Jaipur

Quick Facts
Area: 14,068 square km.
Languages: Rajasthani, Hindi, Urdu, English, Sindhi
Best Time To Visit: July-March

Jaipur is most chosen tourism golden triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
Location: 260 km from Delhi and 240 km from Agra

It a bustling capital city and a business centre with all the trapping of modern metropolis but yet flavoured strongly with an age-old charm that never fails to surprise a traveller. The old Jaipur painted in Pink can grip any visitor with admiration.

Stunning backdrop of ancient forts Nahargarh, Amer, Jagarh and Moti Dungri are dramatic testimonials of the bygone era and a reminder of their lingering romance. Jaipur is named after its founder the warrior and astronomer sovereign Sawai Jai Singh II (ruled 1688 to 1744).

The decision to move out of his hilltop capital Amer was also compelled by reasons of growing population and paucity of water. Moreover in the early seventh century the power of the great Mughals was dwindling with its aging Monarch Aurangzeb and after several centuries of invasions the north was now quite and the wealth of the kingdom had become greater than before.

Seizing upon this opportune time Jai Singh planned his new capital in the planes. Jaipur is a corroborative effort of Sawai Jai Singh's strong grounding in sciences and astrology and a Bengali architect Vidyadhar with a strong instinct for planning.

What to See:

» Hawa Mahal » Amber Fort » Birla Temple » Galta Ji

» City Palace » Jantar Mantar » Sisodia Rani Garden » Nahargarh Tiger Fort

» Jaigarh Fort » Govind Dev Ji Temple » Swargasuli » Roopangarh Fort

Where to Stay:

» Rajputana Palace » Hotel Mansingh » Holiday Inn

» Trident Jaipur » Clarks Amer » Mansingh Towers

» Om Tower » Carlson Country Inns & Suites

Festivals:

» Kite Festival » Gangaur Fair

» Elephant Festival » Teej Festival

» Banganga Fair

Shopping:
Popularly known as 'The Gem City', Jaipur is famous all over the world for its gemstones master cutters, polishers and gemstone dealers and for its cut and polished emeralds. It is also a world leader in semi-precious stones and Kundan (the art of setting precious stones in gold) - Meena (the art of enameling on gold or silver) jewellery. Other famous items to shop for in Jaipur are: - Lacquered Bangles, glazed Blue Pottery with its origin in Persia, Hand Block Printed Textiles, Tie & dye Fabrics (Bandhani/Bandhej), Stone Craft Marble and sandstone articles and traditional miniature paintings.

Tourists are also often found shopping for 'jootis' (traditional Rajasthani moccasins) and 'kathputlis' (puppets). Jauhari Bazaar is a place to shop for jewellery and tie-dye saris while Bapu Bazaar and Nehru Bazaar are famous for textiles, local perfumes and 'mojadis' (shoes made of camel skin). A number of emporiums can be found on Mirza Ismial Road (M.I. Road) selling a huge range of goods - from jewellery and brass work to textiles, from blue pottery to woodwork and many more. You can visit Sanganer Village for hand-made paper, block printing and blue pottery.

Accessibility:
By Air - Jaipur is the nearest airport.
By Rail - Regular train services link Jaipur with all major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
by surface - There is a well-connected network of buses that ply to and fro from Jaipur connecting it to major towns and cities in north India.

Suggested Itineraries : Golden Triangle Tour Packages | Incredible Rajasthan Tour Packages