Jaipur
Situated against the backdrop of the rugged Aravalli hills of Rajasthan, the city of Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. Jaipur, which literally means ‘The City of Victory’, was founded in 1727 A.D by the great Kachhawah Raja Sawai Jai Singh II who lived from 1700 - 1747 A.D. This ruler was a great builder, a poet and an astronomer, and to celebrate his multi-faceted personality, it was decided that the city should also be named after him. Under his guidance and patronage, the talented architect Vidyadhar designed this beautiful township, giving shape to his creativity and imaginative aspirations. The resultant city that emerged came to be known as Jaipur, and became a jewel in the Rajasthani context, going on to become the State Capital.
Jaipur was established in 1727 and it was the country's very first planned city, featuring a particularly organised structure and network of roads. Full of atmosphere, Jaipur features many wandering cows and camel carts, which are a regular sight all over the city and often being the cause of traffic congestion.
Along with plenty of historic forts and ancient temples, Jaipur offers a thriving tourism scene and plenty of tourist attractions for visitors to enjoy. Look out for the camel rides, which are particularly spectacular at sunset, together with a range of recreational activities, such as boating and horse riding. Other popular tourist attractions in Jaipur include stargazing at the Birla Planetarium and Indian Masal movies at the Raj Mandhir Theatre.
Apart from the architectural richness of the land, Jaipur is known equally or the spirit of its people, who are warm, friendly and hospitable. Having lived with a deep knowledge of their brave past these people take great pride in the culture and are living testimonies to the uniqueness of its cultural fabric. The cultural aspect of the city is in fact, an integral part of it. The dryness of the desert sands are set off by the colourul clothes and turbans or pagaris worn by the inhabitants, each of them carrying a symbolic meaning and usually used to delineate caste. The women wear a traditional attire of skirts called the ghagra-cholis and can be seen wearing a lot of ethnic jewellary decorated with traditional handcrafted work called kundan or meenakari. The local women also wear bangles made of lac bangles that can reach upto their elbows and often have tattoos. However, despite this aspect, the city is modern and provides all the amenities one can require.
Within central Jaipur, many of the city's best tourist attractions can be found off the MI Road, the Sansar Changra Marg, and also close to the Jaipur Train Station. Tourists will enjoy camel rides and safaris on surrounding stretches of desert, sky shows at the Birla Planetarium, the scientific instruments and displays at the 18th-century Jantar Mantar Observatory, exotic animals and lush gardens at the Ram Niwas Bagh and Zoo, and traditional Masala films at the Raj Mandhir Theatre. Both the Iswari Minar Swarga Sal (Heaven Piercing Minaret) and the Moti Doongri Temple are also extremely popular tourist attractions in Jaipur.
Boasting a delicate-pink facade and two adjacent palaces, the Amber Fort lies on the outskirts of Jaipur and is amongst the region's main landmarks, along with the magnificent Jaigarh Fort, which dates back to 1726 and offers superb views and the world's largest cannon. Within central Jaipur, the Hawa Mahal is especially famous and is often known as the 'Palace of the Winds', due to its enormous number of windows. Also worth visiting in Jaipur is the City Palace and its Govind Dev Ji Temple, the Nahargarh Tiger Fort, and the many tombs at the Royal Gaitor Palace.
Museums within Jaipur are extremely varied and offer in-depth information about a range of different subjects, with the Dolls Museum and its many toys always being popular with families. The Jaipur Central Museum is amongst the best and contains a mixture of paintings, carvings, tribal artefacts and period costumes. For folk art and many other treasures, the neighbouring RC Museum of Indology is worth a look. Specialising in contemporary paintings and sculptures, both the Juneja Art Gallery and the Modern Art Gallery offers plenty to enjoy, regularly hosting visiting exhibitions.