JAIPUR – A TETE A TETE WITH THE CITY

Location : Northern part of India

Founded in : In 1727 AD by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh

When to visit : October - March
 

Local Transport : Auto rickshaws, rickshaws, and hired cars.

Souvenir : Blue pottery items of crushed quartz, lac bangles, semi precious and precious stone jewellery, neck pieces, trinkets etc,Sanganeri textile prints, tie dye prints, handicraft articles.         

Important places of interest : Jaigarh Fort, Jal Mahal Palace, City Palace Museum,Doll’s Museum,Jai Niwas Garden, Sisodia  Rani    Ki Bagh, Birla Temple, Moti Doongri temple, Albert Hall, Birla Planeterium, Gaitore Chhattris.

THE TALE OF THE CITY

 
In the year 1727, Maharaja Jai Singh, became the king at the tender age of 12. This happened due to the sudden demise of his father Maharaja Bishan Singh. Maharaja Jai Singh, an extremely intelligented, versatile political and intellectual genius, had equal knowledge about the battlefield. He was thus an accomplished warrior and astronomer. Jai Sing at the age of 15 years was experienced enough to sustain the domination of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb conferred upon the Maharaja the title of “Sawai” which means “One and a Quarter”. All descendants of Jai Singh bear this title. The kingdom flourished under the rule of Maharaja Jai Singh, and increased in wealth. The increasing population encouraged Jai Singh to found this city which he named as Jaipur. The chief architect Vidyadhar, had the vision and the intellect to establish the city. Arts, science and religion, developed and was nurtured under the rule of Jai Singh.

JAIPUR -DOWN THE AGES

 
Maharaja Jai Singh’s demise in 1744, led to the kingdom to be neglected due to the invasion by the Rajput empires in the neighbourhood. His children could not take care of the kingdom as well as the Maharaja. The kingdom had a cordial and a formal relation with the British. It was Maharana Ram Singh who painted the entire city pink. He wanted the city to host the world and be a symbol of hospitality. After the Indian independence in 1947, Jaipur the royal land was converted and connected with Jodhpur, Jaisalmer,and Bikaner etc thus creating the bigger union of the state of Rajasthan. The title of Sawaii was revoked and Man Singh II was then deputed as an Indian Ambassador in Spain.

 
TRAVEL KITTY

 
As we enter Jaipur the Pink City, the city of elegance, hospitality and warmth, we feel the air scented with the perfume of love, care and expectation. People here are more encouraging towards making your visit fruitful and memorable. There are various ways we can make our trip enjoyable, entertaining, and nostalgic. Our travel kitty can be  filled to the brim, by buying to our heart’s content. Some of the items of shopping are blue pottery items made out of crushed quartz, lac bangles, semi precious and precious stone ornaments, earrings, bangles, trinkets etc. We can also indulge in purchase of handicraft articles, sanganeri textile prints and tie dye prints. Famous shopping centers are Chandpol Bazaar, Choti Chaupar, Badi Chaupar, Tripolia Bazaar, Johri Bazaar, Nehru Bazaar, Ramganj Chaupar,Suraj Pol Bazaar etc.

JAIPUR - JOIE DE VIVRE IN THE CITY

Vibrant colors, exuberance, hospitality, warmth, splendor, glory, historical importance, is the keyword to being in Jaipur, India. The grace and elegance of the city is synonymous with the entire design of the city. Tradition and culture, with architectural elegance, is the reason why the colored edifices and the magnificent structures lend more beauty to the vivacious city. This is the first modern city of India where the past and present blend well and have visible signs to prove it. The contradictory trends of the past and the present culture are juxtaposed and make the trip to Jaipur a joie de vivre and memorable. Enough water has run under this city which is more than 300 years old. Anyone visiting Jaipur would have to complete their visit only after visiting the following places :

FORTS AND PALACES :

Jaipur and forts are synonymous. Jaipur has a history related to its forts and palaces. Any Indian history tale would relate about how the forts of Jaipur have played a role. This includes the Amber fort, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, and the City Palace. A visit to these forts is a must on a tour of the city as it gives first hand information about the city’s historical past.

ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS :

Jaipur has got some of the best architectural excellence,and elegant constructions. These are a sight to behold. This includes the Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal and the Jal Mahal Palace. The sheer beauty and the intricate carvings in these palaces set the pulse racing with excitement and awe.

MUSEUMS :

There is a plethora of attraction in this city. The unbelievable wonder of the construction keeps the visitors come revisiting the place many times. Travelers from far off countries have always considered Jaipur as the main place of visit in relation to the museums here. It is thus the Utopian tourist spot in the state of Rajasthan. Some of the museums to visit are Albert Hall, City Palace Museum, and Doll’s Museum etc. All these museums glorify Indian in its true colors and Jaipur especially . Also a visit to the Birla Planetarium and the Gaitore Chattris is a good experience.

 
GARDENS :

After the adventure and excitement of the monuments and palaces, now it is time to soothe tired feet and sore eyes. This could be done by entering the cool lawns and grass of the gardens in Jaipur. They soothe tired eyes and make the tour of the city nourishing. The velvet touch of the grass ensures that the visit to Jai Niwas Garden, Sisodia RAni ka Bagh, Kanak Vrindavan Garden, Vidyadhar Garden, Ram Bagh Niwas is fruitful and memorable.

 
TEMPLES :

Nothing is complete without prayers. And what better what to go about it than to visit the temples in Jaipur. These include the Birla temple, Galtaji Temple, Govind Devji Temple, and the Moti Doongri Temple.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR

THE ELEPHANT FESTIVAL :

Nestled in the hills of the ARavallis, and bordering the Thar desert in the north western part of India, Jaipur, the elegant city decorates this part of the country with its grand structures. Its mesmerizing and grandiose structural excellence leaves a visitor here dumbstruck and completely entertained. The legendary forts, palaces, the royal museums, the glory of the past revisited, the sheer experience of the charisma that the city exudes constitutes the USP of this city. The old walled city has the major attractions.

Jaipur has the unique capacity of bringing together a lot of people by way of its culture and tradition. The city comes to life with its various fun filled fairs and occasions which are celebrated with a lot of pomp and show. The unique occasion here is the Elephant festival which takes place during the festival of Holi. This fair adds colour to the extravaganza that the city anyway offers. The Jaipur Elephant festival, has only female elephants participating in a parade. Their trunks and tusks are well decorated . The elephants run about in joy, and participate in running races, and are found playing the royal game of polo, and lastly in the Indian festival Holi. Besides elephants, we have camels, horses and joyous musicians and folk dancers in the tableau. This occasion could be the main attraction for some to visit this city of colors.

Thus Jaipur, the land of the Rajputs, is a superb combination of the modern and the traditional and attracts tourists from far and wide. The fairs and festivals here in the city are worth remembering, and it is only the life of the city that has kept it going till today. Basking in the vibrant colors, and exuding the tradition and culture at every nook and corner of the city, the city drenched in the love and warmth of the visitors. Jaipur thus is a tourists’ paradise. As we leave we say,” Jaipur is the mother of a mix of culture and tradition.”