Day Covered : 1 Day
Destination : Delhi - Jaipur - Delhi
Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan is also known as 'Pink City'. The city is surrounded by an ancient 20ft high wall and eight gates. The city is situated 261 kms away from Delhi. Jaipur is the personification of the old order influence the new. An inherent feel for colour and design percolated ever stratum of society, and jewellery, crafts and architecture became objects of delight equally between prince and peasant. Jaipur is also the main tourist and transport hub of Rajasthan tourist circuit. One can venture out to places like Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, and Pushkar from Jaipur. Also approachable from Jaipur are many more destinations that are not big cities but destinations are abundant with opportunities to experience quaint charm of vibrant & colourful rural life from the luxury of noble & royal homes.
The old city built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six quarters separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex. Jaipur is considered by many urbanists to be one of the best planned cities. In the 19th century the city grew rapidly and became prosperous. It had a population of 160,000 in 1900. The city had several hospitals, its chief industries were in metals and marble, which are fostered by a school of art founded in 1868, the city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a Girl school (1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers, particularly the Jains and the Marwaris. The city also has a vibrant and healthy Muslim population.
The sightseeing of Jaipur starts before you actually hit Jaipur City, to visit Amber Fort Palace; the former capital of the Kachwaha Rajputs on a hillside overlooking a Lake, 11 km before Jaipur. The construction of Amber was started by Raja Man Singh I, army commander of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1592 and was completed by Mirza Raja Jai Singh and Sawai Jai Singh, over a period of about two centuries. It is a classic fusion of Mughal and Hindu architecture, built in red sandstone and white marble. The palace or the royal apartments lies inside the massive Amber fort complex with gateways, gardens, halls, stairways, pillared pavilions, temples and palaces. Some of the noteworthy architectural marvels in the complex are the 'Diwan-E-Khas', the 'Sheesh Mahal' and the 'Jai Mandir' with exquisite mirror work, the 'Diwan-E-Aam', the 'Sukh Niwas'.
The fort is entered through a garden, laid out in the traditional Mughal style. An imposing flight of stairs leads to the 'Diwan-E-Am' (hall of public audience) which has latticed galleries and double row of columns. To the right are steps that lead to the small Kali Temple. Maharaja Man Singh was a great devotee of Goddess Kali and prayed to the goddess for victory during battles. The temple has huge doors made of silver. The emperor’s apartments lies on a higher terrace beyond a two tiered decorative gateway, 'Ganesh Pol, covered with elegant frescoes and pavilions having fascinating jail (Lattice worked) screens. The 'Jai Mandir' (hall of victory) has a glittering ceiling with mirror pieces on stucco and elegant inlaid panels. The 'Diwan- E- Khas', hall of private audience is similar in ornamentation to Jai Mandir and the 'Sheesh Mahal', hall of Mirrors known for its craftsmanship in mirrors, is the most spectacular of the lot. Thousands of mirror pieces adorn the walls and the ceiling that, any streak of light makes them sparkle and illuminates the entire room. In front of the Jai Mandir is the 'Sukh Niwas' (hall of pleasure) with a door made of sandalwood, inlaid with ivory with a channel running through, which formerly carried cool water acting as an air cooler.
The ladies quarters called Zenana are decorated with frescoes depicting Krishna Leela scenes. There are private chambers from where the royal women could watch the proceedings of the royal court in privacy.
From Amber fort we proceed to Jaipur city to visit the city and visit Hawa Mahal, Built in 1799, by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh the 'Hawa Mahal' (Palace of the Wind), the major landmarks of the City. It is an integral part of the City Palace, an extension of the Zenana (women's chambers) standing away from the main complex. This five storey building is a stunning example of Rajput artistry made of red and pink sand stone, beautifully outlined with white borders and motif's painted with quick lime. The monument with a spectacular view of Jaipur city with road avenues, was originally conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and royal processions in the city without being seen by others. Its facade from the road side makes Hawa Mahal look more like a delicate screen than a palace. This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure has tier after tier of 953 small casements, each with tiny lattice worked pink windows, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely modeled and carved. These small windows circulate cool air (Hawa) even in hot months, the giving it the name Hawa Mahal.
Our next top will be The Jantar Mantar (Observatory). This is a superb collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1733. The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes and related ephemeredes. Each is a fixed and 'focused' tool. Built of local stone and marble, each instrument carries an astronomical scale, generally marked on the marble inner lining; bronze tablets, all extraordinarily accurate, were also employed. Thoroughly restored in 1901, the Jantar Mantar was declared a national monument in 1948. An excursion through Jai Singh's Jantar is the singular one of walking through solid geometry and encountering a collective weapons system designed to probe the heavens. The instruments are in most cases huge structures. They are built on a large scale so that accuracy of readings can be obtained. The samrat yantra, for instance, which is a sundial, can be used to tell the time to an accuracy of about two seconds in Jaipur local time. Today the main purpose of the observatory is to function as a tourist attraction.
In the afternoon we proceed to visit the City Palace. City Palace of Jaipur is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The vast palace complex is spread over one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur. Originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II, additions have been made to the palace complex by many of his successors.
The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum. The museum contains very interesting objects like fabrics and textile including arms and armoury from the collection of the royal family.
Later in the evening drive from Jaipur to Delhi