An
Overview of Jaipur :
Jaipur, the capital city of the royal state Rajasthan is one of the
important destinations of the Golden Triangle Tour of North India. The city
was founded by the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and so named as Jaipur. The
city has well laid out gardens with numerous historic monuments including
forts and palaces, which are the major tourist attractions of the place. It
is also known as the Pink City of India as the whole city was painted in
pink colour to welcome the Prince of Wales, Edward VII in 1876. The city
offers numerous tourist attractions in the form of forts, palaces, museums,
temples and havelis.
Climate of Jaipur :
Due to its proximity to the Thar Desert, Jaipur experiences a extreme
climate. Its hot summer temperature can go up to 45 degrees C and winters
are cold with minimum temperature around 5 degrees C. October to March is
the ideal time to visit the city. Its monsoon season is generally between
months of July and September when it receives a rainfall of about 556mm.
Tourist Attractions of Jaipur :
City Palace - Built by Kachchwah Rajput rulers, the City Palace is an
excellent confluence of Mughal and Rajputana architecture. Within it, there
are several buildings of royal residences. The palace complex can be
approached through the gate of Atish Pol passing through the Gaindon ki
Deori or the “rhinoceros gate”. The Mubarak Mahal, Diwan-i-Khash,
Diwan-i-Am, Pritam Niwas Chowk, Chandra Mahal(moon palace) are some of the
major structures inside the complex. The Mubarak Mahal also houses a museum
having a rich collection of miniature paintings, weapons, old costumes and
some rare manuscripts. The palace is open daily from 9.30 AM to 4.45 PM with
an entry fee of Rs 35 for Indians and Rs 180 for foreigners.
»
Hawa Mahal - Built in 1799, it is another must visit monument in Jaipur.
It has 953 sand windows which are used by royal women to watch the
procession in the street. Inside the complex there is also a museum of
handicrafts and archaeological finds. The palace is open daily from 9 am to
5 pm except Friday with an entry fee of Rs 5.
» Jantar Mantar - Built in stone and marble, this
wonderful observatory was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1718, who was
astronomer also. There are several astronomical objects which were used to
observe the movement of stars. The monument is open daily from 9 am-4.30 pm
and has an entry fee of Rs 10.
» Amber Fort - This fort complex is a fascinating
amalgamation of Hindu and Muslim architecture. Its constructed by Raja
Mansingh II in the year 1592 and completed by his successor Jai Singh I.
Built with white marble and red sandstone this complex has several beautiful
apartments with intricate stone carvings.
Getting to Jaipur :
»
By Air - Jaipur's Sanganer Airport is just about 15 km from downtown and
is connected to Delhi by two daily flights. It is the only international
airport of the Rajasthan state and has flight services to London, Singapore
and Dubai. It also has domestic air links to Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mumbai &
Aurangabad.
» By Rail - Jaipur Station is well connected to
Delhi and other major north Indian cities by regular express train services.
» By Road - The NH8 links it with Delhi and
Ahmadabad while NH11 links Jaipur with Bikaner and Agra.
» By Local Transport - Taxis, auto rickshaws and
city buses are the major modes of local transport.
