Thursday, November 6, 2008

Holiday In Jaipur

The city of Jaipur or the 'City of Victory' was named after Sawai Jai Singh, the Kachhwaha King and the founder the city. The started was built between 1727 AD and 1731 AD. It is the first planned city in India built on the basis of principles of the Shilpa Shastra, the ancient Indian treatise on architecture. The city became famous as the 'Pink City' when the entire city was painted with pink color in the honor of the Prince of Wales, who visited Jaipur in 1853 AD.

Holiday in Jaipur can be exciting with several historic places to visit. The forts, palaces and museums are bound to impress you. City Palace, the former royal residence is the first place to be visited in Jaipur. The palace built incorporating the features of both the Rajput and Mughal style of architecture. The palace houses a museum, which is a treasure trove of the Rajputs glorious past. The exhibits in the museum include various swords, their sheaths, carpets, miniature paintings, rare collection on astronomical works and numerous royal artifacts.

Jantar Mantar is another important place to be seen on holiday in Jaipur. Built by Sawai Jai Singh, the stone observatory is one of the five observatories built by him in India. The most extraordinary of all the instruments is the Ram Yantra used for estimating elevations.

Hawa Mahal or the 'Palace of Wind' is a significant landmark of the city of Jaipur. Built in 1799 AD by Pratap Singh for the ladies of the royal household, Hawa Mahal is a five-storey building with 953 recesses and windows. The royal grandstand fulfilled the purpose of watching the royal processions and the market activities by the ladies without being watched by others.

Amber Palace was started by Man Singh with few additions made by Mirza Raja Jai Singh and finally completed by Sawai Jai Singh. It took more than two centuries to complete the Amber Palace. The palace complex is built around the Maotha Lake and consists of palaces, halls, pavilions, gardens and temples.

The other important places to visit on holiday in Jaipur are the Ram Niwas Bagh, Govind Devji Temple, Galtaji and Sisodia Rani Garden.

How to Reach

By Air: Jaipur has the Sanganer International Airport with frequent flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Calcutta, Varanasi, Lucknow and Dubai.

By Rail: Jaipur is well connected by frequent train services with all the major cities of India including Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi.

By Road: Jaipur is well connected by roadways with major cities of Rajasthan, Gujarat and various places in Delhi, Agra and Mumbai.