Jaipur

We did spend 2 days in Jaipur and it was quite a packed visit but we got a good feeling for the „pink“ city, the capital of Rajasthan.

Jaipur was once the stronghold of the Rajas and Maharajas. And you see their history all over Jaipur. Jaipur is named after its founder, the great warrior-astronomer Jai Singh 11 (1688-
1744), who came to power at age 11 after the death of his father, Maharaja Bishan Singh. Their capital at the time was at Amber (pronounced amer), about 11km northeast of present-day Jaipur, where they built the impressive Amber Fort. Jai Singh's grounding in the sciences is reflected in the
precise symmetry of the new city.

On the late afternoon of the first day we did an organised TukTuk tour to see Jaipur at night. 3h moving around in the crazy traffic in Jaipur and facing the noises and buzz of the city. We covered Jai Mahal Palace, Hawa Mahal and Albert Hall Museum. We also had some tasty street food.

First stop was the Jal Mahal Palace. Jal Mahal means “water palace” and is known for its unique architecture in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. The lake is an artificial lake and was constructed by damming the Dravyavati river in 1610. Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber built the magnificent palace and splendid architecture in 1750. One of the interesting things about Jal Mahal is that it is a 5-storey building out of which 4-storeys are submerged underwater, and only the top floor is above water level. It was built in the middle of the lake to keep the rooms cool.

Then one of the highlights of Jaipur. Hawa Mahal (translated: Palace of Winds). The imposing structure with a pink facade is adorned with lattice and glass inlay work, making it an amalgamation of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the monument is composed of 953 Jharokhas (small windows) which look like a honeycomb. These were used by the royal ladies to see the activities outside.

And finally the Albert Hall Museum—Jaipur’s oldest museum. The 135-year-old museum—set within the sprawling Ram Niwas Garden—is a stunning example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. It was built to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward.

For the second day we had a driver and guide and we dived deeper in the history of this great city.
The first stop was the Jantar Manta, which is an astronomical observation site built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur in the year 1724. It includes a set of some 20 main fixed instruments. Not being an astronomical but this place was very impressive. To see what they already figured out about time and the stars in these early years.

Next stop the City Palace. The City Palace in Jaipur is spread out over a series of courtyards. It was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as part of his ambitious city project. In 1727 the court was moved from Amber Palace to the City Palace, because of an increase in population and increasing water shortage. It now houses the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, and continues to be the home of the Jaipur royal family.

Amber Fort, this magnificent fort comprises an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, and is divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard.
Located on a strategic hill near Jaipur, Amer Fort is a former palace and military installation of the maharaja. They even had a Ham-am with hot and cold water. Each courtyard had his own nice beauty. And you could feel the wealth by the materials used at the time.

And finally we passed by car and at light the Hawa Mahal again. Again very impressive.

And of course we were dragged to tailor shop, jewelry shop and tea shop. This seems to be a part of every tour in Jaipur but we stayed strong and did not give in to buying items.

Our hotel had a nice roof terrace with good food and live music which was very handy and relaxing. Kingfisher was our best buddy.

And why is it called pink city. Because the Maharaja of Jaipur painted the city pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. Pink was the color of hospitality at the time. The Prince of Wales, Prince Albert, loved the city and nicknamed it the "Pink City". In 1877, the Maharaja passed a law that made it mandatory to paint all new buildings in Jaipur pink. The law is still in effect today.Read more