Jaipur, popular as “Pink City”, is known for housing some of the best architectural structures and heritage sights of the country. Everything in and around the city appears like the watermark of the rich heritage of the city in the erstwhile days. The local handicrafts, the ancient monuments, the Royal Palaces and the colorful saris, everything around Jaipur give a glimpse into the glorious lives of monarchy.Area:111.8 sq. km
Established on: November 18, 1727
Founded by: Jai Singh II
Location: The city is located in the desert state of India, Rajasthan. From Delhi, it is 260 km South-West in direction.
How to Reach:
By Air: Jaipur International Airport
By Rail: Jaipur Railway Station
By Road: Mumbai (1202 km), Bikaner (321 km), Agra (236 km), Udaipur (405 km), Jodhpur (316 km), Ajmer (131 km), Bharatpur (176 km), Delhi (258 km) and Jaisalmer (638 km)
Best time to Visit: October to March
Languages Spoken: Rajasthani, Hindi and English
Famous Cuisines: Ghevar, Mirchi-Bada, Lashun-Ki-Chutney, Gatte-Ki-Sabji, Kadhi, Bajre ki Roti, Churma, Halwa, Gujia, Dal Baati
History
The city of Jaipur has an interesting history. The city is named after its founder Maharaja Jai Singh II. His rivalry with rulers of Mewar, Sisodia Rajputs formed his alliance with Mughals and gave him importance in Rajasthan.
He ruled from Amber Fort and took over Mewar (Udaipur) and Marwar (Jodhpur) kingdoms. He tried to support Aurangzeb’s son Azam Shah to get the throne after Aurangzeb’s death, but it went to Bahadur Shah, who asked for his banishment from courts.
Jai Singh then formed alliance with other Rajput clans and defeated Mughals and reinstated his position.
Jai Singh ordered construction of a city around Amber fort and named it as Jaipur.
The contribution of primary architect of Jaipur, Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, is noteworthy. He designed the city according to strong scientific principles of Shilpa Shastra, the traditional architectural manual and helped in forming Jaipur as India’s best planned city till date.
After Jai Singh’s death, his sons fought for power and position and hence the city was constantly attacked by outside clans.
Jaipur formed healthy relations with British Raj and supported them during the battle of 1857. British took advantage of the situation and took complete control of the administration of Jaipur.
Maharaja Ram Singh, in 1876, ordered the whole city to be painted in Pink to give a warm welcome to Prince of Wales who visited Jaipur. This tradition is maintained till date and now all the residents are ordered by law to be colored in Pink only in the old city of Jaipur. He also designed Ramgarh Lake to provide continuous supply of water to people.
Man Singh II, in the year 1922, constructed numerous civil buildings in the city including hospitals, schools, secretariat and other public buildings.
Post independence of India, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur combined with Jaipur and formed a state called Rajasthan. Jaipur was declared as the capital city of Rajasthan in the year 1956.
Jaipur- The Modern City
There is no doubt in one’s mind why the Pink city is included in almost every itinerary when one plans a tour to India. Jaipur is a city like no other in the world.
The city of Jaipur definitely makes it to the top of the list if one talks about India’s most beautiful destination. The city which acted as the stronghold of varied erstwhile rulers of Rajasthan, the city is flushed with numerous heritage buildings all around itself. The city boasts about treating tourists from all over the world with traditional Royal hospitality.
The city of Jaipur is located right in the center of Thar Desert, and it is this strategic location that has provided her with a unique sense of lifestyle, architecture, culture and history.
Jaipur is ideal when it comes to shopping activities. Tourists travel from faraway lands to this exotic destination and use the opportunity smartly to shop for authentic Rajasthani ornaments, artifacts, embroidered shoes and clothes, pottery items and other exotic items.
Apart from shopping, Jaipur has other things to offer to tourists as well. The Jaipur fairs, pageants and festivals flushed with exceptional people in colorful clothes are as much a spectacle as the shops, houses and Havelis in the city that are all painted in Pink.
Walking around the old city, seeing the magnificent architecture of the town, feeding on the authentically cooked Jaipur cuisines, is just a magical experience. Truly this city is marked for some of the best sightseeing ventures.
The traditional outfit of Jaipur people is very appealing and one definitely would love to try them on himself/herself. For men, the outfit is white colored shirts and dhotis along with spectacularly colored turbans. For women, the colorful swaying saris are perfect.
Right in this magical demonstration of colors, Jaipur houses some of the best tourist attractions. These attractions showcase the significance of the rich cultural aspects of Jaipur. A tour to some of these attractions is an experience of a lifetime.
