OVERVIEW

 

Jaipur earlier known as Amber or Amer takes its name from its founder Maharaja Jai Singh. The capital of Rajasthan - Jaipur, globally renowned as Pink City attracts everyone – from lovers of art, history, and architecture to shopping freaks, from the glamour of polo and film shoots to the traditional art forms, from wildlife to urban lifestyle and still retains its medieval charm. The city of Jaipur casts an unusual spell on the visitor right from the moment one arrives. Attractive monuments and landmarks, where one can breathe the fragrance of history a feast in store. The city is a globally renowned tourist destination and has a wide gamut of attractions like heritage, architecture, spiritual, adventure, shopping, rural, health, education, and business tourism and not to forget the royal weddings and mesmerizing locales.

 

1. AMBER FORT COMPLEX:

 

11 km from Jaipur amidst the dry wrinkled hills raises Amber or Amer, the former capital of the old state of Dhundhar for seven centuries built by Raja Man Singh in the 16^th century added to by Sawai Jai Singh. The palace complex is approached through a steep path, popularly traversed by tourists on elephant back up to the Jai Pol, the first gateway then to a huge courtyard Jaleb Chowk and the Singh Pol (Lion Gate). Two flights of stairs rise from one end of the Jaleb Chowk, one leading to the Shila Mata Temple and the other to the Palace Complex. The temple has huge doors made of silver and displays nine forms of Durga and ten forms of Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge).

 

The front of the Palace Complex is dominated by the spectacular pillared Diwan - i –Aam (Hall of Public Audience). The double-storied painted gateway Ganesh Pol is the pride of the palace. The Diwan – i – Khas (Hall of Private) has delicate mosaic work in glass. The Jas Mandir on the upper floor has intricately carved screens, delicate mirrors, stucco works, and painted and carved doors. The mirror work motifs in Sukh Niwas are so delicately designed that a single-lit matchstick gives an impression of a starlit site.

 

 

2. JAIGARH FORT:

 

 

Named after Jai Singh II and built-in 1726, the fort is perched on a cliff, standing above Amer, surrounded by huge battlements with inside walkways. One of the few military structures of medieval India preserved almost intact, it contains palaces, an armory, a granary, a well-planned cannon factory, temples, a tall tower, and a giant mounted cannon- the Jai Ban, the largest cannon (with a 6.1 m long barrel). There is a watch tower offering a panoramic and imposing view of Amber and the neighboring area. The central courtyard has three enormous underground water tanks, one of which was said to hold the gold and the jewels. There are temples of Ram Harihar and Kaal Bhairav.

 

 

3. NAHARGARH FORT:

 

 

This densely forested site beyond the hills of Jaigarh was originally the fort of the fierce Meena Tribe, eventually wrested by Sawai Jai Singh to bolster the defense of Amber. The suites in the palace of the fort built in 1737 are noteworthy for the unique plasterwork called Arayish with a finish so smooth that it is almost indistinguishable from marble. The run-up to the fort is traversed on road through the hills. Jaipur Wax Museum strategically situated in the premises of Fort Nahargarh, which stands at the highest edge of the legendary city, Jaipur is a unique tourist destination. It has been crafted with the idea or giving people of the pink city and the Indian and International tourists a new place that holds the history, cinema and sports celebrities, literature, art & culture, and royal grandeur under one roof. The Museum showcases wax and silicon statues of the personalities who have not only given the best to iconic for society.

 

Just below Nahargarh, Gaitor is the funeral ground of the rulers of Jaipur. The most impressive is the white marble cenotaph of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, whose large dome is supported by twenty columns and has exquisitely carved panels with mythological figures. On the way to Amber, in the middle of Man Sagar Lake is Jal Mahal built in the 18^th century by Madho Singh I.

 

 

4. CITY PALACE COMPLEX:

 

 

Lying in the heart of the city in a sprawling walled enclosure with the ceremonial Tripolia Gate is the City Palace, a blend of Mughal and Rajasthan architecture. The graceful 19th-century Mubarak Mahal (Welcome Palace) right before the palace proper built by Maharaja Madho Singh II now forms part of the Palace Museum containing Tosha Khana (Royal Wardrobe Section). The Maharani Palace (Queen Palace) is now the Selah Khana (Armory Section) having many priceless collections of antique weapons. Opposite the Mubarak Mahal is the Singh Pol (Lion Gate) and beyond it lies the Diwan – i – Khas. In its marble-paved gallery, one can see a 1.5 m tall vessel supposed to be the largest silver object in the world. Outstanding examples of Rajasthani art like jewelry, enamelware, carpets, miniature paintings, ancient manuscripts, and photographs are preserved here.

 

 

5. JANTAR MANTAR OBSERVATORY:

 

 

Part of the City Palace Complex, Jantar Mantar, the astronomic observatory conceptualized by Sawai Jai Singh is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He invented his own gigantic instruments, fashioned out of marble and stone using these made amazingly accurate observations about the movement of the sun, the moon, the stars, and the celestial bodies. One of the most striking instruments is his great Samrat Yantra (Sun Dial) used to measure local and meridian pass time and various observations related to celestial bodies. Sawai Jai Singh II invented 15 different instruments and used them to calculate the altitude and azimuth of the heavenly bodies.

 

 

6. HAWA MAHAL:

 

 

This was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in 1779 for the women of the royal household to watch the royal and religious processions without being seen. This five-storied pyramidal building crowned with latticed balconies and miniature domes is covered with delicately sculpted stone screens. Its pink little wind vanes moving in every direction with the slightest gust of wind gave the palace its popular name.

 

 

7. ALBERT HALL:

 

Situated in Ram Niwas Bagh, the museum building designed by Sir Swinton Jacob in 1886 has a rare collection of metalwork, ivory carvings, and pieces of jewelry, textile, pottery, and paintings.

 

 

 

8. NAHARGARH SANCTUARY:

 

 

A part of the Nahargarh Sanctuary is the most recent addition to Rajasthan Adventure tourism. Located on the outskirts of the pink city of Jaipur on the Jaipur – Delhi highway in the vicinity of Nahargarh fort, the park displays the most beautiful surroundings. It is situated alongside the Aravalli hills and covers an area of 80 hectares. Nahargarh Biological Park is worth your visit and houses animals Leopard, Asiatic Lion, Sloth Bear, Caracal, Bengal Tigers, Panthers, Hyenas, Wolves and several species of Deer, Gharials, Crocodiles, Pangolin Jackal, Wild Dog, Wolf, Wild Boar, etc.

 

 

9. HATHI GAON:

 

 

Elephant village is a small village that was set up by the government in 2010 to give proper shelter and water facilities to all the families and their elephants that served tourists in and around Amer Fort during the day. Along with all the homes and shelters for the elephants, there are big man-made ponds in the village designed specifically for elephants to relax and bathe in it after a long hard day’s work. People can visit the place and enjoy the sight of many elephants playing and bathing in the open which is a rare sight in this part of India.

 

10.  SHOPPING IN LOCAL BAZAARS:

 

Jaipur is renowned for its classic meenakari jewelry – an art that peaked in the Mughal period and still continues to create waves worldwide. It is also famous for its silver jewelry and works in precious and semi-precious stones. Sanganer and Bagru are the two places in Jaipur regarded as the hub of textile block printing. The vibrant colored bandhej or bandhani of Jaipur is world famed, and so is the bridal wear created with zari and gotta work. Jaipur is the nerve center of blue pottery. The craftsmen of Jaipur are known for creating symphonies in metal and wood. The eco – friendly hand- made paper of Sanganer has clientele both in India and abroad. Jaipur boasts a long tradition of creating amazing marble statues.