Jaipur

Introduction

Place of Winds in scaffolding

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The history and times of Jaipur (Rajasthan, India) are deeply entwined with the stories of royal princes and princesses, with grand Mughals and later with visiting dignitaries from the British Royal family or 20th century royalty like the US Presidential families. Modern Jaipur plays host to all of them and to many thousands of ordinary people who come here enchanted by all that the city has to offer.
Jaipur is undoubtedly a city of kings and queens and its distinctive architecture clearly emphasis’s this. Even so it has a timeless appeal, since many of the traditional crafts patronised by the 18th century rulers are still thriving. So, you have streets that are famous for jewellery, tie-and-dye, pottery, ‘meenakari’, leatherwork and stone carvings.

Tourists find it astonishing that the whole city was painted in autumn pink by the then sovereign of the city to welcome his distinguished guest, the Prince of Wales in 1876.

Horse Polo was very popular amongst the Maharajas, especially during the British Raj. Man Singh II was the finest and most dashing polo player in the world, whose polo team was champion in the European Polo circuit in the 1930s. The Polo victory cinema in Jaipur, built by his polo stick maker commemorated a world record in the Sport. The "Big Four' consisting of Maharaja Man Singh, Maharaja Prithvi Singh, Rao Raja Hanut Singh and Rao Raja Abhey Singh had won all the open tournaments a record which has never been equaled. Man Singh actually died playing the sport he loved, at a polo match in England in 1970. The royalty in Rajasthan is evident in the splendid forts and Palaces of Jaipur where again the cuisine is very special and exclusive to this region.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and activities

Hawa Mahal - Palace of the winds

Probably the most famous image of Jaipur is that of the Palace of the Winds or Hawa Mahal, a unique palace built in 1799, by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. It is part of the City Palace complex, and has many small windows facing the street and forms an elaborate facade. The theory is it was designed to allow the royal ladies to view the processions and activities in the street below without being seen by passers by. The breeze blowing through the windows also keeps the palace cool, and gives Hawa Mahal its name. It has intricate over-hanging latticed balconies and is a really charming example of the Rajput architecture, which was strongly influenced by the Mughal style of architecture. Behind the dusky pink facade the rear of the building is quite a surprise as it is mostly plain corridors, pillars and passages.

Amber Fort

Amber Fort is another imposing sight in Jaipur, Rajasthan's pink capital city. It is also known as 'Amer' and pronounced 'Amer Fort'. Amber was the capital of the Kachwaha Rajput clan until 1727, but the first Rajput structure in this area, was started by Raja Kakil Dev when Amber became his capital in 1036 on the site of present day Jaigarh Fort.

The Amber Fort is built in white marble and red sandstone and dates back to 1592 when its construction was started by Raja Man Singh I. However, the Fort took its present form during the reign of Raja Jai Singh I. To add to its dimensions it is reflected in the lake below.

The outer appearance of the Fort is quite rugged and the mighty walls guarantee the protection of the Fort against any invasion and this contrasts with a very different and decorative interior. The interior decoration is influenced by both, the Hindu and Muslim style of ornamentation. There are paintings of hunting scenes on the walls depicting the lives of the Rajputs, who were adventurous warriors who also enjoyed some luxury too when at home!
The intricate carvings on the walls and ceilings and fine detailed mirror work adds to the grand appearance and royal style within this great fort.

Other sights and activities

Abhaneri Stepwell

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• Jaigarh fort
• Rambagh Palace
• City Palace
• Jantar Mantar
• Raj Palace
• Jai Mahal Palace
• Naharganj Fort
• Albert Hall Museum
• Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Museum
• Chand Baori is a large stepwell located in the nearby village of Abhaneri.

Events and Festivals

Jaipur is famous for a number of fairs and festivals. Some of the important ones are:

• Elephant festival – is usually held in the month of March on the eve of Holi, the festival of colors. Elephants are colorfully decorated and prizes are given for the most beautifully decorated Elephant. Other events include Elephant race, polo match and a tug of war is held with the elephant on one side and around 20 men/women on the other side..
• Gangaur festival – is the most important local festival and is observed throughout the state of Rajasthan. It is practiced by womenfolk, while unmarried women pray for being blessed with good partners, married women pray for happiness in the family and health and long life of their spouses.
• Teej – marks the advent of the monsoon month of Shravan(August). Young girls and women dressed in green clothes sing songs to welcome the rains. An elaborate procession is taken out in Jaipur to mark this day.
• Sheetla Mata Fair – is held in March-April on a nearby hillock where the temple of Sheetla Mata stands. A market comes up at the fair site and local materials are traded and sold. Cattle fair is also held in which bullocks, horse, etc so sold.

Weather

Jaipur lies on the edge of the Thar desert, hence it experiences Semi-arid climate. Summers(March-June) are very hot with temperatures crossing 40 degrees Celsius on most of the occassions. Jaipur gets most of its annual rainfull in the moonsoon months of July to October. There are frequent thunderstooms but flooding is not common in these areas. Winter months of November to February have mild temperature in the range of 16-20 degrees Celsius. The most convenient time to visit Jaipur is the period from November to February when temperatures are mild and there is hardly any rain

Getting There

By Plane

Jaipur International Airport (Airport code JAI) is located around 13 kilometres from the city and has a number of flights linking the city to all the major cities of India. Recently the airport has been upgraded to an international airport and to begin with flights are available to Sharjah, Dubai and Muscat. Other destinations include Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar. The airport can be easily reached from the city centre by taxis, autorickshaws and city buses.

By Train

Jaipur is well connected by rail network to rest of India. Super fast trains are available from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Udaipur, Agra and other prominent cities. The famed and super luxurious train Palace on wheels also makes a stop at Jaipur before connecting to other cities of Rajasthan. Indian Railways operates the rail network in India.

By Car

Jaipur is well connected by road to Delhi and Agra and other towns of the region.

Some of the indicative road distances are as below:

• Jaipur-Agra - 232 kilometres.
• Jaipur-Ajmer - 132 kilometres.
• Jaipur-Delhi - 260 kilometres.
• Jaipur-Swai Madhopur - 162 kilometres.
• Jaipur-Bharatpur - 176 kilometres.
• Jaipur-Udaipur - 400 kilometres.
• Jaipur-Jodhpur - 340 kilometres.
• Jaipur-Jaisalmer - 638 kilometres.

By Bus

Ordinary and luxury buses operated by both private and government authorities connect the city to other towns of the region. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation, a government agency has an extensive network of buses connceting the various cities of Rajasthan. E-ticket facility is also available for Air-conditioned buses operating on the Jaipur-Agra and Jaipur-Delhi route.

By Boat

No boat service is available as the city does not lie on a waterway.

Getting Around

It is not advisable to move around on foot as it can be quite hot during the day. Taxis, autorickshaws or cycle rickshaws can be hired for moving around the city.

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

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Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

India Post is the national postal service of India, and on their website you find details about prices to send postcards, letters and parcels, both domestically and internationally. For most postcards to send internationally, it is better to visit the post office before writing on the card as you may need quite a few stamps. Parcels must be taken to a tailor, he will then sew it up in white linen. Make sure he seals it with red wax, otherwise the post office may refuse to send it or try to get you to pay them to do it. Sewing up a parcel should only cost 50rs to 200rs. In general, post offices are open from 10:00am to 1:00pm and 1:30pm to 4:30pm in most bigger towns and cities, though there are regional variations and some might keep longer hours or be open during (part of) the weekend as well. Ask around.