The bustling capital city trappings of all modern metropolis, but, yet flavored with an age-old charm that never fails to surprise its visitors, the old city is surrounded by a strong wall and beautiful ornately painted gates, endowed with natural beauty and great royal history, the stunning backdrop of massive forts, palaces, beautiful mansions and jam-packed streets with pink corners all around, colorful markets with the ancient view all around the city undoubtedly grip the visitor’s fondness
What UNESCO noted about Jaipur
Jaipur’s town planning shows an ‘interchange of ancient Indian and contemporary Western ideas’ that shaped the city. The city houses various architectural styles, an example of the amalgamation of cultures. The city is associated with living traditions in the form of crafts that have national and international recognition
Folklore of heroism and romance resounds from the formidable monuments that majestically stand to tell the tale of a bygone era of this royal town
The walled city of Jaipur has a historical tale
The walled city of Jaipur the gateway of Royal Kingdom Rajasthan and India’s first planned city founded in 1727, every tiny detail was considered before laying the foundation stone, from the orientation of gates to the manuscript scrawled above each shop, and now this place is to feature on the prestigious list of World Heritage Sites. Raja Jai Singh ruled the state from 1699 to 1743 and was a famous mathematician and astronomer who was the founder of this historic city. The marvelous architecture, natural beauty, cuisines, and loving nature of the town’s men would be enough to make Jaipur a unique spot. There is much to explore in this pink city of India, packed with rich culture, life history, and magical colors at every turn and corner. A part of the Golden Triangle, Jaipur is a must-visit destination along with Agra and Delhi
Looking to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876, the then ruler of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II, re-painted the entire city terracotta pink. The color is meant to symbolize hospitality and also mollify the glaring sunlight. After the Prince came to visit, all the shopkeepers and households maintains the now-famous pink color, and the tradition continues
Earlier the city was within a wall but over the years with rapid population growth, the area outgrew the walled city. The gates of the walled city or the old city of Jaipur are hard to miss. As per the plan, a 6-meter high and 3-meter thick wall surrounded Jaipur, containing the city within. This wall acted as a security feature, protecting the city and its inhabitants from any outside threats like attacking armies, wild animals, and dacoits
Initially, it was eight gates in the city in four directions. These gates would close at dusk and open only after dawn. To alarm all citizens in the evening about the impending closure of gates, small cannons would be fired similarly to the sounding of bells. This scheme of closing the gates at dusk was followed until the 1940s. The new areas were being developed outside the walled city and the city extended much beyond these gates. Today, these gates are merely symbolic; part of the city’s history
Let’s have a look at this heritage city of India
The city is dotted with many unique heritage structures, grand royal palaces, and massive forts all these serve as a great reminder of a bygone period of regal past. The moment you walk through the pink city, you can imagine the realness of grandeur. Every monument of the pink city has its uniqueness and its worth visit
Hawa Mahal ‘The Wind Place’ is a well-known landmark of Jaipur and also its icon. This unique monument was built by the poet King Sawai Pratap Singh, and it was designed by Lal Chand Ustad. Its five-floor exterior is akin to a honeycomb with its small windows called ‘Jharokhas’ decorated with intricate latticework. The original intent of the lattice design was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life and festivals celebrated in the street below without being seen since they had to obey the strict rules of ‘Purdah’ that forbade them from appearing in public without face coverings. This building overlooks the busy market street, it is 87 feet high with unique architectural styles and shaped like a crown. The wind palace has been in use for more than 200 years. In a way, it has become an emblem of the pink city
Hawa Mahal was built for Royal ladies, as they could enjoy the street functions and festivals without being revealed to the audience, without any disagreement with their Purdah System
Some interesting facts about Hawa Mahal
Many people see the Hawa Mahal from the street view and think it is the front of the palace, but it is the back
It was built in the continuation of the Royal City Palace
Royals families utilized this building as their summer retreat
This palace is a five-story pyramidal-shaped monument that rises to about 50 feet (15 m). The top three floors of the structure have the width of a single room, while the first and second floors have patios in front of them. The front elevation, as seen from the street, is like a honeycomb with small portholes. Each porthole has miniature windows and carved sandstone grills, finials, and domes
The Amber Palace set in picturesque and rugged hills is a fascinating blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture. Located in Amer a town around 11 km from the city center, the fort palace is situated high on a hill. It has been listed by the world monument fund (WMF) as one of the 100 endangered sites in the World also pronounced as Amber, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Constructed in 1592 by Raja Man Singh I and completed by Mirja Raja Jai Singh the fort palace was made of red sandstone and white marble. The rugged forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise with a beautiful fusion of art and architecture. Amber is the classic and romantic fort palace with a magnificent aura. The interior wall of the palace depicts expressive painting scenes with carvings, precious stones, and mirror settings. In the foreground is a beautiful lake providing a breathtaking vista
The fort-palace is divided into levels of layout plans each with a courtyard. In first level consisting of the Diwan-e-Aam or the Hall of Public Audience, where the king meets with people of his state and listens there problems, and gives them justice. We can say it’s like as modern courts. The Diwan-e-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience is where this king meets other kings and his generals and army commanders. They plan their plans and strategies. It was like the house of parliament where members of parliament gathered together for planning
Sheesh, Mahal (Mirror Palace) in the Amber fort palace. The ceiling of the Sheesh Mahal is exquisitely beautified with glass inlaid panels and multi-mirrored ceilings. The mirror mosaics and colored glass were glittering jewel boxes in flickering candlelight and this thing looks like we see stars in the morning
Elephant Village is one of the most fantastic activities while visiting the pink city, this village surrounded by the Aravali mountain ranges, adds unique fun to your Jaipur trip, not only by engaging in fun activities with Elephants but an opportunity to interact with the intelligent animal. Elephants understand a language, and here you may learn some basics of the language to communicate with the Elephants
Feeding elephants some sugarcane or bananas, washing Elephants with a shower with their keeper and painting Elephants like making a fancy dress for them. Elephant Safari is a thrilling experience, you can ride an Elephant on special tracks within the unique village
The unique Jal Mahal Palace ‘The Water Palace’ is a palace in the middle of the lake, an architectural showcase of the Rajput style of architecture, the low-rise symmetrical palace, which was once a shooting lodge for the royals, appears to float in the center of a beautiful lake. The view of the water palace is eye-catching as hundreds of migratory birds can be sighted swimming in winter in the beautiful lake
City Palace in the heart of the walled city, the palace complex gives you an idea about the farsightedness of the founder of Jaipur, as he left behind a legacy of some of the most imposing and magnificent architecture in the city
The city palace was once the site of a royal hunting lodge on a plain land encircled by a rocky hill range. The city palace is closely linked with the history of Jaipur and its rulers, starting with Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II ruled from 1699 to 1744, credited with initiating the construction of the city palace complex by building the outer wall of the complex spreading over many acres. Initially, he ruled from his capital Amber
The beautiful city palace, a unique and special complex of several courtyards, buildings, pavilions, gardens
Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a set of some 20 main fixed instruments, a collection of 19 astronomical instruments built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince
Jantar Mantar features the world’s largest stone sundial. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations and are the most significant, most comprehensive, and best preserved of India’s historic observatories
Albert Hall Museum consists of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. This building is the same style as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The assortment behold the beautification of the site along with the pillars. The museum was designed in 1876 by Colonel Sir Swinton to greet King Edward VII as Prince of Wales on his visit to India. The courtyards and the arches of the museum are worth a visit. The museum amazingly houses thousands of historical objects and has various rare collections
An Egyptian Mummy is one of the main attractions of the Albert Hall Museum. A 2,300-year-old Egyptian mummy was among the rare objects of interest which saved her from drowning here. The mummy, named Tutu, a female member of a family of priests, dates back to Egypt’s Ptolemic period from early 300 B.C. to 30 B.C. Excavated from a pyramid in the Akhmim area of the ancient city of Panopolis
Patrika Gate is a place for all photography enthusiasts and stunning pictures! But try and visit it early in the morning to avoid crowds, at the 30 minutes distance from downtown. The memorial is an attempt to integrate the art, craft, and cultural heritage of Rajasthan into one structure. The design of the Patrika Gate incorporates the cultural lifestyle and architecture of all the parts of Rajasthan
Chokidhani model village is like a place with never-ending festivals without the typical chaos. The best le site of spectacular Rajasthani cultural performances, being here is the best way to imbibe the essence of Rajasthani spices, aromas, and colors. Here you will get the best chance to get friendly with local traditions and Rajasthani food
Nearly every place in India seems to be seeping with history and beauty, it combines a set of vibrant history and culture with gorgeous natural scenery that includes scenic hills, beautiful beaches, pristine backwaters, dense jungles, vast endless deserts, unique heritage monuments, palaces and towns with architectural and historical importance. India’s magic lies in the charm of its incredible people and their fantastic stories, the vibrancy of its heritage, and the unique ways of lifestyle that exist today
With Shamrock Journeys, you’ll discover all this and much more; we design exclusive features for the best exposure and experiences that help you lift the lid on this spectacular land
Our tours aim to uncover cultural intricacies and connections across a wide range of subject areas and themes including art, architecture, archaeology, history, culture, and the natural image of this unique destination
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