Jaipur - Rajasthan

How to Reach

Jaipur is well connected with major parts of the country and easily accessible by air, road and rail. By Air: The city has regular air services to different Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. The airport is just 15 km far from the center of the pink city. By Rail: Regular train services connect Jaipur to major places of the country. Other than luxury train, the palace on wheels, one can reach Jaipur via many trains like Shatabdi Express, the Pink city express, Chetak express, etc. By Road: A large network of Rajasthan State Transport buses connects the pink city well to other favorite destinations of Rajasthan and adjacent Indian states.

Tourism

The City Palace

The City Palace is in the heart of the old city. It is former royal residence built in a blend of the Rajasthani and mughal styles. The beautiful palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh during his reign. Two carved elephants in marble guard the entrance. The retainers whose families have served generations of rulers serve as guides. The palace houses a museum with a superb collection of Rajasthani costumes and armory of Mughals and Rajputs including swords of different shapes and sizes with chased handles, some of them inlaid with enamel and embellished with jewels and encased in magnificent scabbards. The palace also has an art gallery with an excellent collection of miniature paintings, carpets, royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical works in Arabic,Persian,Latin and Sanskrit, acquired by Sawai Jai Singh II to study astronomy in City Palace forms one of the most famous tourist attractions and a major landmark in Jaipur. Among the various forts and palaces of Jaipur, City Palace stands apart, with its outstanding art and architecture. City Palace complex covers a huge area, which is divided into a series of gardens, courtyards and buildings. Initially, Raja Jai Singh built the outer wall occupying a huge area. The additional grand buildings were constructed later by the succeeding rulers’. A part of the exquisite Palace still makes home for the former Maharaja/ King. The premises consists several buildings like Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Mukut Mahal, Maharani's Palace, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum. One would come across the Mubarak Mahal, as one enters the first square. Mubarak Mahal was built by Sawai Madho Singh in the 19th century to entertain his guests. Today, it has converted into a costume gallery, which displays royal attires of the Kings. After crossing the first square, a beautiful gateway welcomes to Diwan-I-Khas, a hall meant for private audience. It has two sterling silver vessels on display and they are acclaimed to be the world's largest silver vessel. These vessels were made for Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II to carry water from River Ganga to drink on his trip to England. Diwan-I-Aam, which was meant for public audience, forms the other attraction of this courtyard. At present, it makes an art gallery showcasing enthralling painted ceilings and rare ancient handwritten original manuscripts of Hindu scriptures. In the series, Maharani's Palace, which was meant for royal queens, has been converted into a museum, showcasing weapons dated back to 15th century. Chandra Mahal is essentially regarded as the best part, out of the whole tour to City Palace. It has seven stories and each story is known by a different name. The topmost story is known as Mukut Mahal. The wonderful architecture of this Palace with delicate paintings, mirror work on walls and floral decorations, makes it a "must-see" for every visitor. In the present day, this palace serves as the residence of ex-ruler. Badal Mahal stands opposite to Chandra Mahal and while crossing the path, one would find Govind Dev Ji Temple between them. Above all these, the Palace also offers delicacies in its multi cuisine restaurant. All these features of City Palace leave the tourists with no other option, but to visit it.

Jantar Mantar

Largest of Jai Singh’s five remarkable observatories. Jantar Mantar was completed in seven years from 1728 to 1734, by Jai Singh. It literally means the ‘instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens’. Jai Singh, the brain behind the grand project, chose stone with marble facing. This was the biggest of all his observatories and the only one built of stone. He used it daily, often with his astronomy gurus Pandit Jagannath and Kewal Ram. In all there are 17 instruments in the Jantar Mantar complex. The function of each instrument is rather complex but serves a particular function where time plays the main theme. One of the most surrealistic landscapes in stone, the Jantar Mantar was built to measure the local time, the Sun's declination, altitude, the declination of stars, planets and to determine eclipses. The observatories, or 'Jantar Mantars' as they are commonly known, incorporate multiple buildings of unique form, each with a specialised function for astronomical measurement. Jai Singh was a great admirer of progresses and research made in the fields of science and technology, but he was passionate about astronomy. Before the commencement of construction he sent scholars abroad to study the foreign observatories. The emissaries returned with many manuals on astronomy, containing cutting-edge technological information. One of these manuals contained a copy of La Hire's Tables. The king ordered the observatory to be built according to the details contained in the manual and when the construction got over, to the astonishment of the king and others, the observatory was 20 seconds more accurate than the one mentioned in Table. Pandit Jagannnath Samrat and Pandit Keval Ramji were the two main persons who supported and guided the whole process of constructing the Jantar Mantar. A visit to the Jantar Mantar is sure to fill you with wonder and amazement at the unique shapes of the structures, and will also provide an insight into early scientific and astronomical research in India.

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds is a major Rajput landmark built in 1799 A.D. by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. This five storied building along the main street of the old city is in pink splendor with semi octagonal and delicately honey combed sandstone windows. It has now become one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. The palace is shaped like a pyramid, with number of small windows and screens, with arched roofs. Since the Hawa Mahal was built at a time when women of the royal families had to observe strict purdah, many believe that the Hawa Mahal was built, just so these ladies could watch the processions and various activities taking place on the streets. This does explain why Hawa Mahal has such tiny windows and many screened balconies. The royal ladies could look below at the people without showing themselves and thus enjoy a sense of freedom. The Hawa Mahal is a great example of the Rajputana architecture, which was strongly influenced by Mughal style of architecture. This particular style of building that we observe in Hawa Mahal uses the best features of Mughal architecture with other features that could better adapt to the inhospitable weather conditions of Rajasthan. The Hawa Mahal is a popular place among visitors to Rajasthan because of the amazing view it offers of the city and particularly Jantar Mantar (another tourist attraction). Many insist that the best time to visit Hawa Mahal is in the early morning, right when the sun is rising. As the palace bathes in the golden light of the sun, it looks like a fantastic image conjured up by the mind in a trance. The palace glows like an impalpable dream, which makes you feel that even if you dare blink your eyes, it will quickly dissolve into thin air. If you want to see this beautiful palace up close, then pack your bags and come to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan and spend your holidays visiting Hawa Mahal and other numerous tourist attractions in an around the city.

Govind Dev ji Temple

Govind Dev ji Temple the most popular spireless temple of Jaipur dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is located in the central pavilion of the Jai Niwas Garden to the north of Chandra Mahal. Govind Dev Ji Temple is one amongst the major tourist attractions of Jaipur. The Temple represents the royal past of Jaipur. The Temple is dedicated to Govind Dev Ji (Other name of Lord Krishna).Govind Dev Ji is the principal deity of Amber's Kachawaha Dynasty. According to a legend, Govind Dev Ji appeared in the dream of Raja Sawai Jai Singh and asked him to bring his idol from Vrindavan to Jaipur. As a consequence, Raja Sawai Jai Singh brought the idol and placed in the City Palace complex of Jaipur. After the sad demise of Jai Singh, many successors acquired the throne, but Raja Man Singh took the initiative to build the temple in 1890.The beautiful image of Radha-Krishna doesn't let people to take off their eyes from the lovely view. Different 'Aartis' and 'Bhog' are offered to the deity at seven different times of the day. Every time, when the idols are revealed to the devotees, they are clothed in a different manner. The Devotees, who come here to get the glance or 'Darshan' of the deities, reverberates the temple with the pious phrase "Jai Govind". A large number of tourists and devotees visit this temple of special importance. Janmashtmi, the birthday of Lord Krishna, is a special event and is celebrated with full enthusiasm. Govind Dev Ji Temple is a sacred place of the Hindus. The Temple has also become a tourist attraction in the contemporary times.

Ram Niwas Bagh

It was built by Sawai Ram Singh II in the 1868 A.D. as a famine relief project. This extensive park consists of a zoo, aviary, herbarium, museum and sports complex. An added attraction is the Albert Hall, designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, a British architect who created palaces for many rulers in Rajasthan. The Hall is home to an exquisite collection of sculptures, paintings, objects d’art, natural history specimens, an Egyptian mummy and a beautiful Persian carpet. This is a famous museum where you can get to see a large number of ancient articles and artifacts. This building is named after the Prince of Wales, Price Albert, who laid the foundation stone of this structure in the year 1876. Amidst the beautiful Ram Niwas Garden, surrounded by pools, fountains and rows of flowerbeds stands the exquisite Albert Hall, built on 1886 A.D. Designed by Colonel Sir Swinton Jacob who has crafted other Palaces of Rajasthan, built the Albert hall in honor of the King Edward VII visit to Jaipur, in Indo-Saracenic style. The basic purpose of building this park was to give relief to the people from the drought that had hit the city during that time. It is one of the greener areas of the city. Located amidst a concrete jungle, it is a relief for the eyes. As per historical records, it took nearly four lakhs of rupees to build this garden. Here you can get to see a large number of animals, birds and reptiles. You can come to the Ram Niwas Bagh, Jaipur and enjoy the peaceful and calm atmosphere that surrounds the garden. The natural beauty of the park is simply alluring and will make you visit this place again and again. You can find a large number of flowering as well as non-flowering trees in the Ram Niwas Bagh in Jaipur. Recently, the Rabindra Manch with an auditorium, a modern art gallery and an open air theatre, has been added to promote cultural events. Thus, when on a holiday to the Pink City, try and make a trip to the Ram Niwas Bagh, Jaipur in order to see its greenery and beauty.

Dolls Museum

Dolls Museum situated about 4 km from the city center; Dolls Museum was built in 1974 with the purpose of providing an insight into the different cultures that are present all over the world. Dolls Museum in Jaipur is perhaps the most famous among all other museums of 'Pink City' and is largely visited by tourists from all over the globe. The museum is home to a large number of lovely dolls representing different cultures across the world. One is sure to be mesmerized with the striking beauty of these dolls clad in the traditional attires of various countries at the Dolls Museum in Jaipur. Pretty dolls from various countries are on display in the compound of the school for deaf and dumb children, near the Police Memorial. There are a large number of Indian dolls depicting the traditional costumes of different states across India. One can see the local attire of Gujarat, Bengal, Assam, Kashmir, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Punjab and several other Indian states at the Dolls Museum in Jaipur. The most striking are bridal dresses of different states like Mysore, Kerala, Gujarat, Bengal and Punjab. The particular costumes of different classical dance forms in India like Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi and Kuchipudi have also been beautifully put on display at the Dolls Museum of Jaipur. There is an equally splendid variety of dolls portraying the culture of both developed nations as well as the Third World. The national dresses of USA, Britain, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Ghana, Uganda, Lebanon and Afghanistan are particularly striking. Beautiful dolls dressed up in the bridal wear of Japan, Malaysia, Burma, China and New Zealand look absolutely stunning and add to the beauty of the already magnificent costumes. The Dolls Museum in Jaipur creates a small fairytale world of its own. The way in which dolls have been used to present the varied cultures across the globe is indeed commendable. The time to visit to the museum is from 12.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

BM Birla Planetarium

BM Birla Planetarium is situated at the BM Birla Science and Technology Center, near Statue Circle. The Planetarium offers unique audio-visual education and entertainment with its modern computerized projection system. This attractive building houses a state-of-the-art centre of knowledge on the cosmos and a unique science and technology museum with several self-operated models. The planetarium helps to enhance knowledge of planets and cosmic functions and movements and on special occasions like on a special day when some rare phenomenon related to stars and planets are about to occur several shows are arranged and concessions are given so as to enable all to come and witness the phenomenon. For school groups concessions are available. Closed on last Wednesday of every month. The time to visit to the museum is from 12.00 hrs to 19.00 hrs.

Galtaji

Galtaji is a holy pilgrimage of India, located 10 kms away from Jaipur in Rajasthan. The vast complex of Galta Ji has several temples in it. The Temple of Galtaji is famous for its natural water springs. Set amidst the beautiful landscape, Galtaji Temple offers a picturesque view of the city. The Galta temple is dedicated to the monkey-god, Lord Hanuman built by Diwan Kriparam on the top of the highest peak; it is visible from all parts of the city. An ancient pilgrimage site, it lies beyond the gardens surrounded by low hills. It is absolutely delightful with temple pavilions and holy kunds (natural spring and water tanks) along with lush green landscape. The small temple of the sun god here is one of its kinds. Financially supported by the Birla family, the three holy 'kunds' of Galta once had strict reservations. The first pool was only for men, the second only for women, the third one for the holy monkeys. As the legend goes, sage Galina is said to have performed a difficult penance here.

Amer Fort :

Amer fort located at 11km. From Jaipur, built by Raja Man Singh in 16th century. It is a mesmerizing blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. It offers charming gardens and magnificent palaces made from marble and precious stones, richly decorated with intricate stonemason works and paintings, which represented royal splendor and luxury. Amer Fort houses Jai Mandir, a famous temple which has Sheesh Mahal. Sheesh Mahal is a beautiful hall of mirrors that are so artistically set that even a tiny ray of light gets reflected in the mirrors and illumines the hall dazzlingly. In 16th century ,Rajputs made use of the Amber Fort for defense purpose and the residential purposes in 1727. Within the palace are the Diwan-e-Aam or the "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-e-Khas or the "Hall of Private Audience" and the Sukh Niws where a cool breeze blows across channels of water . Here are the private chambers of the queens with windows having latticed screens so that the ladies could watch the proceedings of the royal court in privacy. There is also the Jai Mandir or the "Temple of Victory", with its famed Sheesh Mahal, the scintillating "Hall of Mirrors"


Jain Temple

Jain Temple The most beautiful temple in Sanganer is the ancient Shri Digamber Jain temple. The temple has fine carvings as those of the magnificent Delwara temples of Mount Abu. Built in various phases with sky-high shikharas (spires), the temple represents an old style of architecture. The last phase was probably built in the 10th century. The beautiful nij-mandir (inner temple) is a stone shrine with three pinnacles. In the centre is an idol of Parshwanath with 7 serpent hoods. All around it are carvings of lotuses, creepers and elephants pouring water from pitchers held in their trunks. But the main idol is that of Adinath, installed in the shrine behind this.

Moti Doongari and Lakshmi Narayan Temple

Moti Doongari and Lakshmi Narayan Temple is a privately owned hilltop fort built like a Scottish castle. The Ganesh Temple at the foot of the hill and the marvelous Lakshmi Narayan Temple built in marbles a few years back, are also noteworthy. A small palace, this is a replica of a Scottish castle, and perches on a hilltop. Once occupied by Maharaja Madho Singh's son who was confined here, it was also for a while home to Maharani Gayatri Devi. Entry is prohibited. At the foot of Moti Dungri fort is the Birla Lakshmi Narayan Temple. It is a large, modern marble edifice. Stained glass widows depict the scenes from Hindu scriptures. Ganesh the protector of households, is above the lintel, and the fine quality of marble is evident when you enter the temple and look back at the entrance way - Ganesh can be made out through the marble, which is almost transparent. The images of Lakshmi and Narayan were carved from one piece of marble. Many of the deities of the Hindu pantheon are depicted inside the temple, and on the outside walls great historical personages and figures from all religions are shown, including Socrates, Zarathustra, Christ, Buddha, and Confucius.