| 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.