Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, is a tourist's paradise. Initiated nearly 300 years ago, the city was designed, conforming to traditional architecture, by a famous Bengal architect. Renowned as the Pink City for its distinctly coloured buildings, Jaipur, over the years, has lured many tourists and locals alike, to witness its grandeur. Located about 258 kilometres from Delhi, the capital of India, Jaipur, along with Delhi and Agra, forms the well-known Golden Triangle tourist circuit. The city's magnificent monuments, impressive infrastructure and colourful shops are complemented by some of the best hotels in India.
Today, the city unfolds a proud story of the rich architecture and the cultural heritage of Rajasthan and Mughal Empire. Apart from the fascinating buildings, Jaipur is also home to beautiful works of art, handcrafted items, which are perfect for souvenirs, and semi-precious gems. Those who visit during the festive season can also witness some of the colourful carnivals of Jaipur.
Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal is one of the most common and popular tourist attractions in Jaipur. Hawa Mahal was basically used as a veil by the royal women folk to watch the proceedings on the road below. Today it is the one of most visited monuments in Jaipur. The City Palace is another beautiful landmark that was built by Kachchwah Rajput rulers of Jaipur. The City Palace is a classic example of Mughal and Rajput architecture. A part of the palace today is museum that houses a collection of rare manuscripts, weapons, Mughal carpets and costumes, and Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures.
Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar makes another wonderful sight to visit. Built in 1718 by Sawai Jai Singh, Jantar Mantar Observatory is one of the five observatories that were built by the king. The observatory was built to study the movement of stars. The observatory is built in stone and marble. Amber Fort Built on the hilltop outside Jaipur, Amber Fort is another famous tourist attraction in Jaipur. The Amber Fort was built by Raja Man Singh in the 16th century and was completed by Sawai Jai Singh in the 18th century. The fort offers magnificent views of the surrounding area. The fort is a mix of Mughal and Rajput architecture and is built in red stone and white marble.
City Palace
A classic example of Mughal and architecture, the City Palace stands majestically in the heart of the city. One of the most important architectural landmarks in Jaipur, the palace boasts a museum named after Maharaja Sawai Man Singh, a 7-storey facade 'Chandra Mahal' ('moon palace), Mubarak Mahal, the Diwan-e-Aam and Diwan-e-Khas (the Hall of Private Audience). The erstwhile royal family still lives in one section of the Chandra Mahal. The museum has on display a rich collection of rare manuscripts, weapons, Mughal carpets and costumes, and Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures. The most impressive of all collections are the rare astronomical works in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit acquired by Sawai Jai Singh II.
Amber Fort
Jaipur tour can never be considered complete without a visit to the majestic Amber Fort. Built on the hilltop outside Jaipur, the construction of the Fort was started by Raja Man Singh in the 16th century and was completed by Sawai Jai Singh in the 18th century. Set in a picturesque background, the splendid Amber Fort offers magnificent views of the surrounding area. Built in red stone and white marble, the Fort is a represents a fine blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture.
Ram Niwas Bagh
Built as a famine relief project by Sawai Ram Singh II in 1868 AD, it houses a well-kept spacious garden with a zoo, an aviary, a greenhouse, a herbarium, a museum and a sport ground.
Laxmi Narayan Temple
Also known as the Birla Mandir, the Laxmi Narayan Temple is one of the religious tourist attractions of Jaipur. Beautiful idols of Hindu gods and goddesses adorn the temple, which looks amazing in the night.
Jaigarh Fort
Known as the Fort of Victory, Jaigarh Fort is the most imposing tourist attraction in Jaipur. At a distance of about 15 kilometers from the city, perched in the midst of thorny hills, the Jaigarh Fort offers a panoramic view of the city below. The fort houses the world's largest cannon on wheels. Known as Jaivana, it was built in 1720. It is believed, out of the three underground tanks in the fort, one could store up to 60,00,000 gallons of water. The museum and armory inside Jaigarh Fort are must-sees.
Nahargarh Fort
The Nahargarh Fort, also known as Tiger Fort, was built by Sawai Raja Jai Singh in 1734, to strengthen the defence of Amer. Additional construction on the fort was done by Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II in the 19th century. Although some of the older sections of the fort have deteriorated, the sections added later, make it a must-see attraction in Jaipur.
Rambagh Palace
This palace was built in 1835 by the Queen of Jaipur. In the year 1972, the Rambagh Palace was converted into a heritage hotel and is now one of the premier attractions on your Rajputana Splendour itinerary.
Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh
The terraced Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh (the Garden of Sisodia Queen) is situated on the Jaipur-Agra road at a distance of 6 km from Jaipur. The garden was created by the queen of Jai Singh II as an escape from the court intrigues.
Kanak Valley
The picturesque Kanak Valley, formed by the Aravalli ranges, stretches from Amber town to Jaipur. Further down the valley, sightseers are treated to cascading waterfalls, creeks and lush foliage. Surrounded by this scenic landscape is the 300-year-old temple complex, which houses a shrine dedicated to Govind deoji and Natawarji, and the Kanak Bagh garden.
Statue Circle,
The full length exquisitely carved statue of Sawai Jai Singh in white marble in the centre of the circle is a landmark in a newly planned residential area to pay homage to the founder of Jaipur. The big circle attracts large crowds in the evenings.
Ram Niwas Garden
Was built in 1868 by Swai Ram Singh. It is located in the center of modern Jaipur, it spreads over 33 acres of land. It houses the Albert Hall Museum, the state Zoo, Ravindra Manch Theatre and several cafes and picnic spots in its premises.
Timings : 1000 - 1630 hrs.
Albert Hall Museum
It is erected in the middle of Ram Niwas Garden of Jaipur. It was built in 1876 to mark the visit of Prince of Wales to the city. The building is made of sandstone and marble in Indo- saracenic style. It contains a fine collection of sculptures, paintings, decorative art objects, natural history specimens, an Egyptian mummy and a celebrated Persian Garden Carpet.
Timings : 10.30 - 16.30 hrs.
Govinddev Ji ka Mandir
The presiding deity of Jaipur is Govindeoji, Lord Krishna. The temple is located between the Chandra Mahal and the Badal Mahal in the city palace complex, so that the rulers of the state could view the temple from their residences. The temple attracts large number of devotes specially on the 'Janmashtmi', the day of Lord Krishna’s birth.
Galtaji Temple
An ancient pilgrimage centre lying beyond the gardens amidst low hills. Temples pavilions and holy kunds (natural spring and water tanks) along with lush landscape make it a delightful spot. The small temple of the sun god built by Diwan Kriparam on the top of the highest peak is visible from all parts of the city.
Ramgarh
25 Kms from Jaipur. An ancient site now famous for its huge artificial lake created by constructing a high bund amidst tree converted hills where the citizens throng in a large number for picnic in the rainy season.
BIRLA PLANETARIUM
It offers unique audio-visual education about stars and entertainment with its modern computerised projection system. Entry fee As. 20.00 show timings: 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 17.00, 18.00, 19.00 hrs. Phone: 2381594
Samode
This small town is situated on the way to Shekhawati from Jaipur, at a distance of about 42 kilometers. The Samode palace, now a heritage hotel, is the main tourist attraction here. There are many beautiful havelis in the town as well.
Sambhar
Located about 40 kilometers away from Jaipur, the small town of Sambhar is famous for the salt lake situated just outside the town. The vast lake stretches over a length of 22.5 kilometers, and varies between 3 to 11 kilometers in width.
Sanganer
It is a small town near Jaipur, famous for its cottage industry. The hand made paper and hand printed textiles are particularly noteworthy. Sanganer print is a famous type of textile available in the markets of Jaipur. The digamber Jain temple of Sanganer is a famous Jain religious structure. The idol of Paraswanath with seven serpent hoods is the main deity worshipped here. The interior décor of the temple is comparable to the temple sat Dilwara. Sanganer is also home to a fort, many important temples, and old palaces. The town is located at a distance of 16 kilometers from Jaipur on the Tonk road.
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