JAIPUR - The pink city of Rajasthan

JAIPUR the pink city of Rajasthan is blessed with the magnificent cultural and architectural beauty that outshines most of the regions of India. All of this can be easily seen in the various sites of historical and artistic significance that mark the city. The old city of Jaipur has orderly and broadly laid-out lanes; all painted pink that gives a delightful shine to the city, especially in the evenings. The capital city of the colorful state of Rajasthan is about 258 kilometers from Delhi & 232 kilometers from Agra. The city is the most popular tourist destinations & part of the famous Golden Triangle Tourist circuit which includes Delhi and Agra. 

Transportation Facilities – The capital city is on N. H No. 8 (national highway) and N H No. 11 and is connected to all parts of India by road, rail and air. The transportation system is quite good here. The service of city buses in and around is good & the fares are quite low. Tourist taxis, 3-wheelers, cycle-rickshaws, tongas & mini buses are easily available in city for the comfortable travel.

Communication Facilities – Communication is not a problem here. There are plenty of Public phone booths, cyber cafes, newspapers, television & radio channels. The mobile & postal services are quite good in the city. So, you don’t have to worry about communication in any nook & corner of city.

People & culture – People of Jaipur are just awesome. Despite being strong in their appearance, the common people are smiling, cheerful and simple which gives the effect of simple living high thinking.  “Atithi devo Bhav” is their basic Mantra to treat their guest. They welcome their guests with regal courtesy and genuine affection. From the period of kings and dynasties, these common people have left behind legends of faithfulness, affection and compassion. Though the patches of modernity can be easily seen, the city is still the commercial centre for most rural regions of Rajasthan. The people of Jaipur prefer to wear bright colored clothes which helps in compensating with the barren landscape. The women are often seen in dazzling colors like Red, yellow, green and orange attires with attention-grabbing embroidery of gold, silver zari or gota. The streets and market places can easily witness scenes of bandhej turbaned Rajasthani men, moving around with their women, who are dressed in swirling skirts and flashing silver & Meenakari (enamel) jewellery that bring life to the desert. The culture of pink city is rich & magnificent in each & every aspect of life either it is art, architecture, dance, music or food. The people of Jaipur are devoted lovers of music and dance. The most popular dances of the city include the Ghoomar & the Chari dance. They used to sing traditional songs with instruments like Sarangi, Ektara, Jhalar, Garasiays and others. The food also reveals about the spicy culture of colorful city. Jaipur is famous for its sspicy & delicious foods like mangodi, khakhra, varieties of kachories, papad, sohan halwa, khichdi, buttermilk & lot more. The magnificent palaces of the city are the real example of its royal culture. Marbled gate, carved pillars, grand courtyard are spectacular in their architectural beauty. Visiting any palace of this city will make you quite familiar with the perfect and rich land of Mughal and Rajputana art and architecture which can be easily seen in the Modern areas also.

Language & religion – Hinduism is the major religion which is followed here. Other religions which are followed by people of Jaipur are Jainism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity. The people here basically speak Rajasthani but you can hear Marwari, Hindi and English too.

Fairs & Festivals - The people of this livly city live their life with lots of gusto. They celebrate each & every festival with lots of passion. One of the most popular festivals of Jaipur, Rajasthan is The Elephant Festival and is celebrated every year in March on the occasion of Holi, the festival of colors. This festival has its own charm & a unique concept. In this grand festival elephants become the major attraction in their classy attires & different competitions which make the spectators spellbound. The best contest of this festival is 'Best Decorated Elephant' where beautifully decked elephants with floral motifs are judged & appreciated. Moreover, whenever people enjoy the glorious elephant ride, the royalty of city gets revitalized. Being the time for Holi, tourists play Holi by mounting on these painted Elephants.

Alike Elephant Festival, Kite festival is also one of the popular festival. Kite flying is enjoyed by people of all age-groups on14 January, the day of Makar Sankranti.. The innumerable kites in the sky make the sky next to invisible. With each & every cut loose of a kite you can hear "Woh Kata". In every five years, the Desert Kite Festival is very well organized by the Rajasthan government, where expert Kite makers show off their kites which sometimes carry social messages; depict social issues or even caricatures of politicians.

Gangaur & Teej are also significant festival of the city which are especially meant for the women. The word Gangaur is derived from two words, 'Gan' and 'Gauri' which are synonyms of 'Siva' and 'Parvati' respectively. It starts with the subsequent day of Holi and continues for about 2 weeks. The married women worship Gauri for the well-being of their husband whereas unmarried girls worship to get the husband of their choice. Teej celebrates the arrival of monsoon in the month of 'Shravan' (July-August), according to the Hindu calendar for the well being of their husbands.

Tourist attraction of Jaipur – If you are in Jaipur you can’t ignore a single tourist spot. There are numbers of tourist attraction & all are just marvelous. Amber Fort, Birla Temple, City Palace, Central Museum, Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Jaigarh Fort, Kanak Vrindavan Garden, Nahargarh Fort, Chokhi Dhani, Govind Devji Temple, Jagat Shiromani Temple, Jantar Mantar, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Moti Doongri, Diwan-e-am, Diwan-e-khas, Galta Ji, Mubarak Mahal, Ram Niwas Garden, Ramgarh, Royal Cenotaphs, Sisodia Rani Bagh, Statue Circle, Vidyadhar Garden, Zoological Gardens are some of the fantabulous tourist spots of magnificent Jaipur.

City Palace – One of the most fascinating palace of Jaipur, City Palace is partially occupied by the former royal family. The palace was built by Raja Sawai Jay Singh with its architectural grandeur. The large area of palace which was divided into various line of courtyards, gardens and palaces, are now turned into museum. The museum galleries have abundant of Rajasthani, Mughal & Persian rare paintings, Maharaja's costumes, armors, weapons, elephant saddles, miniatures, Hindu manuscripts and artifacts. The Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-I-Am or the Hall of Public Audience, Pritam Niwas Chowk, Govind Devji Temple, two huge silver water containers which Sawai Madho Singh II filed with Ganga water and carried on his trip abroad as he mistrusted the waters of the west are some of the actual gems of the city palace. The palace remains open from 9.30 am-4.45 pm

Jantar Mantar – This Observatory structure, Jantar Mantar was manufactured by Sawai Jai Singh II and houses a complex collection of astronomical instruments. The time to open Jantar Mantar is 9.00 am & it closes at 4.30 pm

Albert Hall & Museum: The Albert Hall & Museum is also known as The Central Government Museum which displays a fine collection of crystals, ivory, woodcarvings, jewellery, textiles, pottery, sculptures and paintings. The timings for visiting the museum are 10.00 am to 4.30 pm.

Hawa Mahal: This red-and-pink sandstone five-storey structure is the city's signature landmark & was built for the royal ladies to watch the activities in the bazaars without being seen themselves. Hawa Mahal has over 953 octagonal windows with fine screens, which let the breeze pass through.

Amber Fort: The towering fort is located on a hillock overlooking the Maota Lake. Particularly interesting within the fort complex is the sandstone Diwan-i-Am, the huge gateway Ganesh Pol, Sheesh Mahal or Hall of Mirrors, Shila Devi Temple, Sukh Niwas, Jai Mahal and Jas Mandir.

Jal Mahal: This Jal Mahal is in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake and was constructed by Madho Singh I to shoot ducks.

Havelis: The havelis in city are one of its most essential parts and are well known for its broad arches, balconies with stained glass windows and painted inner chambers. Some of the most famous havelis are Nattani ki Haveli, known for its seven distinctive courtyards, Nawab Saheb ki Haveli offers spectacular views of the city, Rajputana Haveli, which has intricately carved screened windows.

Accommodation – There are numbers of hotels in Jaipur. Tourists can get heritage hotels, luxury hotels & budget hotels in the city.

There are lots of adjectives that you can render to the pink city of Rajasthan & few of them are vibrant, lively, well planned, beautiful and magnificent. Sawai Jai Singh's beautiful foundation, lives up to its expectations with its well-maintained palaces, perfectly planned roads and old-world bazaars. Not only this, city is said to be thrilling and mysterious at the same time. But don’t only believe on what books and we say rather start discovering Jaipur in your own way. Keep enjoying!!!!