| City
Palace
The City Palace is a historic landmark.
The carved arches are supported by
grey-white marble columns studded
with floral motifs in gold and coloured
stones. Two elephants carved in marble
guard the entrance, where retainers
whose families have served generations
of rulers are at hand to serve as
guides.
The palace interior houses a Museum
containing select collection of various
types of Rajasthani dresses, a fascinating
armoury of Mughal and Rajput weapons;
swords of all shapes and sizes, with
chased handles, some of them inlaid,
enamelled, encrusted with jewels and
encased in bold and magnificent scabbards.
It also has an art gallery with a
fine collection of paintings, carpets,
royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical
works in Arabic, Persian, Latin and
Sanskrit, acquired by Sawai Jai Singh-II
for his study of planets and their
movements.
Jantar
mantar
Jantar mantar
is one of Jai Singh's five remarkable
observatories. Constructed with stone
and marble its complex instruments
whose settings and shapes are precisely
and scientifically designed represent
the high points of Medieval Indian
astronomy. The Ram Yantras used for
gauging altitudes are unique in their
isolation. this is the largest of
the five observatories founded by
Sawai Jai Singh-II in various parts
of the country.
Major Yantras or instruments that
you can watch moving clockwise are:
Small 'Samrat', 'Dhruva', 'Narivalya',
The Observer's Seat, Small 'Kranti',
'Raj'
'Unnathamsa', 'Disha', 'Dakshina',
Large 'Samrat', 'Rashivalayas', 'Jai
Prakash', Small 'Ram', Large 'Ram
Yantra', 'Diganta', Large 'Kranti'
Hawa
Mahal
Built by the poet king Sawai Pratap
Singh, the Hawa Mahal is  the
most strikingly designed monument
in Jaipur. What is seen from the Sireh
Deorhi Bazaar is the multiniched five
storey high backside of the complex
( see it in photo gallery ). It was
conceived to provide adequate vantage
position behind delicate stone carved
jali screens to the palace women for
watching the royal processions passing
through the bazaar below.
Albert
Hall
It is situated in the beautiful garden
of Jaipur city, Ram Niwas Bagh. It
was constructed by Maharaja Sawai
Ram Singh in the year 1886 under the
drought relief work of Rs 4 Lacs.
The design of the building was done
by Sir Swinton Jaicob. Presently the
hall is used for museum purpose.
Jai
Mahal
A tiny palace
romantically located in the middle
of a small lake, this was supposed
to be a hunting lodge for the royal
family. It can only be viewed from
the banks of the lake.
Amer
Fort
For seven long centuries before Jaipur
was built, Amer served as the capital
as Kachhwaha rulers of the old state
of Dhundhar.
Amer Fort is the complex of palaces,
halls, pavilions, gardens and temples,
which were built by Raja Man Singh,
Mirza Raja Jai Singh and Sawai Jai
Singh over a period of about two centuries.
The palace complex rising from the
placid waters of the Mootha  lake
is approached through a steep path,
now often traversed by tourists on
elephant-back, to Singh palace and
Jaleb Chowk. Two flights of stairs
rise from one end to the chowk, one
leading to the elegant temple of Shila
Mata and other to the palace complex.
The image of the Mother Goddess worshipped
with reverence by thousands of devotees
every day was brought from Jessore
in East Bengal ( now in Bangladesh
) by raja Man Singh and installed
here.
The front courtyard of the palace
complex is dominated by the spectacular
pillared hall of the Diwan-e-Aam and
the double storeyed painted gateway
Ganesh Pole. Beyond the corridors
and galleries on the either side of
a small elegant Charbagh style garden
are Sukh Niwas to its right and Jas
Mandir to its left. The Jas Mandir
in the upper floor combines the finest
elements od mughal architecture and
interior decoration in a Rajput setting
with intricately carved jali screens,
delicate mirror and stucco works and
painted and carved dadodes. The older
and simpler structures at the far
end were built by Raja Man Singh in
the later year of the 16th century.
The well proportioned Mohan Bari or
Kesar Kyari in the centre of the Mootha
lake and the Dilaram Bagh at its north
end provide a spectacular view from
the palaces above.
B
M Birla Planetarium
 Equipped
with modern computerized projection
system, the planetarium offers unique
audio-visual educational entertainment.
A Science Museum is also a part of
this one of the most modern planetarium
in India.
Galtaji
Beyond the gardens amidst the low
hills guarding the city lies the old
pilgrim centre of Galtaji. Temples,
pavilions and holy kunds ( natural
springs and reservoirs ) do the serene
green landscape. The small temple
of the Sun God, built by Diwan Kriparam
on the top of the highest peak, is
visible from all parts of the city.
Laxmi
Narayan Temple
In the southern horizon is a privately
owned hilltop fort of Moti Doongari
shaped like a scotish castle. At the
foot of the hill, Laxmi Narayan Temple,
beautifully built in sparking white
marble, is located.
Nahargarh
Fort
Beyond the hills of Jaigarh stand
the Fort of Nahargarh like a watchful
sentinel guarding Sawai Jai Singh's
beautiful city. Much of the original
structures are now in ruins, but the
lovely building added by sawai Ram
Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II
still survive.
Sargasuli
Also known as Isar Lat, this tower
was erected in the mid-18th century
by Maharaja Ishwari Singh to commemorate
a battle victory. Ironically, Ishwari
Singh was ostracized for his love
of a common girl, and he is the only
Kachchawaha maharaja who has not been
commemorated at Gaitore.The tower
dominating the skyline on the western
side of Tripolia Bazaar is the highest
structure in Jaipur.
Govind
Devji Temple
In the central pavilion of the sprawling
Jai Niwas Garden to the north 
of the Chandra Mahal is the spire less
temple of Lord Krishna. the image in
the form of Govind Devji, originally
installed in a temple of Vrindavan,
was reinstalled here by Sawai Jai Singh-II
as his family deity. this is the most
famous and popular temple in Pink City
attracting devotees from all over the
country.
Sisodia
Rani Ka Bagh
Along the road to Agra through a narrow
garge in the southern eastern corner
of the walled city, several landscaped
gardens were constructed by the Kings
and important courtiers in the 18th
and 19th centuries. The largest and
the most famous ia a garden built
by sawai jai Singh II for his Sisodia
queen-the Sisodai Rani Ka Bagh. It
consists of tiered multilevel gardens
with fountains, watercourses and painted
pavillions.
Jaigarh
Fort
The western skyline is dominated by
the extensive parkotas (walls), watch-towers
and gateways of jaigarh. It is one
of the few military structures of
the mediaeval India preserved almost
intact containing palaces, gardens,
open and covered reservoirs, a granary,
an armoury, a well-planned cannon
foundry, several temples, a tall tower
and a giant mounted cannon-the Jai
Ban - the largest in the country.
Gaitore
Located off the Jaipur-Amber road,
Gaitore is the final resting place
for the maharajas of Jaipur. Set in
a narrow valley, the cenotaphs of
the former rulers consist of the somewhat
typical chhatri or umbrella-shaped
memorials. Of special mention is Jai
Singh IT's chhatri because of the
carvings that have been used to embellish
it.
Moti
Doongri
 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.
Ram
Niwas Bagh
A garden planned by Maharaja Ram Singh
in the 19th century as a famine relief
project, this extensive park consists
of a zoo, aviary, herbarium museum
and sports complex. An added attraction
is Albert Hall, designed by Sir Swinton
Jacob, a British architect who created
palaces for many of the rulers of
Rajasthan, and whose experiments with
Indo Saracenic architecture combined
elements of English and north- Indian
architecture. Albert Hall is a museum
and houses many curiosities.
Vidyadharji
ka Bagh
The exquisite, tiered garden laid
for the private pleasure of the architect
of the city, it has delicated pavilions
bordered by water channels, and a
larger pavilion overlooking the whole
complex. Located at Ghat Ki Guni,
it is now let out for private picnics. |
as
the " Pink City ", and pink
it is, with beautiful constructed palaces,
havelis and forts. Tall, rugged men
with handle-bar whiskers sport bright
pink turbans. Jaipur which means the
city of victory was built exactly 273
years back and is 262 km by road from
Delhi ( Capital of India ). A strong
wall encircles the old city and even
today has a suggestion of formidable
strength, its function of protecting
all within is obvious.
this time it is married women who pray
for a long, happy marital life during
the monsoon months of July-August. Though
celebrations are held all over the state,
they are particularly colorful in Jaipur
where a procession wends its was through
the heart of the old city. Women dress
in their finery and spend time in groups
at swings that are specially erected
for the festival.
On
the occasion of Holi in Jaipur, this
festival of pachyderms includes several
interesting attraction including elephant
polo. The caparisoned elephants, their
bodies painted with floral decorations
by the mahouts, are a sight to behold.