At a glance Jaipur is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan. It is bound in the north by Sikar and Alwar, in South by Tonk, Ajmer and Sawai Madhopur. Nagaur, Sikar and Ajmer in the west and in east by Bharatpur and Dausa districts. It is about 261 kms away from New Delhi.
About the city Hawa Mahal, Palace of the Wind, is one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. It is an integral part of the City Palace- an extension of the women's chambers, standing away from the main complex. The Rose Pink City founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1743), is the capital of Rajasthan. It is a major attraction for the first-time visitor. Jaipur is surrounded on all sides by rugged hills, crowned with forts & enclosed by embattled walls. Houses with latticed windows line the streets with their rose pink colour, lending enchantment to the scene which is almost magical at sunset. The Old City (Known as the Pink City) is a great place to wander around. The whole city was painted in Pink colour by Maharaja Man Singh II when Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, visited Jaipur in 1876. Today, every home within the city is obliged by law to maintain his facade. It is a very well planned city laid out in a grid pattern and was designed by a Young Bengali engineer and scholar by the name "Vidyadhar Bhattacharya". Religious Places Govind Dev Ji Temple Inside the City Palace complex is this temple dedicated to lord Krishna. Sawai Jai Singh installed the image of Govinddevji (an incarnation of lord Krishna) after it was brought from Vrindavan. The gods are unveiled seven times daily for 'Artis' and bhogs offered in the silver wares, consisting of sweets most of the time. The idols of radha-krishnan are dressed in different styles for each arti. A great sight to capture. Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple On a small hill called the Moti Dungri (Pearl hill) lies a small castle, built along the lines of a Scottish castle. This is a private property of the ruling family. This is also where Lord Ganesha resides in Jaipur. The temple is know far and wide and in fact, this elephant god gets more outstation visitors than he does locals. Birla Lakshmi-Narayan Temple The temple that dominates the skyline of south Jaipur! Constructed in white marble the temple has three domes, each portraying a different approach to religion. The presiding deities here are Vishnu (One of the Hindu Trilogy Gods) called Narayan and his consort Lakshmi Goddess of wealth and good fortune. The exterior of the temple is beautiful with carved sculptures of various mythological themes and images of saints. The interior has large panel in marble of mythological proceedings. Galtaji If you've sinned come here for absolution! This ancient pilgrimage centre has a temple of the sun god, but what's worth dipping into here is the holy kunds (natural springs) along the lush green landscape. A dip in these kunds is supposed to cleanse you of all your sins. It's not too far from Jaipur, just 2.5kms away.
How to reach Road: Jaipur is linked by the National Highways 8 and 11. The national highway number 8 links Jaipur directly to New Delhi and 11 links Jaipur to Agra. There are regular bus services to Agra (230 km) and Delhi (261 km). The journey is quite decent by road saving a few bad patches. And there's some awesome food on the way too, stop at any of the dhabas and get your first bite of dhal-bhatti and puran poli. Rail: The railway station, is situated in the heart of the city and has trains chugging out to all major cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. The Palace on Wheels is the best option to travel to this royal city. It would an expensive trip, but the experience on the train makes it all worth it. Air: The Sanganer Airport is 12 km out of the city. It is well connected to all major cities in the country. There are regular flights to Mumbai, Udaipur, Kolkata and New Delhi from here. On the international route there is a flight to Dubai daily. Getting Around: Jaipur is perhaps one of those few cities which still boasts of a tonga - a horse drawn carriage and cycle rickshaws. You have to bargain with the driver to get a cheap ride though.For those who prefer motorised wheels the auto rickshaws are the best bet. Make sure that the meters work before you begin the trip. For those who would like to ride in comfort and willing to splurge, day cabs, rental taxis are also easily available. Should you wish too you can squeeze your sight seeing trip into two days, that would work well if you are on a budget, the main city itself, is best explored on foot, right from the walled villages to those where the craftsmen create mind boggling silver jewelery and pottery. You really can't get lost in this city, there's one main road and all other lanes lead here, the advantage of a planned city!
Distances 96 km from Tonk 16 Km from Sanganer 30 km from Bagru 47 km from Samod 230 km from Agra 260 km from Delhi
Best Seasons Jaipur has extreme climates. The temperatures soar to as high as 47 degree Celsius during the summer and fall to about 4 degree Celsius during the winter. The ideal time to plan a trip to Jaipur would be between October and April.
Places in and around Amber Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthan fort-palace. Built in 1592 by Man Singh its walls depict painted scenes of hunting with precious stones and mirrors set into the plaster. In the foreground is the Maota Lake with breathtaking reflections of the magnificent Amber Fort-Palace. Laxmi Narayan Temple Laxmi Narayan Temple The other places of interest are Jaipur Museum, Albert Museum, Birla Mandir Planetarium, Sisodia Rani Park, Lakshmi Narain Temple, Kanak Vrindavan, the Raj Mahal Palace and Rambagh Palace (now a Luxury hotel). Hawa Mahal Hawa Mahal is the best-known landmark of Jaipur. As against the popular belief it is not really a palace. It is a sand stone screen from behind which the ladies of the court could watch the proceedings on the road below without being seen. In the heart of the city is situated the City Palace, a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The place is now a museum except for one section where the erstwhile royal family still lives. The city palace has an exclusive part devoted to the arms and ammunitions used by the royal family in the past. Jantar Mantar Jantar Mantar is only one of the 5 observatories constructed by Jai Singh still running. The observatories show the passion of Maharaja Jai Singh for astronomy. Central Museum Central Museum situated in the Ram Niwas Gardens has a large collection of costumes, woodwork, brassware, Jewllery and pottery.