Introduction
Jaipur is called the Pink city of India. In 2019, UNESCO declared the old walled city of Jaipur as a World Heritage City. Draped in appeasing pink, rich in historical heritage, with colourful bazaars & chaotic streets, Jaipur exudes an old world charm. Along with the use of red sandstone in building facades, the colour of the buildings in the walled city is predominantly pink.
There are two theories associated with the Pink colour of the city . One theory believes that the city of Jaipur was painted Pink to welcome Queen Victoria and her son Prince of Wales during their proposed visit to India in 1876. It is another matter that the Queen never came to India as the prospect of sea voyage proved too daunting for her. Only the Prince came on a long trip and visited 21 cities. Another theory suggests that the city of Jaipur had been painted Pink to replicate red sandstone which was extensively used in the Mughal buildings of that era.
The golden triangle comprises of the historical cities of New Delhi, Agra & Jaipur. Many international tourists come to India only for making the ‘golden triangle’ trip. Kate Smith, American singer and the first lady of Radio, writes the following about Jaipur.
“Resplendent in the hues of its noble and magnificent past, the historic city of Jaipur stands out as one of the most spectacular and culturally vibrant destinations in the world”.
My Jaipur visits
As I hail from Rajasthan, I have a soft corner for Jaipur. Even though I have never stayed in Jaipur, I have visited it several times. My first visit was on a school trip and then as a college student. In later years, somehow I never visited Jaipur exclusively as a tourist. I have visited it 5/6 times either for weddings in the family or office off-sites and always stayed back for a day or two. So I have seen & experienced the various palaces, forts, monuments, bazaars, delicacies of Jaipur in tidbits over several years. Yet, I have missed seeing many interesting places of Jaipur. They await another visit from me.
Jaipur – UNESCO World Heritage city
Jaipur is only the second Indian City (after Ahmedabad) to get this tag. Maharaja Sawai Singh II had established the walled city of Jaipur in 1727.
UNESCO description about Jaipur reads as follows:
Unlike other cities in the region located in hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the plain and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture. The streets feature continuous colonnaded businesses that intersect in the centre, creating large public squares called chaupars. Markets, shops, residences and temples built along the main streets have uniform facades. The city’s urban planning shows an exchange of ideas from ancient Hindu and early modern Mughal as well as Western cultures. The grid plan is a model that prevails in the West, while the organization of the different city sectors (chowkris) refers to traditional Hindu concepts. Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions to this day.
History of Amer
Kachwaha or Kachhawaha dynasty claim descent from Kush, the son of Rama. They are proud to call themselves as Suryavanshis. They fought as generals in the army of Prithviraj Chouhan and later under Rana Sanga in the battle against Babur. The settlement of Amer in the Aravalli range was under the control of Meena kings in the 11th century. They had a small fortification in Amer. Kachwaha king Dulha Rao (r 1006-1036) defeated them and Amer came under their control. In early 16th century, Maldev Rathore of Jodhpur defeated Raja Bharmal and the small kingdom of Amer came under Marwar.
After few years Kachwaha Raja Bharmal sought alliance with Mughal Emperor Akbar and gave his daughter in marriage to Akbar. Before marriage her name was Hira Kunwari or Harkha Bai. Akbar changed her name to Mariam-uz-Zamani. Historians believe that her son Jahangir became the next Mughal emperor (though some scholars dispute this. The importance of Kachwaha kings grew in the Mughal court. Raja Bharmal with support from Mughal army regained Amer. During his reign (r 1548-1574), Amer fort was built. Raja Bhagwan Das (r 1574-1589) succeeded him. His son Raja Man Singh I (r 1589- 1614) was appointed the chief commander of Mughal army and Akbar included him in his Navratnas (nine gems). Raja Man Singh I added many beautiful palaces in Amer fort.
Raja Sawai Jai Singh II
In the early 18th century, Raja Sawai Jai Singh II (r 1699-1743) was the ruler of Amer. He was an extraordinary man- a mathematician, an astronomer, and a town planner par excellence. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb bestowed the title of Sawai (Sawai means one and a quarter times superior to his contemporaries) on him in recognition of his prowess. After Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, there was a succession fight and finally Muhammad Shah succeeded him. The shrewd diplomat Sawai Jai Singh II managed to retain his political importance during these turbulent times. He became the favourite of Muhammad Shah too. It was on his instigation that the new Emperor abolished the hated Jaziya tax imposed on the Hindus.
History of Jaipur
Amer was facing frequent droughts & water problem and the population was also increasing. Sawai Jai Singh decided to build a new walled city. A site in the plains surrounded by the hills (11 kms from Amer) was chosen for it . Thus, the foundation of the magnificent city of Jaipur was laid in 1727 (294 years ago). It was the first planned city of India. Jai Singh consulted several books on architecture and architects while planning the layout of Jaipur. Under the architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, Jaipur was planned based on the principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra. Sawai Jai Singh also consulted the plans of many European cities.
Architecture & plan of Jaipur
Jaipur, was built on the grid system with nine rectangular zones corresponding to the nine divisions of the universe. It had different zones allotted to different professions. It boasted of 119 feet wide main streets that were perpendicularly intersected by 60 feet wide auxiliary streets. These were further honeycombed by 30 feet wide lanes and 15 feet wide by-lanes. Beautiful, harmonized buildings and shady trees lined the streets, and the city was well-provided with water conduits and wells. The European travelers of the time, like the Frenchman Louis Rousselet, and the English bishop, Heber, were greatly impressed with Jai Singh’s unparalleled excellence in city-planning.
The name decided for the new city was Jaipur (City of Victory). It is named after Jai Singh. Some believe that it was to celebrate Jai Singh’s victory over Aurangzeb’s plan to destroy the temples & deities at the holy city of Vrindavan. He alerted the residents of Vrindavan in advance. The deities of all the temples were removed to safe places. Jai Singh himself took the deities of Radha-Govindji to Amer and later shifted them to a newly built temple near the City Palace once the new city came up. This is Govinddevji ka mandir, one of the popular temples of Jaipur.
Amer (Amber) Fort & Palace
Amer is located in a picturesque setting surrounded by rocky hills. The lower town has a number of Hindu temples dating from the 17th century onwards. There are several Jain temples too. The chattris (cenotaphs) of Amer rulers in the shape of domed pavilions are little away from the town.
Amer Fort on a hill has been included in the list of six hill forts of Rajasthan which have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It reflects the splendour of the royal past of Rajasthan. On an average 5000 tourists enter Amer Fort & Palace every day.
Description of Amer Fort
Amer fort is a fine example of the creativity and craftsmanship of the Rajput artists and architects. It is built with pale yellow & pink sandstone and white marble. It is a perfect amalgamation of Hindu style architecture and Mughal finesse. The fort overlooks Maota Lake & garden. An elephant ride from the town below takes you to the Jaleb courtyard of the Fort. The rides happen only during the morning hours till 11.30 am. Fort’s large ramparts, series of gates and cobbled paths impress you. Then you enter the second court yard through Suraj Pole. The Diwan-i-Aam (hall for public audience) is located near the central courtyard. If you come in a car then you can enter from the other side through the Chand pole.
Inside the fort there are several opulent palaces which are laid out on different levels, each with a courtyard. The visitor enters the next level of palace complex through an imposing artistically painted gate known as Ganesh Pole. Some of the notable architectural marvels are the Diwan-i- Aam (hall of private audience), Sheesh Mahal (the king’s winter palace), Jai Mandir, Shila Mata (Kali) temple. There is well-laid garden called Kesar kyari. The sheesh mahal has beautiful mirror inlay work which reflects hundred of stars against the ceiling if a match stick is lit up.
Shila mata temple
Raja Man Singh I had brought the idol of Kali devi from Jessore in Bengal (now in Bangladesh). As per legends after defeat in Bengal, Raja Man Singh was dejected. He prayed to goddess Kali and she appeared in his dream. The goddess told him to find her hidden idol and take it to Amer. After a search, the idol was found in the sea in the form of a shila (slab) and it was brought to Amer. When it was cleaned and washed, the present idol appeared. This is why the goddess is named as Shila Mata and installed in the temple here.
Light & Sound show
The essence of Amer Fort is encapsulated through the beautiful light and sound show every evening. There are two shows daily – the first one in English & the second one in Hindi. It is organized in open air near the garden below. With the fort in the background visitors get to see an astounding spectacle about the history of the fort. The tickets have to be booked in advance. We saw the Hindi version on a full moon night with the moon rising behind us adding to the mystic atmosphere.
Enjoy the pictorial tour of Amer Fort
JAIGARH
.Jaigarh is located on a rocky promontory above Amer Fort. The walls of Jaigarh are seen from Amer fort. The hilly rock is called Cheel ka tilla (Hill of eagles). Jaigarh Fort and Amer Fort are connected through subterranean passages. They were considered as one complex. Some portion of the tunnel was restored and it is open to public.
Sawai Jai Singh II had built the fort in 1726 at an elevation of 500 feet above Amer fort as a defense fort to safeguard Amer Fort. In case of any threat to Amer fort, the royal family could escape to the safety of Jaigarh through the tunnel. The fort is spread over a huge area some 3 kms in length and about 1 km in width.
World’s largest cannon on wheels
Jaigarh fort had a foundry inside it and was used to manufacture cannons. The highlight of the fort is the cannon ‘Jaivana’ which when manufactured was the world’s largest cannon mounted on wheels. The cannon was never used but once testing was done that covered a distance of 35 kms. The establishment of the foundry was facilitated due to the abundance of ironore mines in the vicinity of the fort. The cannon foundry had a massive wind tunnel that sucked air from the high mountains into its furnace. It created temperatures as high as 2,400 °F (1,320 °C) and the heated air would melt the metal. The molten metal would fill a reservoir chamber and pass into a cannon mold in the casting pit. Majority of those cannons were massive, mostly 16 ft long and had to be prepared within a single day.
About Jaigarh Fort
The fort has a beautiful charbagh garden. There was an elaborate water harvesting system in the fort. Water was carried to the fort via a canal from the catchment area and it was stored in three underground tanks.
The fort also has two ancient temples in the premises. One of the temples is from the 10th century and is dedicated to Ram & Harihar. The other one dedicated to Kal Bhairava belongs to 12th century. There is an armoury section & museum in the fort.
When the Mughal war of succession broke out in 1658, Dara Shikoh secured the cannon outpost of Jaigarh Fort. But his younger brother Aurangzeb defeated & executed him Later however, the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah appointed Sawai Jai Singh II as the official Mughal quiladar of Jaigarh Fort.
Take a pictorial trip through Jaigarh
Nahargarh
Nahargarh is located on the Aravalli ridge some 4 kms from Jaigarh. It has a picturesque setting and affords a spectacular view of Jaipur city. Sawai Jai Singh II had built it in 1734. The literal meaning of Nahargarh is fort of tigers. It was primarily built to safeguard the newly built city of Jaipur.
The original name of the fort was Sudarshangarh. The popular belief is that Nahar here stands for Nahar Singh Bhomia (Rathore prince). His spirit haunted the place and obstructed construction of the fort. Nahar’s spirit was pacified by building a temple in his memory within the fort. Post this the public started calling it Nahargah.
Madhavendra Bhawan
The later kings made many additions to the fort. Sawai Ram Singh II (1835-1880) & Sawai Madho Singh II (1861-1922) added lovely buildings. Sawai Madho Singh II built a beautiful palace known as the Madhavendra Bhawan. This palace was a royal pleasure retreat. It had a series of seven apartments—a triple-width one for the Maharaja himself, and another six identical duplex suites for his queens. The network of labyrinthine rooms, corridors and staircases impart a sense of frolic. The use of stained glass & delicate wall frescoes add to the beauty of the palace. The design was such that the queens & officials would not know with which queen the king was spending his time.
There are several other interesting things to see in the fort including a baori, open air auditorium, a cannon, a wax museum (recent addition).
Thick forests surround the fort and they are part of Nahargarh Biological Park.
Let’s go on a virtual tour of Nahargarh
Jal Mahal
The Jal Mahal literally means the “Water Palace’. Maharaja Madho Singh I built it in mid 18th century in Man Sagar Lake. He did not intend to use it as a palace but as a hunting lodge for himself and his entourage during the duck hunting trips. The Jal Mahal is designed in a classic Rajput manner, with pink sandstone in a symmetrical style.
While a lot of people come to see the Jal Mahal from the banks of the Man Sagar Lake, not many are aware of the technology and innovative design that has gone into building this ancient palace. On the surface, the palace appears to have one floor, but actually, there are four more submerged levels to the palace as its stone walls hold back millions of litres of water, and the specially designed lime mortar prevents water seepage into the palace, something which it has been doing for more than 250 years
Maharani ki Chhatri
The Rajputs were a very chivalrous race. They treated women with great esteem & regard. This is evident from the existence of the Maharani Ki Chhatri which was a special cremation area for all the royal ladies of Jaipur.
This royal crematorium has several exquisitely carved cenotaphs which are all in memory these imperial ladies.The cenotaphs are either built with marble or with the local stones that were available in Jaipur.
They are on the Jaipur Amer road opposite Holiday Inn Hotel.
Moti Dungri Ganesh temple & Fort/ Palace
The Moti Dungri Ganesh temple is situated at bottom of the Moti Dungri hill and the fort of Moti Dungri. This temple was built in 1761 while the image of Ganesh is more than 500 years old and came originally from Gujarat. Seth Jai Ram Palival built this temple. He had accompanied Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I from Udaipur. The temple is very popular among the locals. Unlike the normal images of Ganesha, the trunk of Ganesha is right facing.
Birla temple built in marble in 1988 and dedicated to Laxmi & Vishnu is close by. B M Birla had built it. It also figures on the tourist map.
Sawai Madho Singh I had built Moti Doongri fort/palace. It is designed like a Scottish castle. It is a private property of the Maharaja and closed for public.
City Palace – a spectacular architectural marvel
Along with the new city of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II decided to build a royal palace for himself in 1727. The City Palace is an awesome specimen of architectural brilliance. The chief architect was Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. The architecture of City Palace was based on the Vastu Shastra of Indian architecture. It made beautiful fusion with Rajput, Mughal and European styles of architecture. The palace that Jai Singh built was called Jai Niwas.
Lindsay Brown & Amelia Thomas have written a travel guide on Rajasthan for Lonely Planet. They write “The City Palace is a complex of courtyards, gardens & buildings right in the centre of the old city. Enlarged & adopted over centuries, it has palace buildings from different eras, some dating even from the 20th century. Despite the gradual development, the whole is a striking blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture”.
Inside the City Palace
The City Palace could be accessed through any of the two gates. They provide access to the streets & bazaars of the city. The third gate Tripolia gate is reserved for the royal family.
Part of the City Palace is a museum and one part is the residence of the descendants of the former rulers of Jaipur. Samuel Swinton Jacob Mubarak Mahal. He also designed the Albert Hall (now a museum). Mubarak Mahal graces the first inner courtyard. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II built it as a reception centre. It is adorned with delicate carvings on marble. It today houses the Sawai Man Singh II Museum and has an interesting collection of textiles, embroidered shawls, pashminas, silk sarees & royal costumes. There is a set of voluminous clothes which Sawai Madho Singh I had worn. He was 1.2 metres wide and weighed 250 kgs.
The walls are decorated with unique murals, mirrors and lattice work from inside.
Story of two silver jars
What is of particular interest are two sterling silver jars. They measure 1.6 metres in height, weigh 345 kgs each and each has a capacity of 4091 litres. Each jar was made with 14000 Jhar Shahis (Jaipur silver coins). It took two years to make the jars. Sawai Madho Singh II had them specially commissioned to carry Ganga jal when he went to England for the coronation of King Edward VII. Being a very pious man he didn’t want to drink English water but pure Ganga jal. These jars have found an entry in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world’s largest sterling silver vessels.
Sawai Man Singh II was the last Maharaja of Jaipur to rule from City Palace. However, the palace continued to be the residence of the royal family even after Jaipur merged with Indian Union in 1949. The flag at the top of Chandra Mahal is the royal flag. It is unfurled only when Maharaja is in the palace.
Pictorial trip of the City Palace
Jantar Mantar
Astronomy was Sawai Jai Singh’s grand passion. He was a scholar, with an eclectic collection of astronomical manuscripts and tables from Arabia and Europe, He built 5 observatories known as Jantar Mantar (literal meaning calculating instrument) at Jaipur, New Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain & Varanasi. Sawai Jai Singh managed to get imperial backing from the Mughal emperor and funds for building his Astronomy Observatories. He built the Jaipur one around 1734. It is UNESCO World Heritage Site and located close to the City Palace. UNESCO citation for Jantar Mantar.
“The Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a set of some 20 main fixed instruments. They are monumental examples in masonry of known instruments but which in many cases have specific characteristics of their own. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations. This is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India’s historic observatories. It is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period”.
Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds is a five storeyed, pyramid shaped building with a fanciful facade in the heart of the city. It is easily the most famous landmark of Jaipur. Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built it in 1799 in pink & red sand stone. . It was primarily built for the women of the royal court. This enabled them to see the everyday life of the city and the royal procession on special days without the outside public seeing them.
The walls of Hawa Mahal are decorated with artistic motifs. Each casement has tiny windows and arched roof with hanging cornices, exquisitely modelled and carved. The facade makes Hawa Mahal look a screen rather than a palace. Its top three storeyes are just a single room thick but at the base there are two courtyards. Hawa (the breeze) circulates through the 950 jharokas (windows).
A day trip to Ajmer & Pushkar
We decided to make a day trip to Ajmer & Pushkar to pay our obeisance at Ajmer Shariff Dargah & Brahma temple at Pushkar. Ajmer is at a distance of 136 kms from Jaipur.
Ajmer Shariff
We left Jaipur in a cab by 8 am. after an early breakfast and we were at the Dargah by 11 a.m. We had to leave our car at quite a distance and walk through a crowded street with shops on both sides.
It was the abode of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti between 1192 and 1236 AD, and contains his tomb. Mughal emperor Humayun constructed the shrine, while subsequent rulers such as Akbar and Shah Jahan also built mosques in the complex. This Ajmer shrine is among the most important pilgrimage sites in India. People of other religions & faiths also visit it. Moinuddin Chishti’s marble tomb lies at the centre of the complex. A marble screen surrounds it. Traditional offerings include flowers, a ‘chaddar’ and sweets.
After visiting the Dargah, we moved around the complex. We saw the humongous ‘deg’ in which 3000 kg of food is cooked at one time for the vegetarian langar. Ladders & buckets are used to take out the cooked food !! It has figured in the Guiness Book of World Records.
If you are there on a Thursday or Friday evening you can attend a ‘qawwali’ (musical performance) at the dargah These melodious performances include verses sung in praise of the Prophet and various Sufi saints.
Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra
A little away from the Dargah is an unique structure. It is Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra (hut of two & half days). It is one of the oldest mosques of India. Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak built it in 1192CE and was further beautified by Iltutmish in 1213CE. An early example of the Indo-Islamic architecture, Hindu masons had built most of the monument under the supervision of Afghan managers. The mosque retained most of the original Indian features, especially on the ornate pillars. It is a fine example of a mix of Indian, Hindu, Muslim and Jain architectures. Some scholars believe that it was originally a Sanskrit College or a Jain shrine and the mosque stands on the original structure.
There are various explanations for the rather unusual name. A legend states that a part of the mosque was built in two-and-a-half days. Some Sufis claim that the name signifies a human’s temporary life on the earth. According to the ASI, the name probably comes from a two-and-a-half-day-long fair that was earlier held at the site.
Pushkar
Pushkar is at distance of 15 kms from Ajmer and the road passes through a picturesque terrain. We left Ajmer around 1 pm. On the way we came across a beautiful resort Ananta Spa & Resort and stopped there for lunch. It is a perfect luxurious destination for a holiday. The food was excellent. We reached Pushkar just before 3 pm.
Pushkar (literally means blue lotus) is a pilgrimage site for Hindus. Many take a holy dip in the lake here. Pushkar finds mention in Ramayana, Mahabharata & the Puranas. There is a Brahma temple here and it is significant since there is no other major temple for Brahma anywhere else. There are a number of mythological stories which narrate that due to a curse, worship of Brahma stopped and Pushkar is the only place where the worship continues . A majority of the ancient temples were destroyed during the Muslim rule. Almost all of them were rebuilt during the 18th century. Today there are 52 ghats around the lake and hundreds of temples dot the skyline.
We performed Puja in Brahma temple and also on the Ghat. After spending two hours exploring the lake and surrounding temples, we left Pushkar around 5 pm. We were back in our hotel at Jaipur by dinner time.
Unfortunately, I have lost almost all the pics that I had clicked at Ajmer & Pushkar (so I had to download some from the web)
Hotels in Jaipur
Being an international tourist destination, there is no dearth of good hotels in Jaipur to suit every budget. Every hotel chain has properties here. Among the luxurious & most expensive hotels are Rambagh Palace Hotel and Oberoi Rajvilas where the room tariff exceeds Rs 30k for a night. Among the luxury hotels are Jai Mahal Palace (around 13k). ITC Rajputana, Radisson, Hilton, Holiday Inn, The Lalit, Samode Haveli, Fairmont, Four Points Sheraton are in the range between 3 to 6 K. Budget hotels are also available through OYO & Airbnb.
On every visit, we have stayed at different hotels like Fairmont, Four Points Sheraton, Holiday Inn & Ramgarh Lodge (Maharaja’s hunting lodge near Amer). Fairmont definitely was the best and most luxurious.
Cinema Hall
Let me talk about a cinema hall that has become iconic. Despite so many multiplexes in Jaipur, this standalone Raj Mandir Cinema hall is still going strong and attracts good crowd. It opened in 1976. It was the most luxurious & largest cinema hall of India. Famous Surana Jewellers of Jaipur own it. I have seen a movie here long back and have carried back fond memories of a palace like cinema hall with wall to wall carpet, chandeliers etc. Once upon a time any domestic visitor coming to Jaipur would have definitely paid a visit to this cinema hall. I don’t know whether it still maintains the same standards of excellence or it rests on past glory.
Shopping in Jaipur
When you are in Jaipur with your wife, you have to prepared to loosen your purse strings. There is an abundance of beautiful, expensive things that attract her attention. Coming to jewellery, you get such dazzling jewellery in jadau, kundan, meenakari & lac that you definitely end up buying or ordering something. Jaipur is famous for gem stones. Sarees & lahnagas are available in bright & beautiful colours. The variety – lahariya, bandhej / bandhani etc. fascinate the visitor. Chaddars, quilts, cushion covers in beautiful designs are other attractions. Who can say no to those colourful bags, small purses & handicrafts.
Souvenirs in marble/ wood /ceramics – particularly blue pottery is a speciality of Jaipur. When your wife tries those colorful jootis/ mojris and asks you how they look? You have no option but to say ‘beautiful’ with a big yes !!
The most delightful aspect about Jaipur is that you enjoy shopping here. You don’t mind the crowd as you move from one shop to another and one market to another. In Jaipur, different markets specialize in different items. They close on different days so check out before you go.
Travel Tip: travel light so that you can stuff all the things you buy in your suitcases & bags. Let Jaipur be the last place on your itinerary and better still, take a flight while going but plan to come back in train if you don’t like paying for excess baggage !!
Tip No. 2: In between all the shopping, keep taking breaks to taste all the famous, yummy street foods of Jaipur.
Jaipur – The Foodies’ paradise
If you love traditional food or exotic street food then you can enjoy to your heart’s content in Jaipur. There are so many traditional Rajasthani food items which you get the best in Jaipur. You would fall in love with Jaipur because as the saying goes, the heart & soul of a place lies in its taste of food! The chefs who have worked in the royal kitchens have perfected many recipes over the centuries. These culinary experiences would definitely turn out to be one of most delightful aspects of your trip to Jaipur.
Snacks & meal items
As regards snack items in addition to all the chaat items, the special items of Jaipur are mirchi bada (in Rajasthan they call vada as bada), pyaaz kachori, matar kachori, moong dal ke dahi bada, kanji bada, pakodi, chilla or chilra. In food items people drool over panchmel dal, bati, churma, gatte ki sabji, pakodi kadhi, mangori sabji, gavar ki sabji, boondi raita, ker sangri, aam ki launji. When coming to rotis the choices are many – phalka, bajra roti, missi roti, moong dal ke parathe/ tikadia/ saata roti/ bedmi roti etc. In rice, gatte ka pulao or khichdi and kesariya bhat (sweet rice) are popular. In winters bajre ka khichda is a delicacy. No rajasthani meal is complete without papad and they are of so many varieties. Rajasthani cooking makes ample use of ghee.
We tried many of these items and enjoyed them.
Sweets of Jaipur
Rajasthanis have a sweet tooth – they do not take sweets as dessert but prefer to have them as starters or along with the meals. Some of the delicacies of Jaipur are ghevar & mawa kachori. Other sweets popular are feeni, besan barfi, moong thal, boondi, boondi ladoo, churma ladoo, jalebi, malpua, gajak, rasmalai, badam & kaju katli, badam halwa, moong dal halwa etc. Rice Kheer & Laapsi (made with broken wheat, ghee, jaggery & dry fruits) are popular home sweets.
During summer lassi is the most preferred drink. There are many famous lassi outlets. Variations such as ice cream lassi have become popular. Kulfis are another hot selling item. At an outlet outside City Palace we enjoyed lassi with malai topping.
In non-vegetarian food lal maas is the most popular item. I being a pure vegetarian would not be able to elaborate on other non-veg items.
When in Jaipur you have to forget looking at the diet chart or calculate the calories !! Enjoy to your heart’s content !!
Chokhi Dhani – for an ethnic experience
If you want to experience the culture, music & ethnic food of Rajasthan at one place then an evening at Chokhi Dhani is the ideal solution. From humble beginnings in Jaipur in 1990, it has developed into a full fledged resort with presence in many cities of India. It has a hotel in London too. The entrance fee is Rs 500/- that includes meals. It is better to avoid the weekends as the place is extremely crowded.
LMB
Lakshmi Misthan Bhandar Hotel, popularly known as just LMB, is a well-known hotel, restaurant and sweet shop in Jaipur. It is in operation since 1954 and once upon a time it was on every visitor’s must visit list for its delectable food & sweets. I have been there a couple of times but the last time when I visited it probably five years ago, the quality was disappointing.
Festivals of Jaipur
Jaipur being the capital city celebrates festivals of all the regions of Rajasthan. The colourful festivals are celebrated with gusto and lot of enthusiasm. Some of the popular festivals are Gangaur & Teej. Colourful processions are taken out. Ladies dress in their finery and apply mehndi on their palms and pray for the long life of their husbands / unmarried girls wish for a good husband. The other festivals celebrated are Holi, Dusshera & Diwali. In addition there are International Kite festival & Elephant festival. Annual Donkey festival takes place in a village 20 kms from Jaipur. If you can time your visit to coincide with one of these festivals then your fun increases.
Jaipur is one of the major gharanas of Kathak dance form. In addition, the folk dances & folk music of Rajasthan are very popular. At may of the tourist destinations you can witness puppet show. Atrauli-Jaipur gharana has earned repute as a leading representative of Hindustani Classical Music. The famous exponents of Jaipur gharana include names such as Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur & Kishori Amonkar.
Connectivity / Best time to visit
There is excellent road connection between Jaipur and New Delhi (280 kms) & Agra (240 kms). Other tourist destinations of Rajasthan have excellent road connection with Jaipur. It has rail & air connections with all the major cities of India.
Summers are severe in Jaipur so better to avoid the summer season. The best time to visit is mid November to mid March. During peak winter, one needs light woolens during day time and heavy woolens during night time. Hired cabs are available for local travel. Take it from a reputed agency as my experience with a local agency during one of the visits was not good. Auto Rickshaws are easy for travel in the walled city.
In conclusion
Jaipur the historical city is one of the fastest growing smart city of India with a population exceeding 3 million. The walled city still retains its old world charm. The modern city continues to grow linearly in two directions with restrictions imposed by hills on the other two. Trade, exports and tourism continue to be the mainstay of Jaipur. Jaipur is the perfect destination to experience the culture, hospitality, architecture, history, cuisine & colours of Rajasthan. It is a beautiful amalgamation of the old and new, the ancient and the modern.
“पधारो म्हारे देश (Padharo Mhare Desh)” – any person in Jaipur would say this while welcoming you. Hospitality is a tradition in Rajasthan.
I hope I get to visit Jaipur soon as I missed seeing Galtaji, Jain temple at Sanganer, Panna Mina ka kund at Amer, Chand Baori (stepwell) at Abhaneri.
Regular updates
I have clicked all the pics (except as mentioned).
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Disclaimer:
I have made sincere efforts to provide you the correct information about all the places. They have been culled out from various reliable sources. I do not take any responsibility for any errors that might have crept in the narration. There is no intention to hurt the faith or religious sentiments of any person or community.
The travel has happened before the pandemic hit us. Take care & stay safe.
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