City of Palaces, Jaipur

When I landed in Jaipur, I was really amazed because of what I had heard since my childhood, Jaipur, ‘the pink city’, was not really pink. When I inquired the locals about the houses being pink, I came across an old tale wherein when in 1876, Prince of Wales visited India, Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the entire city pink to display his gesture of hospitality as the pink was the color associated with hospitality back then.

By now, you might have understood that hospitality and hues are in the blood of Jaipur. Not only this, Jaipur holds the distinction of being the first planned city of India. The city along with Delhi and Agra forms the India's Golden Triangle. This capital of Rajasthan is also a gateway to other tourist places like Ajmer, Pushkar, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Mount Abu in the state. Known for its umpteen palaces, this city is truly grandeur.

Tourist Attraction:

What better place to begin exploration Jaipur than City Palace? Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh during the years 1729 to 1732, the magnificent City Palace in Jaipur is one of the most famous tourist attractions. The facade is designed with acute and detailed handiwork and showcases a blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture style. The palace costs Rs 200/person for Indian and 700/person for foreign tourists.

Once you are done with the palace, you should explore the massive edifice of Hawa Mahal. It derives its name from its unique structure, which is a mesh of small windows that allowed cool wind to enter the palace and hence kept the palace comfortable during the hot summer months. Jaipur locals would bet that it’s the windiest palace as it has 953 windows!

11km from the pink city awaits the Amber fort. Being constructed from red sandstone, this fort is a perfect blend of Hindu-Muslim architecture. Well, apart from exploring the architect, you can go for an elephant ride, enjoy the light and sound show in the evening or can try some mouth-water cuisine.

Another architectural delight that Jaipur offers is the Jal Mahal, situated at the middle of the Mansagar Lake. Its beautifully decorated hallway and fragrant Chameli Bagh are enough to enchant you. You can take camel ride, walk the long pathways or simply indulge in birdwatching and marvel the beauty of the palace.

Rightly known as ‘City of Palace’, the city also hosts other forts like Jaigarh fort and Nahargarh fort.

Local Tourist sites

While all this while, you might have covered all the nearby palaces and forts in and around city, you should also definitely take out time for the UNESCO world heritage and the largest stone astronomical observatory, the Jantar Mantar.  The geometrical devices available here are used for measuring time, observing constellations and orbits around the sun.

You can also visit the ‘Pink City’, an old walled city constructed of red Sandstone and is preserved as UNESCO world heritage site. The wall that marks the boundary of the Pink City is about six metres high and three metres thick.

Shopping Paradise:

The old city or Pink city is a shopper’s paradise with plethora of things. Pink City bazars are made up of 4 main bazars- Johari bazar, Bapu bazar, Nehru Bazaar, Kishanpole Bazaar and Tripolia Bazaar. Each bazaar is famous for different things, like Johari bazar for jewelry, Tripolia Bazaar for bangles, Chandpole Bazaar for Handicrafts, Kishanpole Bazaar for Textiles, Bapu bazaar for Jaipur textile goods and Nehru Bazaar for Traditional Jootis.

Jaipur Cuisine:

Jaipur food is predominantly vegetarian with lots of butter. Jaipur is famous for its Dal Batti, Churma, Mawa Kachori, Ghewar, Mirchi Bada, Rajasthani Subzi and different kinds of Chapattis like Missi Roti. Sweet dishes include Ghevar, Feeni, Gajak, Chauguni ke laddu, Moong Thal.

Must-visits

·         Hawa Mahal

·         Jal Mahal

·         Amber Fort

·         City palace

·         Pink City Bazar

·         Jantar Mantar

Must-haves

·         Dal Batti

·         Churma

·         Ghewar

·         Chauguni ke laddu

·         Missi Roti

Weather to visit

Jaipur witness a very dry summer and a warm winter. Therefore, the ideal time would be early November till February.

Pro-tips

·         Being close to desert, the city gets very hot, so do not forget to carry your sunscreen, summer hats and your funky shades.

·         Plan your day in advance so that you make the most out of your trips

·         Carry an extra empty bag, because the colors of the city will entice you to buy whatever comes your way.

Give Bejoy Holidays an honor to host you in the ‘City of palaces’ while you enjoy your perfect Camel ride!