Jaipur - The Pink City of India
The capital city of Rajasthan has much in store for the royal guests aboard the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels. Dotted with impeccably designed palaces, forts, royal gardens and cenotaphs, Jaipur is one picture perfect city mostly visited for its age old charm and contemporary markets. Home to several heritage sites, Jaipur is still the princely destination that all guests on India tours plan to visit. Pink hues on most of the buildings in and around the city have earned it the name of being the pink city of India.
History
The city of Jaipur was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in the first half of the 17th century. Amer, another princely town located just a few km from Jaipur was initially the political seat and capital of Jai Singh. However, with the growing population and growing scarcity of water in his kingdom, he had no other option but to shift his capital from Amer to some other bigger and safer place. Jaipur naturally posed as the ideal option and after much planning and preparation, the city was built and the capital shifted here. No wonder, Jaipur is till today one of the best planned cities in the country!
Climate
Jaipur is influenced by the semi desert lands that surround this beautiful Indian city. Therefore an arid climate prevails over it, throughout the year. Summers are extremely hot with maximum temperatures often touching a high of 45 degree Celsius. Winter temperatures range between 15 and 20 degrees and the weather around the winter months are quite bearable
Attractions
Jaipur houses a number of architectural wonders that attract tourists to come to their midst, from all over the world. Most of the attractions being medieval monuments wonderfully depict the rich artistic taste of the rulers and craftsmen of that era. Some of the topmost attractions housed in the city include:
Hawa Mahal -Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds was built for the ladies of the royal family. The tall structure was built in a way that the royal ladies could comfortably sit and enjoy the happenings of the town, in the streets below. The magnificence of the structure is that the latticed windows or Jharokhas enabled people sitting inside the palace to catch clear glimpses of the world outside, but no one could see through the walls of the palace. The palace was designed so in order to preserve the privacy of the ladies of the royal household. The pink structure still stands tall in the heart of Jaipur.
Amer Fort Amer Fort was once the capital of the Rajputana kingdom, prior to Jaipur being crowned one. Located just a few km from Jaipur, Amer still exudes regality and excellence through the palaces and gardens that still tell a million tales. Its ideal location, being located atop a hillock enables guests visiting the fort to enjoy vivid images of the Jaipur city.
Jantar Mantar Jantar Mantar pays tribute to the rich astrological and astronomical sense of Maharaja Jai Singh II who designed and patronized the creation of this royal observatory. Built to calculate the planetary movements, this timeless monument is also one of the best preserved monuments of India. There are about 5 Jantar Mantar monuments housed in the country.
City Palace The main palace complex of Jaipur, City Palace is one of the must-visit destinations in town. Out of the many palaces that are housed within the complex, the glory and beauty of the Chandra Mahal and the Mubarak Mahal need special mention. A spectacular blend of Rajput, Mughal and Gothic styles of architectural accentuate the beauty of the City Palace.
Hawa Mahal -Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds was built for the ladies of the royal family. The tall structure was built in a way that the royal ladies could comfortably sit and enjoy the happenings of the town, in the streets below. The magnificence of the structure is that the latticed windows or Jharokhas enabled people sitting inside the palace to catch clear glimpses of the world outside, but no one could see through the walls of the palace. The palace was designed so in order to preserve the privacy of the ladies of the royal household. The pink structure still stands tall in the heart of Jaipur.
Amer Fort Amer Fort was once the capital of the Rajputana kingdom, prior to Jaipur being crowned one. Located just a few km from Jaipur, Amer still exudes regality and excellence through the palaces and gardens that still tell a million tales. Its ideal location, being located atop a hillock enables guests visiting the fort to enjoy vivid images of the Jaipur city.
Jantar Mantar Jantar Mantar pays tribute to the rich astrological and astronomical sense of Maharaja Jai Singh II who designed and patronized the creation of this royal observatory. Built to calculate the planetary movements, this timeless monument is also one of the best preserved monuments of India. There are about 5 Jantar Mantar monuments housed in the country.
City Palace The main palace complex of Jaipur, City Palace is one of the must-visit destinations in town. Out of the many palaces that are housed within the complex, the glory and beauty of the Chandra Mahal and the Mubarak Mahal need special mention. A spectacular blend of Rajput, Mughal and Gothic styles of architectural accentuate the beauty of the City Palace.
