNNURM. The total number of city buses being operated stands more than 300. It includes both regular buses and low-floor buses. There are 3 bus depots Vaishali Nagar, vidyadhar nagar and Sanganer.The city bus service covers whole city.AC Low floor buses are also operated by JCTCL. A Hop on Hop off Bus Service is also
proposed for tourists.

Jaipur BRTS:

Jaipur Bus Rapid Transit Service was approved by government in August 2006 for implementation. The responsibility for managing Jaipur BRTS has been given to JCSTL, a Special Purpose Vehicle formed by Jaipur Development Authority and Jaipur Nagar Nigam in a joint venture. The BRTS is expected to cater to city's growing traffic for next 15–20 years. In Phase I, two corridors have been proposed.

Sikar Road to Tonk Road – North-South Corridor
Ajmer Road to Delhi Road – East-West Corridor

A section of North-South Corridoor from C-Zone Bypass near Harmada to Pani Pech became operational in 2010.

Rail:

Jaipur Railway Station is the headquarters of the North Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It has direct trains on the broad gauge network to all major cities in Rajasthan and India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kota, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Pune, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Raipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna, Trivendrum etc. and metre gauge network to Sri Ganganagar, Churu and Sikar. One of India's most famous and luxurious trains The Palace on Wheels, also makes a scheduled stop in Jaipur.

Jaipur Metro:

Am ambitious rapid transit rail project by the name Jaipur Metro is under progress. It will provide means of faster commutation for the city residents. It is expected to be operational by 2014.

Air:

Jaipur International Airport is situated in its satellite town of Sanganer, at a distance of 10 km from city center and offers sporadic service to major domestic and international locations. The Terminal 1 is used for both international and domestic flights, while Terminal 2 is reserved for domestic carriers. The airport handled 255,704 international and 1,267,876 passengers in 2009-2010. Jaipur Airport also provides air cargo services. The up-gradation of airport has offered improved connectivity and wider choice of services to air travellers, boosting both international tourism and economic development of the region. Frequently, during winter, many flights for Indira Gandhi International Airport are diverted to Jaipur airport due to heavy fog in Delhi.

Hotel in Jaipur:

Budget Hotels in Jaipur:

Hotel Savoy
Shri Sai Manglam Guest House
The Saneer Boutique Hotel
Hotel Shalimar
Tara Niwas
Hotel Baba Haveli
Hotel Ruby
Hotel Satkar
The Woods Villa Resort
Om Niwas
Hotel RG Palace
Hotel Konark
Hotel Cosy Home

3 Star Hotels in Jaipur:

Hari Mahal Palace
Hotel The Solitaire
Hotel Maharaja Residancy
Hotel Whispering Palms
Sunrise Health Resort
Hotel SDC Pride
Hotel Fly View
Rajputana Haveli
Vesta Maurya Palace
Arya Niwas

4 Star Hotels in Jaipur:

Sarovar Portico Jaipur
Park Prime
Hotel Libra
Pride Amber Vilas
Royal Orchid Central
Vesta International
Hotel Peppermint Jaipur
Hotel Paradise
Hotel GENESIS
Devraj Niwas
Clark's Amer

5 Star Hotels in Jaipur:

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson
The Raj Palace
Heritage Retreat
Holiday Inn
Le Meridien
Chomu Palace - Luxury Heritage Palace
Shiv Vilas Resorts
Hotel Cambay Spa And Resort
Hotel Cambay Golf Resort
Rambagh Palace
Trident Jaipur