Jaipur




Jaipur is the biggest city and the capital of Rajasthan. It is a majestic city that reminds you of the “maharajas”. Its magnificent fortresses, royal palaces, serene temples, and incredible “havelis” draw tourists from all parts of the world.

Also called the “Pink city”, Jaipur is a place where tourists can take a trip down to history and at the same time, enjoy the handicrafts, the “melas”, the vibrant culture and mouth-watering cuisine.

The best time to visit Jaipur is from October to March. Tourists are greeted with a pleasant weather, which lets them explore the attractions of this city. Summer here is marked with scorching heat.

Jaipur is known for its fairs and festivals. The place becomes lively thanks to festivals like kite festival, camel festival, elephant festival, Teej, Ganguar festival, and others. There are vibrant markets dotted with bright ethnic attire and turbans. Color and art are the two prominent elements of this city.

Tourists can bask in the brilliance of handicrafts, artworks, embroidered and hand-dyed textiles, such as “bandhani” and others. Shiny jewelry pieces and savory cuisine of this city draws tourists like a magnet. A trip to this city soaks you in its flamboyance and rich heritage.

History

Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II built Jaipur in 1727 AD. The city gets its name from his name. Jaipur is India’s first planned city.

After Jai Singh’s demise in 1744, his sons battled for power. The city was without a king and the neighboring states invaded it. The Marathas and the Rajputs reigned over most of the city.

In 1876, Maharaja Ram Singh painted the city in pink color, which was associated with hospitality. This was to welcome the Prince of Wales. It is since then that Jaipur came to be known as the “Pink City”.

How to Reach from Delhi

By Air

Jaipur airport is located at Sanganer. The domestic terminal is 7 km and international terminal is 10 km from the main city. There are daily domestic flights from Delhi to Jaipur and vice versa.

By Rail

There is direct train from Delhi to Jaipur. After reaching Jaipur railway station, tourists can hire a taxi or board a bus or auto rickshaw. Palace on Wheels is a special luxury train. It departs from Delhi and travels through Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jhalawar, Udaipur, Alwar and other cities.

By Road

Jaipur is connected to all the major cities of India through National Highways 8, 11, 12 and others. The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) runs a good bus service from Delhi to Jaipur and return journey. Tourists can get a bus after every half an hour or so. Both AC and non-AC buses are available.

Driving Directions from Delhi

From Delhi, tourists can board a bus from Bikaner House situated on Pandara Road adjacent to India Gate. Tourists can also avail themselves of private bus service from Dhaula Kuan.

Attractions

Some of the sight-seeing places in Jaipur include Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Jaigarh Fort, Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Gaitore, Statue Circle, Ramgarh Lake, Ranthambore National Park, Sariska National Park, Abhaneri, Sanganer, Samode, Sambhar, Tonk, Karauli, Bagru, Bairath, and more.

It is hard to miss gardens like Vidyaghar garden, Kanak Vrindavan Valley, and Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh.

One of the biggest attractions of Jaipur, in fact, of Rajasthan, is the Palace on Wheels. It is a luxury train that starts from Delhi and allows tourists to travel in pomp and royalty. The train coaches were once the personal coaches of previous rulers of the princely states of Rajasthan’s neighboring state Gujarat and Rajputana, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the viceroy of British India.

The train comprises of the replica carriages that are refurbished to give tourists the look and feel of the original Maharaja saloons. The journey on this train is something that travelers hardly forget in their lives. The train passes through the Pink City – Jaipur, the Blue City – Jodhpur, the golden citadel – Jaisalmer, the symbol of chivalry – Chittorgarh, the bird sanctuary – Bharatpur, the National Park Ranthambore, the City of Lakes - Udaipur and the Mughal capital - Agra.

Yet another big attraction is the Jaipur Literature Festival. Since its inception in 2006, this festival offers a fine platform for established writers, authors, Nobel laureates, debut novelists and all lovers of literature. This year, 2014, the festival begins on January 17 and ends on January 21. It is the biggest literary festival of Asia.

Visiting Jaipur at this time of the year will be both a sight-seeing and a literary experience for tourists.

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