Places to visit in the city Jaipur
THE CITY PALACE - Jaipur
The City Palace is now converted into a museum, except
a small portion that is still used by the royal family
of Jaipur. Built in the fortified campus style, the
palace covers almost one-seventh part of the city.
One of the major attractions in the museum is the
portion that is devoted to the arms and ammunition
used by the royal family in the past. Other important
attractions are the Textile and Costume Museum, Art
Gallery, Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, and Diwan-i-Khas
and Diwan-i-Am.
CENTRAL MUSEUM - Jaipur
Located in the Ram Niwas Garden, the Central Museum
or Albert Hall is a mixture of pillars, arches, and
courtyards adorned with murals. There is a huge collection
of objects displaying different facets of Rajasthani
culture and history. There are miniature paintings,
ivory carvings, costumed mannequins, and shields depicting
scenes from the Hindu epics, among others.
HAWA MAHAL - Jaipur
Strange though it may seem, this most famous landmark
of Jaipur is not actually a palace but a series of
sandstone screens. This pink structure was constructed
so that the ladies of the palace could watch the royal
processions without being seen by any outsider. This
sandstone edifice was named Palace of Winds after
the many brass wind vanes that adorned it until 1960s.
JANTAR MANTAR - Jaipur
This largest
stone observatory in the world has a very interesting
story behind its construction. Sawai Jai Singh, the
founder of five observatories in India including this
one, was a great admirer of developments in science
and technology, especially astronomy. Before constructing
this observatory, he sent his emissaries to all corners
to the world, who returned with many manuals of cutting-edge
technology including a copy of La Hire/’s Tables.
He built the structures following every details given
in the manual, but at the end, he found to his astonishment
that the observatory was 20 seconds more accurate
than that given by La Hire. Situated near the gate
of the City Palace, the observatory has 18 large instruments,
many of them still in working condition.
AMBER FORT - Jaipur
Standing tall
over a small hillock overlooking the Pink City, Amber
is the classic romantic Rajasthan fort-palace. Amber
today is nothing but a reflection of the glorious
past of the fierce Kachwaha Dynasty that ruled over
this region from 12th to 18th century. Man Singh I
started the construction of this fort in 1592 and,
perhaps, it was the defence that topped his priorities
before constructing this fort. The rugged walls of
this fort may not look beautiful from outside, but
the interior is a virtual paradise and painted scenes
of hunting and wars adorn the walls along with precious
stones and mirrors set into the plaster. Half the
fun at Amber Fort is the walk from the road to the
fort with majestic views of the surrounding valley.
An elephant ride up to the fort is also an unforgettable
experience.
JAIGARH FORT - Jaipur
Situated in the
north of Jaipur, the Jaigarh Fort is structurally
similar to the Amber Fort. The only exception is that
it houses the mighty Jaivana, the largest wheeled
canon in the world. Other attractions in the Jaigarh
Fort include three water tanks, a museum, and breathtaking
views of the city below.
BIRLA MANDIR - Jaipur
Also known as
the Laxmi Narayan Mandir, the Birla Mandir, situated
in the south of Jaipur, has been built by wealthy
Birla family, one of the largest industrial dynasties
in India. This white-marble structure has three domes,
each styled according to different approaches to religion.
SISODIA RANI KA BAGH - Jaipur
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. The landscaped gardens and murals of the
life of Lord Krishna, decorating its interiors, are
breathtakingly beautiful.
|