Jaipur Information Guide

Jaipur, which has earned the epithet 'Pink City', is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. A historical city, it finds place in most tourist itineraries in India. It is a corner of the famous Golden Triangle tour. The city is like a newly married bride adorned with pink veils. The old city of Jaipur is partially encircled with seven gates the major gates are Chandpol, Sanganeri, and Ajmeri. The 'pink city' label, applies specifically, to the old walled quarter of the Rajasthani capital, while in the northeast of the town. Magnificent palaces and temples, in an assortment of styles, spanning centuries, are scattered throughout the predominantly urban area.

History of Jaipur
Maharaja Jai Singh, a renowned warrior and astronomer, founded the city of Jaipur. In 1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai Singh decided to move down from his capital hillside fortress at Amber, to a new site on the plains. A Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city, using the principles of town planning, as laid down in the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. He built the City Palace, and the largest stone observatory in the world, employing the same principal.

Places To Explore
Jaipur is a tourist's delight. It is an extremely colorful city with pink and orange color buildings with magical appearance. Camel drawn carts are characteristic of Jaipur's passing street scene. Some of the the most magnificent palaces of the city, are the Hawa Mahal and City Palace.

Hawa Mahal
Rajput Raja Sawai Pratap Singh, owes the honor of building this beautiful five story Mahal. Hawa Mahal is not only landmark of the Jaipur city but it is also an important tourist spot of India. Hawa Mahal is a semi octagonal building having 152 windows, which makes the building unique from the architectural point of view. Building is an excellent example of Rajput's royal style of architecture. The building was built to allow royal ladies to look at the processions and the city from the Zenana Women Quarters. The mahal presents an enormous view of the city from its windows. It is part of the City Palace complex and has a small archaeological museum on the same site. The museum has a display named “Jaipur past and present, which shows us the royal history of the city.

City Palace
City Palace presents a amalgam of Rajput and Mughal architecture. City palace is the home of seven storeyed Chandra Mahal. Maharaja Jai Singh II, built the palace. City Palace complex, is a home to several ornamented building like Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace museums. Diwan-E-Am (Hall of public audience) has intricate decorations and collection of manuscripts, Diwan-E-Khas (Hall of private audience) has a marble pawed gallery. Mubarak Mahal has a rich collection of costumes and textiles. There is a Clock Tower near Mubarak Mahal. Sileh Khana has a collection of armory and weapons.

Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar was originally built as a collection of architectural astronomical instruments. It was built in 18th century by Maharaja Sakai Jai Singh II. Maharaja was fond of astronomy, the observatory was the result of his passion for astrology. The masonry instruments in the Jantar Mantar were used to study the movement of constellations and stars in the sky. Splendid sun-dial is still able to provide accurate time.

Central Museum
Central musem is located in the Ram Niwas garden in the south of the old city. The museum houses of the portraits of the previous Jaipur Maharajas. The royal ambience of the ancient palaces can easily be experienced here. A large collection of costumes, and woodwork from various parts of the state, and other miniatures and artworks can also be enjoyed here. There is also a zoo, and an art gallery, located in the Gardens of the central museum.

Around Jaipur
A visit to Jaipur is unending journey of culture and ancient heritage of India. There are many nearby attractions from Jaipur. About 11 kilometres out of Jaipur, Amber was once the ancient capital of Rajasthan. The Amber Fort is a stunning piece of Rajput architecture.

The Cenotaphs of the royal family are at Gaitore, there are cenotaphs of the royal family of Jaipur. Opposite the Cenotaphs, is the Jal Mahal Palace, in the middle of a lake, and reached by a causeway. Nahargarh Fort is 6.5 km away, and is floodlit at night. Jaigarh Fort, built in 1726, is within walking distance of Amber. Some other attractions for the tourists in Jaipur are, the Temple of Sun God at Galta, Sisodia Rani palace and gardens, Vidyadhar's garden, Balaji and Sanganer.

How to Get There
By Air: Jaipur is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Calcutta and Varanasi by domestic flights.

By Bus: Jaipur can be accessed from all the major places in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai by bus. Luxury buses are also available, to make your journey comfortable.

By Train: Trains are best means of transport to enjoy the journey as sight seeing is freely and easily available by train. Jaipur can easily accessed by train from any part of India.

Jaipur Excursions

Jaipur is one of the most alluring cities of Rajasthan, India. Every year, people from all over the world come to explore the majestic city of Jaipur. There are numerous tourist attractions in Jaipur; still the Jaipur city offers many other places in the suburbs to satisfy the appetite of tourists. You can visit Abhaneri, a small town, popular for its astonishing step wells and Harshad Mata Temple. On the other hand, Sanganer is famous for manufacturing the quality hand-made paper in India.

Rajasthan is famous for its traditions and culture. Keeping the traditions, Bagru is a small village in Rajasthan, where you can see the traditional block-printing without any modern adulterations in its process. For adventurous people, Ranthambore National Park and Sariska National Park would be the best options to surf. Sambhar Lake is another destination where you can observe the salt-making process. Continuing the excursion list, Samode is alluring with its Heritage Palace in Jaipur.

Art lovers would definitely love the Persian and Arabian manuscripts at Tonk. Bairath with its remnants of medieval Indian architecture attracts the tourists from far and near. Ramgarh Lake is a huge artificial lake, the other attractions being the hunting lodge and polo grounds in Ramgarh. All these beautiful destinations offer swift excursion from Jaipur.

Samode
Samode is a great place of tourist interest, located at a distance of 42kms from Jaipur, on the way to Shekhawati in Rajasthan. Samode is renowned for its stunning havelis and forts. Samod makes a perfect destination to enjoy one's holidays.

Bagru
Bagru is a small village, located at a distance of 30 kms from Jaipur, on Jaipur-Ajmer Road. The village town of Bagru is not popular for any palace or fort, but for its typical wooden prints. These prints of Bagru are acclaimed all over India and are particularly known as Bagru prints.

Karauli
Karauli is a small village, situated at a distance of 182 km from Jaipur. Founded in 1348, Karauli is well-known for its Madan Mohanji Temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Initially, the town was known as Kalyanpuri, which was named after the local deity Kalyanji.

Ramgarh
Ramgarh is located at a distance of 25kms from the city of Jaipur. In the present day, this primeval spot is eminent for its huge artificial lake. This lake has been shaped by raising a high bund amidst the hills covered with trees.

Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park is located in the eastern part of Rajasthan at a comfortable distance of 130kms from Jaipur. Nestled between the Aravali and Vindhya mountain ranges, Ranthambore National Park used to be the hunting ground of Maharajas of Jaipur. The Park is an eye treat for the lovers of wild-life. Various natural rivers and man-made lakes flow through the National Park of Ranthambore.

Sanganer
Sanganer is located at a distance of 16 kms from Jaipur on the Tonk road. Sanganer is renowned for its crafts and hand-printed textiles. Sanganer forms a major part of excursion from Jaipur.

Abhaneri
Abhaneri is a small town village, situated at a distance of 95 km from Jaipur, on Jaipur-Agra road. The place is popular for the amazing 'Baoris' (step wells) and Harshat Mata Temple. The village of Abhaneri is believed to be established by the King Raja Chand.

Sambhar
Sambhar is a small town, located at a distance of 60kms in the west of Jaipur, on Jaipur-Ajmer Highway. Sambhar is famous for the largest saline lake in India. Due to this fact, Sambhar is also known as Salt Lake City. Literally, Sambhar means salt and the lake has been providing salt for over a thousand years.

Sariska National Park
Sariska National Park is a wildlife sanctuary, located at a distance of 107 km from Jaipur. The Park possesses historic monuments and temples, which depicts the legacy of the Maharajas of Alwar. The Park is bigger than Ranthambore but has a similar topography.

Tonk
Tonk is a small town, located at a distance of 96 kms from Jaipur. This little town of Tonk is also known as the "Lucknow of Rajasthan" due to its elegance. Tonk is popular among tourists for its magnificent mosques, mansions and havelis.

Bairath
Bairath is a place of historical significance, located at a distance of 86 kms from Jaipur, on Shahpura-Alwar Road. Bairath is said to have existed from the times of Mahabharata. In that period, Bairath was known as Virata Nagar. It used to be the capital of Abhimanyu's (Arjuna's son) father-in-law.

Shekhawati
In the royal times, the wealthy merchants used to get huge mansions (havelis) constructed as their residence. Shekhawati is mainly known for its painted Havelis. The word Shekhawati means the garden of Shekha, named after its ruler Rao Shekha. Also called the 'open art gallery of Rajasthan', Shekhawati has Havelis rich in artistic tradition. The havelis are ornamented with various forms of fine art. Especially famous are their frescoes that depict mythological themes and themes of huge animals.

Abhaneri
Approximately 95 km from Jaipur, on the Jaipur-Agra road, is the village of Abhaneri. The village is famous for its marvelous baoris (step wells) and Harshat Mata Temple. There is a legend associated with the village. It is believed that the village got its name from Goddess Harshat Mata. The Mata, depicted in a joyous mood, is believed to spread brightness or "abha" all around. Thus, the name Abhaneri (originally Abha Nagri).

Jaipur Weather

Climate: Extreme Type
Summer temperature : Minimum: 25.8 °C
Maximum: 45 °C
Winter temperature: Minimum: 5 °C
Maximum: 22 °C
Annual rainfall: 556mm

Jaipur weather is quite moderate. The summer season in Jaipur extends from April to July and is pretty hot and humid. The average temperature in summers falls in the range of 45° C (max) to 25.8° C (min). The climate of Jaipur in winters is pretty cold. Lasting from October to March, the winter season experiences average temperature in the range of 22° C (max) to 8.3° C (min). The climatic conditions of Jaipur, Rajasthan during this period lead to sunny day and chilly nights. Monsoons start around the latter half of July. However, the city of Jaipur does not receive much rainfall. Best time to visit Jaipur is during the winters.

Infrastructure Of Jaipur

Being an international tourist destination, Jaipur the capital city of Rajasthan is a fine fusion of cultural heritage and modern economic development.

The ‘Pink City’ is visited by thousands of tourists from all across the world flocking to see its invincible forts and tourists spots like Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal and the City Palace.

Of late, the city has surfaced as an economic growth centre with several infrastructure and real estate projects to its credit. The city has caught the attention of business conglomerates as a strategic and cost-effective commercial hub to operate businesses from.

The city has been on the radar of the IT and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, for the past few years. HSBC, Genpact, Tata AIG, Reliance Infocomm, Yes Bank and Standard Chartered have already established a strong foothold in the city and many more are exploring the possibilities of setting up their centers too.

Infrastructure and Facilities

The city of Jaipur enjoys enviable connectivity with all major cities of the country. At about 250 kms, Jaipur is equidistant to cities Delhi and Agra.

However, rail connectivity with central and southern India leaves much to be desired, while the road and air links are quite well established.

National Highway No. 8, the city’s bloodline, connects Jaipur to Delhi and Mumbai.Recently, the Jaipur-Ajmer Road was converted into a four-lane express way while its airport has also been undergoing the phase of transformation bearing ultra-modern look and facilities.

Jaipur boasts of the only international airport in Rajasthan and major airliners are drafting plans to launch or to increase the number of flights from Jaipur airport to the other major parts of the world.

As far as internal infrastructure of the city is concerned, the city is reputed to be the first to have wide roads even before independence.

Civic infrastructure would have a fresh release of Rs 550 crore through the Asian Development Project (ADB), underway for the enhancement of Jaipur’s roads, water supply and drainage system.

Climate Of Jaipur

Capital of the modern state of Rajasthan, Jaipur is vibrant city with a rich culture and glorious past. Founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in the year 1727, Jaipur was the first planned city of India. Known for its forts, palaces and temples Jaipur is a major tourist destination of Rajasthan and visited by large number of tourists every year. Washed beautifully in pink hue, Jaipur is popularly known as Pink City. Climate of Jaipur is usually dry and one can experience extreme cold or heat during different seasons of the year. Indian Holiday offers to give you online information on climate in Jaipur in Rajasthan, India.

Climate in Jaipur is extreme with hot, dry and scorching summers to cool and pleasant winters. The temperature in Jaipur goes as high as 50 °C in summers and as low as 3°C in winters. Besides, the normal annual rainfall is 556mm.

For all those who are prone to heat strokes and cannot stand the glaring sun, winters are the best option for you to travel to Jaipur.

Besides, with monsoon not a problem in Jaipur, the city can be visited between September and March when the climate in Jaipur is pleasant and ideal for a holiday.

Location Of Jaipur

Location: 26° 92' N 75° 82 E
Altitude: 431 m above sea level
Area: 200.4 sq. kms.

The location of Jaipur tells us where the city is situated in the Indian subcontinent. You can get to know about the geographical position of the city by reading about its location.

Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan. This state of India is located on the northwestern side of the country. It is one of the biggest states of India and shares the international border with Pakistan on the western side.

The city of Jaipur is located in the northeastern part of Rajasthan. The entire cit occupies an area of 11117.8 square kilometers. It is, in fact, located at an elevation of four hundred and thirty meters, which is nearly 1417 feet. Rajasthan is mostly covered by the great Thar Desert. However Jaipur does not fall under the desert area. This is because the city has the Aravalli Hills located on one side. Hence, it is protected from the rough desert. The hills also provide security to the city.

The location of Jaipur shows that the city is surrounded by the districts of Sikar and Alwar in the north and Ajmer, Tonk and Sawai in the south. On the western side of the city lie Nagaur and the Dasau district lies on the eastern side. Jaipur is one of the most planned cities of the country. The streets and roads are pretty broad and wide. The streets are divided into six quarters, which are further separated by broad streets. These are nearly 111 feet wide. These quarters are also known as urban quarters and they have interlocking streets. They are located in the eastern, western and the southern part of the city.

From the location of Jaipur one will be able to assess the distance of the city from the other major cities of India. Jaipur is located nearly 265 kilometers from Delhi, the capital of India. It is situated at a distance of 625 kilometers from Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat, another state in India. Apart from these, the ancient city is located at a distance of nearly 510 kilometers from Chandigarh, 1176 kilometers from Mumbai, 1472 kilometers from Kolkata and 246 kilometers from Agra.

Geography Of Jaipur

Jaipur pronunciation, also popularly known as the Pink City, historically sometimes rendered as Jeypore, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Jaipur is also the capital of Jaipur District. Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur. Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, Jaipur was the first planned city in India. By 2003, after only 276 years, the population had reached approximately 2.7 million.

Built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, the city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six quarters separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex (the Hawa Mahal, or palace of winds), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. Another noteworthy building is Sawai Jai Singh's observatory, Jantar Mantar. With its rich and colourful past, resplendent with tales of valour and bravery, Jaipur is now one of the most important heritage cities in India, and is a must-see for tourists coming to India.

Jaipur is considered by many urbanists to be one of the best planned cities. Almost all Northern Indian towns of that period presented a chaotic picture of narrow twisting lanes, a confusion of run-down forts/temples/palaces and temporary shacks that bore no resemblance at all to the principles set out in Hindu architectural manuals, which calls for strict geometric planning. Thus, for Sawai Jai Singh II and the Bengali Guru Vidyadhar (who was a 'Shaspati' - Hindu Priest Architect), the founding of Jaipur was also a ritual and a golden opportunity to plan a whole town according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory. The town of Jaipur is in fact, built in the form of a nine-part Mandala known as the 'Pithapada'. Nine signifies the nine planets of the ancient astrological zodiac. It is also known that Sawai Jai Singh II was a great astronomer and a town planner and hence the 'Pithapada'. Also, the commercial shops designed are multiples of nine(27) and then having one cross street for a planet.

In the 19th century the city grew rapidly and became prosperous; by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The city's wide boulevards were paved and lit with gas. The city had several hospitals. Its chief industries were in metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls' school (1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers, particularly the Jains and the Marwaris. The city has a vibrant and healthy Muslim population