Jaipur Tour

Facts and Figures
» Location from Major Metros : Delhi (258 kms), Mumbai (1202 kms), Calcutta (1462 kms), Chennai (2019 kms).

» Known for : Historical monuments, colorful festivals and traditional handicraft items.

» Climate & the best time to visit : Jaipur has extreme climate. The summers can be very hot with mercury crossing 45°C, whereas winters are chilly and the temperature can fall below 5°C. The average annual rainfall received by Jaipur is mere 31.87 cm. The best time to visit Jaipur is between the months of October and March.
The city
Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan is popularly known as the Pink City and was founded in 1727 AD by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan, the astronomer king Sawai Jai Singh. Jaipur was the first planned city of its time, planned by Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, a Bengali architect. Jaipur is called Pink city because, pink color was used at the time of making to create an impression of red sandstone buildings of Mughal cities and repainted in 1876, during the visit of the Prince of Wales. A strong wall encircles the old city, which was built with an aim to protect the city, even today it has a suggestion of formidable strength. Jaipur has wide straight avenues, roads, streets and lanes and uniform rows of shops on either side of the main bazaars, all arranged in nine rectangular city sectors (chokris). The city itself is an attractive creation worthy of universal admiration.

The city can be best explored on foot and the adventure loving visitor can go into the inner lanes to discover a whole new world not visible to the lay tourists from outside.

Attractions in the city
» Hawa Mahal : Hawa Mahal was built by the poet king Sawai Pratap Singh. It was conceived to provide adequate vantage position behind delicate stone carved jali screens to the women in the palace, for watching the royal processions passing through the bazaar below.

» City Palace : The City Palace in Jaipur is a historic landmark. The palace interior houses a Museum, that displays some exquisite items related to history and culture of Rajasthan.

It also has an art gallery with a fine collection of paintings, carpets, royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical works in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit, acquired by Sawai Jai Singh-II for his study of planets and their movements.

» Jantar Mantar : The Jantar mantar at Jaipur is one of Jai Singh's five remarkable observatories built in the various parts of the country and is the largest of all. It is constructed with stone and marble, signifying the medieval astronomy. The Ram Yantras used for gauging altitudes are unique in their isolation.

» Amer Fort : Amer was the capital of Kachhwahha rulers of the old state of Dhundhar, for seven long centuries before Jaipur was built. Amer Fort is the complex of palaces, halls, pavilions, gardens and temples, which were built by Raja Man Singh, Mirza Raja Jai Singh and Sawai Jai Singh over a period of about two centuries.

Other places of interest
» Samode : Samode is a small village, famous for its beautiful Samode Palace and Garden. The highlight of the building is the exquisite Diwan-I-Khas, which is covered with original paintings and mirror work.

» Tonk : Tonk is situated 100 Kms from Jaipur and is an old town dating to the middle of the 17th century. The new town is a colorful potpourri of painted mosques, mansions and colonial buildings. The Sunehri Kothi, or Golden Mansion, is particularly lovely, noted for its mirror work.

» Gaitor : Gaitori is located 15 Kms from Jaipur. This is the place where Chhatris of Jaipur's rulers stand amidst respectful silence. The cenotaph of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur, is the finest. A dazzling structure in white marble, its elegant dome is supported by twenty carved pillars. Other cenotaphs that are of note are those of Pratap Singh and Madho Singh II.

» Sanganer : Situated 40 Kms drive away from Jaipur, Sanganer is famous for textile block printing, paper making and Jaipur blue pottery. Hence, a must visit for the avid shopper. For others, there are several temples and an old palace.

Other important tourist places around Jaipur are Ramgarh, Abhaneri, Balaji, and Karauli


How to reach
» Air : The nearest airport is the Sanganer airport, at a distance of around 11 km from the city center. There are direct flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, and some other cities from Jaipur.

» Rail : From Delhi, there are many trains that connect Jaipur and other cities in Rajasthan; foremost among them is the Palace on Wheels. Other important trains include, Shatabdi Express and Pink City Express both from Delhi.

» Road : Jaipur is connected directly to Delhi by a well-maintained road. The city is also connected to most of the tourist destinations in Rajasthan as well as Agra. Therefore the road connectivity to Jaipur is quiet good.