Jaipur, pink city of Rajasthan is the wonderful place to visit and adorn the rich history of rulers of ancient times. Magnificent forts, havelis and palaces, bright colorful markets, museums, Indian textiles are the major attractions of the city. There is an interesting fact behind the pink color of the city. Pink color represents hospitality. The king named Maharaja Ram Singh painted whole city in pink color to welcome the royal guests – Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (son of Queen Victoria). Later on, Lord Albert described Jaipur as ‘pink city’ since then Jaipur is famous as the ‘pink city’.
Jaipur has everything to offer to it tourists. It’s a heaven for shopping lovers and food lovers. Every corner of the city is interesting. You will find delicious lassi shop at one corner and tempting kachori shop at the other. You cannot resist yourself to shop for juttis or Indian hand block printed textiles. Explore beautiful views from Amer Fort and Nahargarh Fort; enjoy an evening full of cultural experience at Choki Dhani.
How to Reach Jaipur –
Jaipur is very approachable and easy to reach. You can travel by road, by bus, by train or by air. Jaipur is well connected with roadways and railways. The city is just 5 hour 30 mins, approx 281 kms from Delhi. You can easily drive or can go by bus. There are many options from Delhi to reach Jaipur by Volvo. For those who prefer railways, visit IRCTC for train bookings. And, for those prefer to travel by air can book airline tickets as well.
Places to see in Jaipur –
- Amer Fort – One of the top attractions of Jaipur, Amer Fort is located 11 kilometers from the city. The splendid palace was built by Maharaja Man Singh with pale yellow and pink sandstone and white marble. The Fort is a perfect mixture of hindu and mughal style of architecture. Suraj Pol or Sun Gate is the main enterance of the Fort. You can see Siladevi Temple, Diwan-I-am, Diwan-e-Khas, Jai mandir (also known as Sheesh Mahal), and Sukh Niwas.
- Hawa Mahal – Also known as palace of winds is a beautiful marvel of 953 windows and balconies. The palace is a five storey building designed in the shape of a pyramid. The palace was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh using pink sandstone, especially for women and queens of the royal families to enjoy outside scenes as they were not allowed to roam in public. The jharonkhas or windows of the palace are beautifully designed allowing air to cross all time and keep it cool during the summer months. Hawa Mahal is a must to see place in Jaipur and click beautiful pictures. You will find many cafes just opposite the mahal where you can enjoy beautiful views while relaxing and dining in there.
- Jantar Mantar – Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh and has 19 astronomical instruments. It was believed that at that time the stone structures were used to locate exact positions of the celestial bodies in space. At Jantar Mantar, you will a mix collection of both architectural and astronomical instruments, each one of them has its unique features. These devices are used to measure time, tracking of planetary system and prediction of eclipses. I would suggest you to hire a guide to know history behind it.
4. Nahargarh Fort –The best place to have a marvelous view of the city. This majestic fort is one of the popular and prime tourist destinations of the city. It is the best place to catch a glimpse of whole town. The layout of the fort is very interesting; it has a temple inside the fort, dedicated to Nahar Singh Bhomia. Madhvendra Bhawan, suites for king and his 12 queens, Diwani-I-Aam, and apartments having all basic necessities for living.
- City Palace – Beautiful monument located right in the middle of the city which gives you a look into the rich heritage culture of Mughal era. City Palace is the amazing fusion of rajput, Mughal and European style of architecture. This vast property is beautifully designed and is divided in parts. There is a museum where you can see all belongings of the royal family. The place has beautiful palaces, courtyards and gardens adorned by stunning jail work, lattice work and fine detailings.
- Bapu Bazar – Jaipur trip is incomplete if you do not do shopping here. Most vibrant market of Jaipur is Bapu bazar. You can shop here for everything. Handicraft items, jewellery, mojris, textiles, and many more. Best and famous things to buy from this market are colorful lac bangles or Rajasthani bangles, Jaipuri juttis in vibrant colors and traditional Rajasthani bandhej work salwar suits or duppattas.
- Choki dhani – Choki Dhani is another famous and well known tourist attraction of Jaipur. It is a village resort depicting Rajasthani culture in various forms. The resort has been designed with cow dung plasters, village huts, paintings, to give the feel of the village. You can enjoy rides, folk dance performances, traditional mehndi application, magic show, puppet show, shopping and traditional Rajasthani dining. This is the must to visit place with your family and dear ones.
Do read my travel tips and hacks-
SOME TRAVEL HACKS TO MAKE YOUR TRIP EASIER
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Very nice blog. Jaipur is one of my favorite destination.
Thank you