Tourist Destinations of Rajasthan

Jaipur

About This City

HISTORY
The Picturesque capital of Rajasthan , Jaipur is colour  washed Pink – the colour associated with  hospitality in Rajput culture . Built in 1727 A.D  by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh – II , Jaipur displays a remarkable harmony and architectural Splendour . The Ancient heart of athe Pink City  Still beats in its fairy – tale palaces . rugged  fortresses perched on barren hills and  boad avenues that dot the entire city . The only planned city of its time , Jaipur is encircled by a formidable wall .

The sovereign of Amber, built Jaipur in the eighteenth century. It was also around that time that the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had died and the decline of the Mughal Empire had set in. Jai Singh had started distancing himself from the affair of the Mughal Court and he began concentrating on building of Amber. His search for a safe place for the increasing population of Amber resulted in Jaipur, This was India's first planned city and a brilliant architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya from Bengal was commissioned to plan the city. He designed it in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, the Shilpa Shastra (Vaastu).

Jaipur was planned in a gird system with wide straight avenues, roads, streets and lanes and uniform rows of shops on either side of the main roads, all arranged in nine rectangular city sectors (chokdis). The city is surrounded by a wall having seven gates and was built for protection from invading armies and wild animals that lurked just outside in the jungles that surrounded the city. But Jai Singh's planned city has withstood all the pressures and the changes. 

Romance of Pink
 Jaipur needed a fresh coat of paint to welcome its distinguished guest the Prince of Wales in 1905-6. The contractor inability to supply any other color in the required quantity compelled the choice of pink shade for its walls. A contractor’s compulsion famed Jaipur to Pinkcity. Since then the Pink color is associated with hospitality in Rajput culture. 

Jaipur has a timeless appeal in its colorful bazaars that delights for its Rajasthani handlooms and trinkets. Beautifully laid out gardens and parks, attractive monuments and marvelous heritage hotels, once the residence of Maharajas, are worth admiration, not to mention the ambling camels and cheerful people in multi hued costumes that make Jaipur a tourist's paradise.
First planned city
Jaipur is the first planned city of north India. Designed in accordance with Shilp Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, Jaipur follows a grid system and is encircled by a massive wall painted pink. Today, the city has spread beyond these walls and continues to grow. Jai Singh's planned city, Jaipur, has withstood the pressure of time. The pink colour used at the time of its making is still maintained scrupulously. Beautiful gardens and parks and attractive monuments, which once housed maharajas, are still to be found everywhere.

Street Craft
Considered a marvel of town planning, Jaipur drew merchants and craftsmen to its streets and rewarded them with colonies earmarked for them. Traditional crafts like jewellery, metal work, enamelling, tie and dye, pottery, leather work, stone carving and miniature painting, patronised by the rulers in the 18th century, continue to thrive in this day and age.

Jaipur's Charm
It is a city with timeless quality to it, a city where the ancient and the modern coexist in complete harmony. Colourfully-attired women in their ghagra-odhani and men in spotless dhoti-kurtas and colourful turbans make it all the more vibrant and beautiful. Not to mention the ambling camels and cheerful people in multi-hued costumes that make your trip to Pink City a memorable one!

Unlike other Indian cities, Jaipur is a heritage city. The rich culture is the essence of its glory and the monuments and traditions are a treasured possession. Peace, harmony and complete symphony prevails in this land of forts and palaces and plush multiplexes. The five star hotels with state of the heart facilities also have a rich tradition to take care of the guests and will also impress you with gestures that place a special mark on your memories. The royal past, modern present and hi-tech future will make Jaipur top the list of must-visit destination in India.
'Padharo mahaarey des'(Come to my land) is what the incomparable culture says!

Travel Map Jaipur