Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan or ‘ land of the kings ‘ falls on the most popular tourist circuit in India, the golden triangle of Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. Jaipur was built by and named after Sawai Jai Singh II. In 1727, he moved his capital from Amber, which was built on a hill, and founded Jaipur city down in the plains. Planned with wide roads and according to the ancient Indian Shilpa Shastra or architecture, Jaipur today still retains its old world charm amongst its bustling business centers.
How to reach
Excellent roads connect Jaipur to Delhi and Mumbai. NH8 connecting Delhi to Mumbai passes through Jaipur, and NH 11 connects Agra to Bikaner passing through Jaipur. NH12 connects Jaipur to Jabalpur in MP.
Jaipur is connected by trains from Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore among other the big cities in the country, and Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner within Rajasthan. One can travel to Jaipur on the famed Palace on Wheels – one of the most luxurious trains- to get a feel of past splendor of the Maharajas.
The Jaipur Airport at Sanganer serves domestic flights from all metros and other cities in India, and international flights to Dubai and Muscat.
Best time to visit
Its proximity to India’s lone desert in Rajasthan –Thar, makes the temperature in Jaipur hot in summer and moderate in winter. Weather is best between October and March. In winter the temperature ranges between 21°C and 8°C, making it a pleasant time to travel. Summer is the off season as it is intensely hot with temperature frequently touching 45°C, but one can get good deals on hotel accommodations.
Hotels
Tourists have a choice of luxury hotels, middle and budget hotels. One can book paying guest accommodations with a family to get a local flavor of living in a Rajasthani household. The Oberoi, Mansingh, Sheraton and Clarks are five-star hotels. The Rambagh Palace and Jai Mahal Palace, the former residences of the Maharaja now converted into heritage hotels, afford a piece of nostalgia into the life-style of a royal.
Sight Seeing
Famously called the Pink city for the pink painted buildings in the city, Jaipur has imposing forts surrounding it, palaces within the forts, and temples within the city. One enters the walled part of Jaipur city through its gates- Ajmeri, Chandpol and Sanganeri. Inside are main tourist sites. The City Palace and Museum, built in a blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture lies in the city center. The royal family still lives in a part of the palace and one can even meet the Maharaja by appointment. Within the City Palace is Jaipur’s most famous temple the Radha Govind Ji. The deities in this Krishna temple were originally from Vrindavan and are revered by the Hindus.
A visit to the Jaipur landmark, Hawa Mahal is must on any itinerary. One can view the façade of its latticed windows from the street or visit the Mahal and climb to the top for a view of the streets below. Jantar Mantar a stone observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh is across the city from the Palace. It has 18 gigantic instruments for making astronomical calculations.
North of Jaipur is Nahargarh Fort, built on the Aravalli Ranges. The deserted Amber fort lies on a hilltop about 1 km, and the formidable Jaigarh fort about 15 km from Jaipur. Within the Jaigarh fort there is a weapons museum and ancient temples of Ram Harihar and Kal Bhairav. A 55 ton canon- the Jai Ban Canon- is displayed on the ramparts of this fort.
The Rajasthan Tourism Department runs a full day and half day tour of the city.
Shopping
Glistening new malls at Gaurav Towers and Ganpati Plaza notwithstanding, it is the old walled city which is the hub of tourist shopping. One can visit Johri Bazaar, cheapest place in India for buying gemstones, or one can pick up cotton fabric in the traditional tie and die and Bandhej from Badi Chaupar, Mirza Ismail road and Bapu Bazar. Other things to shop for are woolen carpets, blue pottery, brassware, footwear, sandstone carvings and handicrafts which are available at all the markets.
Last Updated on 4/24/2012
