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The
historic city of Jaipur or "The City of Vicotory" was founded in
1727 A.D. by the great Kachhawah ruler Sawai Jai Singh II (1700
- 1747 A.D.), and named after him. The monarch was not only a
great builder, but also a poet and an astronomer. Under his
aegis, the city was designed by his talented architect Vidyadhar,
who gave shape to the creative aspirations of Sawai Jai Singh in
the form of the dream city of Jaipur.
The city is rectangular in shape and divided into nine blocks on
the basis of principles laid down in the "Shilpa Shastra", the
ancient Indian treatise on architecture. Built on the pattern of
a grid, the city has wide straight avenues, roads, streets and
lanes and uniform rows of shops on either side at the main bazar,
all arranged in nine rectangular city sectors (Chokris).
The principal monuments of Jaipur are concentrated in the
centrally situated Palace area (Chokri Sarhad ) in and around
the city Palace. In course of time, the sunset-pink tinge of its
walls, buildings and temples gave it the name Pinck City.
Places to Visit at Jaipur
 Hawa
Mahal (Palace of Winds)
Also known as the Palace of Winds was built in 1799 . It is a
part of the City Palace and was commissioned by Sawai Pratap
Singh. The Hawa Mahal was designed for the ladies of the royal
household to watch the goings-on on the street while themselves
remaining hidden from public view.
City Palace
In the heart of the old city is former royal residence built in
a blend of the Rajasthani and Mughal styles. A part of this
palace is now a museum. The rest of the palace serves as the
living quarters of the royal family of Jaipur. The palace also
has an art gallery with an excellent collection of miniature
paintings, carpets, royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical
works.
Amber Fort and Shitla Mata Temple
About 11km nmple of Rajput architecture, it
overlooks a lake which reflects its many terraces and pavilions.
Amber is also known for the spectacular Sheesh Mahal, Jai Mandir,
Diwan-i-Am, Sikh Niwas and the small Kali Temple.
Jantar Mantar
A stone observatory, known as Jantar Mantar, was built by Jai
Singh II, a great astronomer. It is located near the City
Palace. It is the largest and the best-preserved observatory of
the lot. By means of the instruments here, astronomers could
measure the positions of the stars and calculate eclipses.
Jaigarh Fort
 Sawai
Jai Singh built the invincible fort of Jaigarh in 1726. Jaigarh
was never captured and is therefore in a pretty good shape. A
giant mounted cannon-the Jai Ban, one of the largest in the
country are preserved here. The extensive parkotas (wallls),
watch tower and gateways of Jaigarh dominate the western
skyline.
Fairs & Festivals
Kite Festival (14th Jan of every year)
14 January is celebrated in India as Makar Sankranti - heralding
the transition of the sun into the Northern hemisphere. It is
also a big kite day in most parts of India when children from 6
to 60 can be seen with their heads turned to the sky. In Jaipur
kites virtually blot out the sky. Everyone joins in this riotous
celebration and shouts of " Woh Kata Hai !" reverberate from
rooftops to the accompaniment of drums as adversaries’ kites are
cut down. And everyone’s an adversary! Any kite in the sky is
fair game.
Activities
The three-day festival starts with an inauguration at the Polo
Ground, which is the venue for some serious kite flying and
fighting for the three days of the festival. The festival
includes two kinds of celebrations. A massive extravaganza
follows, with Air Force helicopters releasing kites from the
sky, and hundreds of schoolchildren releasing balloons. Kites
that look like wasps, exquisite stained glass windows, graceful
mythical birds soar in the sky and the sky shimmers with magic.
Kite Shopping Kite Counters
Fighting kites beautifully choreographed by the wind look like
poetry in the skies, written by kite flyers from many nations.
The three days of the festival are divided into two sections.
One is the Fighter Kite Competition and the other is the more
sober Display Flying and there are prestigious trophies to be
won in both categories. Every evening participants are provided
with dinner at an exotic location.
On the final day the venue of the festival shifts to the
exquisite lawns of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the royal residence
of the Maharaja of Jodhpur. The finals of the Fighter Kite
Competition and the final judging of the Display Kites are
followed by the prize distribution ceremony, the valedictory
function, and a farewell dinner with the Maharaja. As the
festival draws to an end, traditional Indian kite craftsmen
prepare to return to their humdrum lives, selling handcrafted
aerial art for mere pennies.
Elephant Festival (25th March ) About the Fair
The Elephant Festival is a unique event held annually in Jaipur,
the capital of Rajasthan. Groomed to perfection, glittering in
gold, row upon ro w
of elephants catwalk before an enthralled audience. The
elephants move gracefully in procession, run races, play the
regal game of polo, and finally participate in the spring
festival of Holi. It is festival time for the elephants.
Activities
A festival where elephants are the centre of attraction. The
festival begins with a procession of elephants, camels and
horses, followed by lively folk dancers. Elephant races,
elephant-polo matches and a most interesting tug of war between
elephants and men, are all part of this spectacular event.
Gangaur Fair (11th - 12th April) About the Fair
Gangaur Festivals holds a special significance for the
Rajasthanis. It is celebrated in honour of Gauri, the goddess of
abundance. Young girls adorned in their best clothes pray for a
spouse of their choice. The married ladies pray for the welfare
of their husbands. This spring festival is celebrated with great
enthusiasm and zeal all over Rajasthan. The celebrations at
Bikaner, Jodhpur, Nathdwara and Jaisalmer are full of pomp and
are a must-see.
Activities
At an auspicious hour in the afternoon, a procession is taken
out to a garden, tank or a well with the images of Isar and
Gauri, placed on the heads of married women. Songs are sung
about the departure of Gauri to her husband's house. The
procession comes back after offering water to the image of Gauri,
which faces backwards on the first two days. On the final day,
she faces in the same direction as Isar and the procession
concludes with the consignment of all the images in the waters
of a tank or a well. The women bid farewell to Gauri and turn
their steps homewards with tears in their eyes and the Festival
comes to an end.
Teej Festival (8th - 9th August)
About the Fair
Held during the monsoons, July-August Teej is also dedicated to
Lord Shiva and Parvati and this time it is married wome n
who pray for a happy and long married life. Though celebrations
are held all over the state, it is particularly colorful in
Jaipur where a procession winds its way for two days through the
Old City. It is the festival of swings which are decorated with
flowers and hung from trees. Young girls and women dressed in
green clothes sing songs in celebration of the advent of the
monsoon. The Teej idol is covered with a canopy whereas the
Gangaur idol is open.
How To Get To Jaipur
By Air:
Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and domestic carriers operate
regular flights to and from Jaipur. Jaipur is connected to
Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Calcutta and
Varanasi by domestic flights.
By Rail:
The train service to Jaipur is available from all the major
parts of the country. Other direct connections to Jaipur are
from Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Secunderabad, Agra,
Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.
By Road:
Jaipur can be accessed from all the major places in Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai by bus. Rajasthan roadways runs
excellent regular service of AC and Deluxe Coaches from Delhi |
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Rajasthan is one of the 26 states that, along, with
seven union territories forms the republic of India. Rajasthan
is one of the 26 states that, along, with seven union
territories forms the republic of India. Located in the
north-west, it shares its borders with Punjab, Hariyana, Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and and Gujarat, The Complete Rajasthan
-- Take a desert- burning sand in the long summers, large tracts
of dune-decked plains, with scarce water and even scarcer
vegetation and create a habitation with the mind's eye, if you
can. And the come to Rajasthan to see if you imagination can
begin to match where reality takes over.
History
Archaeological and historical evidence shows a continuous human
habitation of the area dating back 100,000 years. Between the
7th and the 11th century AD, several dynasties arose, with
Rajput strength reaching its peak at the beginning of the 16th
century. Emperor Akbar brought the Rajput states into the Mughal
Empire; by early 19th century, they allied with the Marathas.
Later, the British established supremacy in the region.
Rajasthan soon emerged as a centre of Indian nationalism. When
the new constitution went into effect in 1950, Rajput princes
surrendered their powers to the Indian Union.`
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