The picturesque capital of
Rajasthan,
Jaipur is color washed pink-the color associated with
hospitality in Rajput culture. Built in 1727 A.D. by Maharaja Sawai
Jai Singh JI, Jaipur displays a remarkable harmony and architectural
splendor. The ancient heart of the Pink City still beats in its
fairy-tale palaces, rugged fortresses perched on barren hills and
broad avenues that dot the entire city. The only planned city of its
time, Jaipur is encircled by a formidable wall.
A young Bengali architect,
Vidyadhar Bhattacharya formalized the city’s plans in a grid system.
The wide straight avenues. Roads, streets, lanes and uniform rows of
shops on either side of main bazaars were arranged in nine
rectangular city sectors (Chokris), in accordance with the
principles of town planning set down in the ‘Shilpa Shastra’- and
epochal treatise on the Hindu architecture.
There is a timeless appeal to
Jaipur’s colorful bazaars where one can shop for Rajasthani
handlooms and trinkets. Beautifully laid out gardens and parks,
attractive monuments and marvelous heritage hotels, once the
residence of Maharaja’s are worth admiration. Not to mention the
ambling camels and cheerful people in multi-hued costumes that make
your trip to the pink city a memorable one.
The City Palace:
In the heart of the old city is former royal residence built in a
blend of the Rajasthani and Mughal styles. The carved arches are
supported by grey-white marble columns ornate with floral motifs in
gold and colored stones. Two carved elephants in marble guard the
entrance. The retainers whose families have served generations of
rulers serve as guides The palace houses a museum with a superb
collection of Rajasthani costumes and armory of Mughals and Rajputs
including swords of different shapes and sizes with chased handles,
some of them inlaid with enamel and embellished with jewels and
encased in magnificent scabbards.
The palace also has an art
gallery with an excellent collection of miniature paintings,
carpets, royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical works in
Arabic,Persian,Latin and Sanskrit, acquired by Sawai Jai Singh II to
study astronomy in detail.
Jantar Mantar:
A stone observatory. Largest of Jai Singh’s five remarkable
observatories. Its complex instruments,whose setting and shapes are
scientifically designed, represent the high points of medieval
Indian astronomy.The most striking of these are the Ram Yantras used
for gauging altitudes
Hawa Mahal:
Built in 1799 A.D. the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds is a major
Rajput landmark. This five storey building along the main street of
the old city is in pink splendor with semioctagonal and delicately
honey combed sandstone windows.
The monument was originally
conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to
watch the everyday life and royal processions of the city.
