Sightseeing in Jaipur - what to see. Complete travel guide

Many tourists from all over the world know Jaipur as a “Pink City”. If you arrive in this beautiful city and visit its old quarter, you will see the reason for this name with your own eyes. Indeed, all buildings in this part of the Indian city have a pink or terracotta color. Jaipur is also the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. According to traditions of the ancient Indian architecture, the territory is divided into nine rectangular sectors. This is the location of the major attractions of this region. Don’t be surprised if you happen to see an elephant during your walk in Jaipur. This is normal for this Indian city.

Legendary ruler and warrior Jai Singh II was the founder of the city. He was also a talented astronomer. When his father Maharaja Bishan Singh died, the boy was only 11. Despite such a young age, Jai Singh II had to become a ruler. At that time, Amer was the capital of the region. It was located eleven kilometers away from modern Jaipur. To protect the territory, Jai Singh II built a fort of an impressive size. He named the fort Jaipur.

The kingdom of Jai Singh II was getting richer year after year. Its population was growing too. The capital, Amer, became so populous that there was not enough water for all people and too little space to build new houses. It was clear that Jai Singh needed a new capital. This is how Jaipur was founded in 1727. The city got its name after its founder. Later, Sawai Ram Singh I became the ruler in the region. In 1876, Prince of Wales was to visit the Indian city. The maharaja decided to greet the British royal in an unusual way – he ordered to paint all the buildings in the city in pink. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Do you want to see one of the most beautiful works of Indian masters? In Jaipur, tourists can visit a truly fabulous architectural landmark – the Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds. It is situated in the heart of the city, in a vibrant district that is always crowded. Needless to say, crowds of tourists come to see this tremendous work of the great Indian architects. The palace was built by the order of Maharaja Jai Singh. However, he died before the building was finished. Hawa Mahal was complete only in 1799.

It was Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of the founder of Jaipur Jai Singh II, who finished the palace. The maharaja loved the palace and spent every summer in it together with his large family. Hawa Mahal has a peculiar construction that lets it stay cool even on hot days. The building has five stores and looks much like a pyramid with numerous rooms and balconies. If you look at Hawa Mahal on a sunny day, you will notice how incredibly it looks like under sunrays. It feels like the palace is on fire. Red and pink sandstone, the material that the palace is made with, creates this visual effect.

Jaipur is rich in luxurious buildings that never cease to amaze and impress numerous guests. The City Palace in the heart of Jaipur is definitely one of them. The Mongolian style together with the traditional architecture of Rajasthan makes this building look unforgettable and unique. The construction of the palace started in 1729. The main palace was finished first, and other adjacent buildings appeared later. Nowadays, all buildings in the complex have high fences and a system of inner passages, corridors, and terraces that connect them.

Tourists will find it interesting to visit numerous museums in the City Palace. One part of the building is still reserved as a residence of the royal family. The Museum of Weapons is the most popular establishment in the palace. Visitors will be surprised to see an incredibly big and diverse collection with roughly two thousand different items. There are weapons of different age, from antique prototypes to the modern ones. The oldest weapon in the collection was made in the 16th century. If you want to take a look at maharajah’s clothes, the museum of textiles is the right place to visit.

Are you a fan of extreme adventures? In this case, Jaipur can offer suitable entertainment for you – a safari in a car with an open-top in the Ranthambore Tiger Park. During a safari here, visitors will see tigers, as well as panthers, jackals, hyenas, and desert lynxes. Besides that, the safari covers areas where bears live, deer search for food, and families of wild boars, rabbits, and gazelles enjoy their everyday life. Numerous birds flying in the sky create an absolutely immersive atmosphere.

To see this magical place as well as many other landmarks that Jaipur is famous for, tourists need to get to Delhi first. Not many cities in the world have a direct airplane connection to this Indian city. Having arrived in the capital of India, take a flight to Jaipur – the ride will be not long, roughly half an hour. If you decide to travel by train, the road will be significantly longer – almost six hours. When traveling by car or bus, it will take five to six hours to get to Jaipur from Delhi.