Star Medical Tours –» Jaipur Travel Guide

Jaipur - capital city of Rajasthan is famous for the Amber Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal.Also known as the shoppers paradise, you will find jewelry, textile, carpets, handicrafts and lot more.
Built by the warrior-astronomer Raja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727, it is full of formidable forts, enchanting palaces and lovely temples. Jaipur is listed in most tourist books as one of the three cities that make

India's Golden Triangle - the other two are Delhi and Agra. The old city of Jaipur is enclosed within seven gates, the most important of which are Chandpol, Jaipuri and Sanganeri

Location: Situated in North-East of Rajasthan.
Distance:New Delhi (255 km), Jodhpur (330 km), Udaipur (410 km), Ajmer (131 km)
STD Code: 0141
Population: 1.8 millions
Area: 9.8 sq km.
Altitude: 413 meters
Language: Hindi, English & Rajasthani
Clothing: Summer light tropical (cotton) for summer & Light woolen for winter.

Hawa Mahal

Built in 1799, the Hawa Mahal (the palace of Winds) is one of the Jaipur's major Landmarks, although it is actually little more than a facade. This five - storey building, which looks out over the main street of the buzzing old city , is a stunning example of Rajput artistry with its pink, delicately honeycombed sandstone windows, of which there are 953. It was originally built to enable the women of the royal household to watch the everyday life and processions of the city.The palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and is a part of the city palace complex.

Most of the people come here to see the beautiful facade, but you can also climb the top for a view of the city below; peer through the latticed windows to experience the fascinating interplay of gazes set up by the structure. The entrance is from the rear of the building.
Time: 9:00 A.M.- 4:00 P.M.(Daily)

Amber Fort

The Kachchawahas ruled from Amber, 11 km from Jaipur, for seven centuries. With a history so old, it is not unexpected that there is a lot of the past that can be traced in its archaeological history. While many of the early structures have either disappeared or ruined, those dating from the16th century on are in a remarkable state of preservation. Amber as it exists now is the handiwork of three of the kingdom's rulers that include Man Singh, and Jai Singh I and II. Approached from a steep ramp, visitors ride up on elephant back, entering through the grand Singh Pol gateway and continuing to Jaleb Chowk, the courtyard where they disembark from the pachyderm. From here, they are faced wit two flights of steps, one leading to Shila Mata complex with its enshrined image of the goddess, and the other to the main palace complex.

Within the complex, Ganesh Pol, an imposing gateway painted with images of the elephant-headed god, Ganesh, takes pride of the place. Also a part of the complex is the Diwan-e-Am or hall of the public audience with its spectacular display of pillars. The typical merging of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles is captured in the Sukh Nivas and Jas Mandir apartments, and the Charbagh garden with its perfectly proportioned landscaping. A highlight is the pierced screen windows which offer views from points of vantage, as well as the shimmering mirrors encrusting the walls of the Sheesh Mahal. Several other gardens and pavilions within the sprawling spread of ramparts offer enough scope for investigating medieval lifestyles at leisure.

Beyond the ramparts, the old city, once the abode of the aristocracy, has a wonderfully medieval flavor, though it has few buildings of majestic proportion that are still extant. However, a walk through the rambling lanes will reap rich rewards for the curious besides a large number of temples there are also step-wells, memorials and town houses.

City Palace

In the heart of the old city, the City Palace occupies a large area divided into a series of courtyards, gardens and buildings. The outer wall was built by Sawai Jai Singh, but other additions are more recent, some dating to the start of the 20th century. The palace is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The son of the last Maharaja and his family still live in part of the palace.

Before the palace proper lies the Mubarak Mahal (Welcome Palace), built in late 19th century by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II as a reception center for visiting dignitaries. It now forms part of the Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum and contains a collection of royal costumes and superb shawls including sanganeri block prints, royal shawls. Kashmiri Pashmina (goat's wool) shawls, folk embroideries and Banaras saris.

At the heart of the complex is the seven - tiered Chandra Mahal where erstwhile royal family is still in residence, though only a small part of the apartments are occupied. However, it is the only building around Chandra Mahal that is open to the public, and these also form a part of the museum.

Through Singh Pole (Lion Gate), visitors can approach the Diwan-e-Khas and Diwan-e-Am, where the maharaja's private and public courts would be held. The architecture seems to consist of a number of arched, pillared halls, while the courtyards with painted doorways are a prominent feature.
Time : 9:30 A.M.- 5:30 P.M.(Daily)

Jantar Mantar

Next to the City Palace entrance is the Jantar - Mantar, began in 1728 by Sawaii Singh whose passion for astronomy was even more notable than his powers as a warrior. Before commencing Jantar Mantar, he sent scholars abroad to study foreign observatories. This observatory is the largest and best preserved of the five he built, with 13 different instruments for calculating the movement of celestial bodies. It was restored in1901. The others are in Delhi, Varanasi and Ujjain. The fifth observatory, at Mathura, has disappeared.

Jantar mantar (or 'instrument of calculation')is a curious if somewhat compelling collection of sculptures. In fact, each construction has a specific purpose, for example, measuring the positions of the stars, altitude and azimuth, and calculating eclipses.
Time : 9:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M.(Daily)