PLACES TO VISIT IN JAIPUR
Table of Contents
JAIPUR CITY
Jaipur pink city of India and Capital of desert state Rajasthan. In India, heritage tourism (forts and palaces) generates enormous revenue; and many heritage places visit in Jaipur. Surprisingly, it was the first planned city of India built by great astronomical ruler SAWAI JAI SINGH II in 1748. He divided the entire city into nine blocks and built a palace.
AMER FORT
Amer or Amber is a small town located 11 km from Jaipur. According to history, some local rulers built a fort here. Interestingly, Kachawaha Rajput took Amer fort from them after defeat in the 10th century. Many Kachwaha rulers ruled this region from Amer. Finally, Sawai Jai Singh II transferred Capital and built Jaipur. Presently, Amer fort architecture is of the 16th century and later on.
Moreover, this fort is the massive and primary point of attraction also a world heritage site. When you go there, you will find many places inside the fort. There is no doubt Amer fort is one of the most exciting and historical places to visit in Jaipur. Let us discuss this in detail.
Noticeably, How to reach fort: Amer fort is located on the top of the hill. You can choose three ways to reach the top:
- You can take an elephant’s ride there. Keeping in mind on one elephant, two people can sit.
- If you do not like animal cruelty and love them, you can hire a Jeep.
- You can walk, and there are stairs also.
JALEB CHOWK: It is a vast courtyard with Suraj pol and chand pol with two entrances. During king days, they used this courtyard for the parade of the army. Interestingly, King used to sit on the top and inspect the army. There is one naubat khana also. Naubat khana is the house of drums; they played when kings used to enter here. Apart from this, there is also the famous kali Mata temple.
SINGH POL: This is a gate on the top of jaleb chowk. We have to use this gate to go inside the fort. Surprisingly, the fresco paintings on this gate are worth watching.
DEWAN E AAM: Once you go inside, you will have a beautiful red and white stone building. Dewan e aam is simply a public meetings hall, and Kings used to listen to public problems every day. Interestingly, it is an excellent example of Indo-Islamic architecture. Beautifully carved stone with white marble is worth capturing.
SATTAIS KACHERI: This small hall is located near dewan e aam. During those days, twenty-seven judges used to sit here. It is a historical example of the justice system of Amer.
HAMAM: This beautiful Turkish bath is located near sattais kacheri. As I told you, Amer structure is of the 16th and 17th centuries. They have family relations with them during the Mughal time, and there is notable Mughal influence on architecture. Surprisingly, there are cold and hot water rooms inside there.
GANESH POL: This particular gate is most beautiful in Amer fort. The fresco painting on the gate and inside is worth mentioning here, and you can find Ganesha paintings on the top.
WINTER PALACE OR SEESH MAHAL: It is undoubtedly the most beautiful palace in Amer fort. Interestingly, artists used here lime to build an entire palace. In Addition to making it more beautiful, they used diffrent glasses here. It also served as a Dewan e Khas (private meeting) hall. Certainly, Sheesh Mahal is among the best places to visit in Jaipur.
SUMMER PALACE: There is a beautiful summer palace on top of Winter palace. During hot days it was the residence of the King. There are beautiful white marble windows.
SUHAG MANDIR: This tiny place has three beautiful windows of white marble. Royal ladies used to sit here. Interestingly, they used to watch public meetings in dewan e aam from here.
MONSOON PALACE: Amer has a rainy season. During this season, there is humidity here, and the monsoon palace has one water window to tackle humidity.
MAN SINGH PALACE: It is the oldest and first part of the Amer fort. Raja Man Singh was the army general of India during Akbar time, and he built this part of Amer fort. Interestingly, there is his palace and many places of his queens.
ENTRANCES : INR 100/- INDIAN INR 550/- FOREIGNERS
STUDENTS: INR 10/- INDIAN INR 100/- FOREIGNERS
TIMINGS: 8:00 TO 7:00
NAHARGARH FORT
Nahargarh fort is another example of the fantastic Rajput architecture of India. Sawai Jai Singh II constructed this castle in the 18th century. Surprisingly, people called it Sudarshan fort initially. If I talk about defence, Nahargarh fort is above Amer fort. This place is very famous for its night view and is one of the most romantic places to visit in Jaipur. Specially, you can watch the whole Jaipur city from here.
Apart from this, Nahargarh fort has witnessed some historical events. For example, during the 1857 war of independence, British officers relatives stayed here.
Moreover, there is an exciting story of Nahar Singh Bohemia. People believed that his spirit obstructed the construction of the fort. As a result, they built his temple inside the fort.
ENTRANCES: INR 50/- INDIAN INR 200/- FOREIGNERS
TIMINGS: 10:00 TO 5:30
JAIGARH FORT
Rajasthan is very famous for its natural beauty, and some beautiful lakes with mountains look so amazing. The location of Jaigarh fort is on this hill ( Eagle hill), and Sawai Jai Singh II built this fort in 1726 to protect Amer fort. Surprisingly, Jaigarh fort is well connected with Amer fort through a tunnel.
According to history, the Local community of Meenas was ruling in this region. It was Kachwaha Rajput, Who defeated them. They built Amer, Nahargarh, Jaigarh forts. Finally, they built Jaipur.
There are many places to see inside the fort. For example, the Jaivana cannon was the giant cannon those days. Inside the fort, there are beautiful gardens and rooms. Apart from that, there is Awami Darwaza, where you can see the lake view.
ENTRANCES: INR 50/- INDIAN INR 100/- FOREIGNERS
TIMINGS: 9:00 TO 5:00
PINK CITY
Sawai Jai Singh II was an astronomical ruler of India. He wanted to build a planned city using astronomy. Those days Amer was too small to accommodate all population, and thus, he decided to transfer his capital. Interestingly, King chose a site 11 km away from Amer and built the first planned city Jaipur in 1727. Furthermore, He also built five observatories in India.
Pink city is divided into nine blocks and rows, and Every row has three blocks. People live in seven blocks, and the rest two blocks are for a royal residence. There are many things to see in Pink city, and there is no doubt these all are the most exciting places to visit in Jaipur. For example, City Place, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, and bazaars. Let us discuss this in detail.
CITY PALACE
City Palace is the official Royal residence of the Jaipur Family. When Sawai Jai Singh II built Jaipur, he built a palace. As opposed to Amer, It is not on a hill. The reason behind building a palace on the plain is its security. No Invaders attacked India because of the incredible strength Mughal Empire later the British. There are many places inside the City palace because later kings added them according to their needs.
Why is Jaipur Pink? In 1876 Albert Edward, Who later became King Edward VII visited Jaipur. Sawai Ram Singh ordered artists to paint the city pink to give him a warm welcome. Since then, people have been calling it the symbol of the hospitality of Jaipur.
MUBARAK MAHAL: This beautiful palace used to serve guests of the Royal family. If I talk about the architecture of Mubarak mahal, it is entirely Indo-Islamic architecture. Inside this palace, there are many rooms. Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth was the last guest of this palace. Now it is a museum where you can see lots of things.
Armoury: As we know, there were many states in India before independence. Each state had its kings. Every state had its armoury, some local weapons. Jaipur also had its army, and they used diffrent kinds of weapons. In this section, you can visit those arms used by the Jaipur army.
DEWAN E KHAS: Like Mughal Empire, local kings adopted the Dewan e Khas and Dewan e aam concept. This vast palace is so beautiful; kings listened to their ministers here. There are some beautiful arches, and the pink colour enhances its beauty.
FOUR GATES COURTYARD: This beautiful courtyard has four different gates. Interestingly, they represent four different seasons of India. In this courtyard, they also played holi and used to celebrate festivals.
SABHA NIWAS: Arguably, it is the most beautiful palace in the City Palace. Here Kings used to listen to a public problem. The gold painting on the roof and the massive carpet of the floor tell Jaipur’s richness.
CHANDRA MAHAL: This is the part where the royal family lives. You can visit some parts of Chandra mahal, but it is costly, and you have to buy a big-ticket.
ENTRANCES: INR 200/- INDIAN INR 700/- FOREIGNERS
TIMINGS: 10:00 TO 5:00
HAWA MAHAL
In 1799 Sawai Pratap Singh built this wind palace. Hawa Mahal, without any doubt, is among the best romantic places to visit in Jaipur. During those days, Royal ladies did not go out usually. For providing them access to Bazar, King built this palace. From the palace’s windows, they watched the Bazar of Jaipur. Interestingly, Hawa mahal is one of the best places to click pictures in Jaipur.
If I talk about the architecture of Hawa Mahal, there are more than 900 windows, and they used only lime to build this vast building. Inside the palace, there are rooms, and it also has five floors. Surprisingly, the shape of Hawa mahal is like a crown’s shape.
ENTRANCES: INR 50/- INDIAN INR 200/- FOREIGNERS
TIMINGS: 9:00 TO 4:30
JANTAR MANTAR
Sawai Jai Singh II was indeed an inspirational king. He built not only forts but also observatories. Surprisingly, he built five diffrent observatories in diffrent parts of India. For example, In Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain, Delhi, Mathura. The biggest one is in Jaipur. Let us talk about it.
Jantar Mantar Jaipur is a world heritage site and home of many astronomical instruments. When Sawai Jai Singh II transferred his capital, he built this magnificent observatory. Some famous instruments here are CHAKRA YANTRA, DISHA YANTRA, DIGAMSHA YANTRA, JAI PRAKASH YANTRA, LAGHU SAMRAT YANTRA, SUN DETAILS ETC.
ENTRANCES: INR 15/- INR 200/- FOREIGNERS
TIMINGS: 6:00 TO 6:00 for better understanding of instruments till 4:00 needs sunlight.
BAZARS SHOPPING
Jaipur is also famous for its clothing products and jewellery. Rajasthani local culture has its beauty. Interestingly, local people are very fond of wearing printed clothes with silver jewellery. Apart from clothes and jewellery, spices are another favourite product of Jaipur.
If you are a local art lover, these markets are the best places to visit in Jaipur to buy things. There are many markets in Jaipur. If you want to buy typical products, then the pink city (Old city) is the best to buy such things. In front of the palace of winds, there is a huge Bazar, where you can shop. I want to suggest you visit all bazaars in Pink city.
World trade park is also a modern shopping centre. If you are interested, then you can visit this beautiful place.
ALBERT HALL MUSEUM
The location of Albert hall museum is outside the pink city ( walled city). It is also the oldest state museum in Rajasthan. Surprisingly, Sawai Ram Singh wanted to use it as a town hall. Still, Sawai Madho Singh II converted it into a museum. Finally, they opened it for the public in 1887. During those days, there was the visit of Albert Edward, later King Edward VII. Interestingly, they laid the foundation and is named after him.
The architecture of the museum is Indiislamic and Saracenic also. Inside the museum, you can find many artefacts of the Gupta period, Delhi Sultanate, and Mughal. The Main Attraction is only Egyptian Mummy.
ENTRANCES: INR 40/- INDIAN INR 300/- FOREIGNERS
TIMINGS: 9:00 TO 5:00 (7:00 TO 10:00 EVENING)
GAITORE CHATRIS
Gaitore ki Chatri is the cenotaphs of Jaipur and Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II constructed in 1733. Since then Jaipur Royal family has used this place to cremate their family members. When Muslims rulers started ruling here in India, they built their tombs. It became a tradition; then, it was also accepted by local kings later on.
As a result, Kings have memories. They chose to build a kind of open structure right where they do rituals. The biggest one is Sawai Jai Singh II chatri. Finest quality of marble you can find in his cenotaph. There is no doubt that for kachwaha Rajput’s history gaitore is among the most informative places to visit in Jaipur. There are many others also.
ENTRANCES: INR 15/-
TIMINGS: 9:00 TO 5:00
JAL MAHAL
Water palaces are fine examples of Rajasthani art and architecture. In India, there are three kinds of places and forts. First is on the mountain, second on the surface, third in between lakes. Fortunately, Jaipur has all three. Amer is a mountain fort, Jal Mahal is a water palace, City palace is a surface palace.
In 1799 Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh constructed Jal mahal on the island of Man Sagar Lake; Sawai Jai Singh II built this artificial lake. Interestingly, the Royal family came here to relax from the heat during summer. Undoubtedly, Jal Mahal is among the best places to visit in Jaipur to spend the evening with locals.
You should know you can not go inside if you plan to go. You can capture beautiful photos, and there is also a beautiful Bazar in front of Jal Mahal.
PATRIKA GATE
Patrika gate is not an old monument. A media group named Rajasthan Patrika group built this gate as a monument. Now this place has become a popular tourist attraction to get pictures. Patrika gate is among the most happening place to visit in Jaipur for a paparazzo. There is a place Jawahar circle, Patrika gate is near the circle.
Interestingly, they painted it pink and used beautiful paintings inside and on the gate floor. There is no ticket to inside.
BIRLA TEMPLE
Shree Krishna is Vishnu Avtar, and in north India, people follow Vaishnavism. One wealthy family named Birla had close relations with Gandhi Ji during Independence. Undoubtedly, the Birla family is a devotee of Shree Krishna, and they have built numerous temples in Vishnu.
According to history, King granted this land to the Birla family for just one rupee. Artists completed this beautiful white marble temple from 1977 to 1988. Amazingly, they used white marble to complete this temple. You can enjoy the evening Aarti there.
GALTA JI TEMPLE
Galta Temple is around 10 km from Jaipur. A long time ago, a Saint Galta Ji lived here and did meditation. There are many temples and one holy tank. According to history Diwan Rao built a temple here in the 16th century. He was a prominent figure in Sawai Jai Singh II court.
There are many monkeys, and on top of the hill, you can visit the Sun temple. Keeping in mind, you will find many monkeys. Suppose I talk about the beauty of the temple. In that case, it is surrounded by Aravali hills, and the water tank makes it so beautiful. There is one temple of south Indian architecture also. It is among the best-hidden places to visit in Jaipur if people have time.
SISODIYA RANI KA BAGH
In 1728 Sawai Jai Singh II built this garden for his queen. As we already know, Sawai Jai Singh was the founder of Jaipur. He built Jaipur and many monuments inside this city. There are many galleries in the garden, lots of fountains, and many paintings showing the life of Shree Krishna. Surprisingly, many people do not know about Sisodia rani ka bagh; no doubt, this garden is among the hidden places to visit in Jaipur.
PLACES TO VISIT NEAR JAIPUR
CHAND BAORI: This beautiful stepwell is around 90 km from Jaipur. In medieval times there was a shortage of water, and as a result, local rulers built these step wells to collect rainwater. According to history, Raja Chanda built this boari in the 8th to 9th centuries. Interestingly, there are 3500 steps and 13 floors. Apart from that, you can visit the Harshad Mata temple. It is among the most attractive places to visit close by Jaipur.
PUSHKAR: This small town is only 145 km from Jaipur. It is very famous for its lake and temples, and there is only one temple of Brahma, Which is in Pushkar.
AJMER: Ajmer is a fascinating place to visit from Jaipur, and it is 135 km from Jaipur city. A famous Sufi saint Khwaja Sahab, shrine, and fort to enjoy here.
MANDAWA: If you want to visit rural Rajasthan, Mandawa is best. You can visit many Havelis and experience desert life here; it is around 170 km from Jaipur.
HOW TO GET TO JAIPUR
Air connectivity: Jaipur, as the Capital of Rajasthan, has International Airport.
Rail network: Jaipur has excellent connectivity with major cities of India.
By Road: 200 km From Delhi and around 230 from Agra.
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