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Jaipur is the city of princes
and princesses, of tales of valour and courage, of romance and
chivalry. Majestic forts, luxurious palaces, lively temples,
colourful bazaars, vibrant streets and pink face, have given the
city a unique and unmatched character that immediately endears
itself to every visitor.
Showing an amazing mix of modernity, traditions and old world charm
this city surges forward with its roots in the past. A bustling
metropolis today, it is the perfect example of the very essence of
India!
The Pink City, as Jaipur is popularly known, was not always pink.
Its main thoroughfares and buildings are painted earthy pink in
honour of the visiting Prince of Wales in 1876. It all came about
due to the fact that it was thought that the glaring white starkness
of its buildings would be too bright for the visiting prince and
thus the idea to paint buildings pink, came about. Today, every home
within the old city is obliged by law to maintain this facade. This
amazingly symmetrical and thoroughly proportioned city came into
existence as early as 1727 being the only city in India which was
conceptualized and conceived on such a grand scale.
Through the great vision and scholarly skills of Maharaja Sawai Jai
Singh II and extensive works by his Chief Architect Vidyadhar
Bhattacharji, Jaipur rose to fame as the most beautiful and the best
planned place to live in. Liberal, protective and secular policies
of the rulers attracted a wide range of artisans, artists and
businessmen, which today make this city, a great arts, crafts, trade
and cultural centre. Architecturally, the city proved to be a
milestone and other great kings like Sawai Ram Singh and Sawai
Mansingh II added many more public buildings and institutions to
this existing masterpiece.
Jaipur is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with
forts and enclosed by embattled walls. The Old City, the actual Pink
City, is a great place to wander around. Maharaja Man Singh II had
the whole city painted pink when the Prince of Wales, later Edward
VII, visited Jaipur in 1876. Fabulous, tall houses with latticed
windows line the narrow streets of the old city, their rose pink
colour lending enchantment to a scene which is almost magical at
sunset. Today luxurious hotels and resorts offer comfortable
accommodation to all who wish to visit and the tourist
infrastructure is equally professionally handled.
Places of interest are the Jaipur Museum, Albert Museum, Birla
Mandir Planetarium, Sisodia Rani Park, Lakshmi Narain Temple, Kanak
Vrindavan, The Rajmahal Palace; Rambagh Palace (now a Luxury hotel)
and other parks. No matter what you choose to do, your time in
Jaipur will be remembered for a long time to come. |
