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Jaipur,
popularly known as the Pink
City, was built in 1727 AD by Maharaja Sawai
Jai Singh II and designed by the brilliant young Bengali
architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. Designed in accordance
with Shilp Shastra - an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture
- Jaipur follows a grid system. The wide straight bazaars,
raastaas (streets), galis (lanes), mohallas and uniform
rows of shops on either side of main bazaars are arranged
in nine rectangular city sectors called chaukris. Encircled
by a formidable wall, Jaipur was the only planned city
of its time.
 The
palace lies in the heart of the city and occupies the
whole central grid. The fortified wall has seven gates
and was built for protection from invading armies and
animals that lived in jungles which surrounded the wall
that time. Today, ofcourse, the city has spread beyond
the walls and there is hardly any jungle left even in
the vicinity of the walled city.
Jaipur
was color washed pink to create an impression of red
sandstone buildings of mughal cities. The current color
which is more red than pink was painted in 1876, during
the visit of Prince of Wales. The city is best explored
on foot and only the adventurous visitor willing to
go into the rastaas and galis (inner lanes) can feel
the spirit of the city. There's an amazing appeal to
Jaipur's colorful bazaars, beautifully laid out gardens,
parks & the monuments.
Places
of interest are located mainly in the walled city. There
are famous mohallas, rectangular blocks, each designed
in conformity with a particular trade or craft. Johari
Bazar, Tripoliya Bazar, Chandpole Bazar, Kishanpole
Bazar, Ramganj Bazar, Bari Chaupar, Chhoti Chaupar,
Ajmeri Gate, New Gate, Sanganeri Gate, Ghat Gate, Bapu
Bazar, Nehru Bazar, Indira Bazar and their lanes like
Khazane Walon Ka Rasta, Maniharon Ka Rasta, Gopal ji
Ka Rasta, Ghee Walon Ka Rasta, Haldiyon Ka Rasta are
some of the main areas in the walled city. Each of these
lanes is like an open museum, a treasure house of traditional
crafts and arts. Markets outside the walled city include
M.I. Road, Jayanti Market, Sansar Chandra Road, Station
Road, Raja Park and a number of colony markets.
Jaipur
cannot be explained. It is a city with a timeless quality
to it, a city where the ancient and the modern coexist
in complete harmony.
State:
Rajasthan
Country: India
STD Code: 0141
Population: 1.9
million
Area: (Jaipur City
- Municipal limits) 64.75 Sq. Km.
Area: (Pink City)
9.8 Sq. Km.
Best Season: September
to March
Languages: Hindi,
English, Rajasthani
The
People
Jaipurites love outing. Whenever they find some time,
they go to the surrounding hills and valleys that provide
innumerable picnic spots. In the rainy season it becomes
a kind of phenomenon. Goths, as the picnics are called
in local language, seem to leave nobody in the city
on the holidays. People go in groups to the spots scattered
all around the city and enjoys throughout the day with
local cuisine (Mainly Dal-Baati-Churmaa) prepared at
the very spot.
Cinema,
as anywhere in India, remains another major form of
entertainment for the people of Jaipur. There are not
many cinema halls in the city and a few have closed
in the past 3 years or so, but some among remaining
are good for viewing pleasure. One of them, RajMandir,
has even become a tourist attraction and is ranked amongst
the very best cinema theatres in the country. The other
Movie theatres are Prem Prakash, Gem, Moti Mahal, Ankur,
Man Prakash, Samrat, Saroj, Mayank, Minerva, Polo Victory,
Paras, Laxmi Mandir & Lata.
Jaipurites
are also very fond of eating. Especially chaats,  samosaas,
kachoris, mirchi bada (all spicy stuff) etc. You can
find stalls and mini-shops making these items and serving
them with a hot cup of tea, scattered all around the
city. Some of the makers have got tremendous popularity
and their stalls are always crowded, especially in winter
and rainy seasons. Even a mention of a samosa or a kachori
can water the mouths of most Jaipurians. Other popular
choices are Lassi, Sharbat, Golgappas etc. As the fast
food culture is also spreading, it is not diffcult to
find Fast Food joints in and around the city.
The
city celebrates...
Jaipur is a city of fairs & festivals. There is
a saying that it celebrates 9 festivals in any 7 days.
May be a bit on the higher side this, but sure there
is a lot of festivity going on in the city through out
the year. The light bulbs, garlands, special welcome
gates, Shobhayaatras are everexistent in the bazaars
& streets of the city. Most of the festivals are
religion-specific and being a city of people with various
religions and cultures, there is no surprise that gaeity
always prevails in the atmosphere. The festivals listed
below are the favourites of the citizens and also unique
to the city.
Makar
Sakranti
(January 14)
This is the day of kites at Jaipur. Jaipurites are known
for their expertise in kite flying. The activity has
become a craze amongst the citizens. You will hardly
find a school kid over 10 or 12 in the walled city who
does not know flying kites. The phenomenon starts well
before the Makar Sakranti day. And continues even after
the festival. But on this day, it is a treat to watch
the skyline of the Pink City. An Unforgettable experience.
Gangaur
(March-April)
The festival of women, dedicated to Goddess Gauri.
Teej
(July-August)
Another festival exclusively for women and dedicated
to Goddess Parvati. Welcomes the mansoon rains to the
parched land. The women dress in bright costumes and
flock to swing hung from the branches of trees. There
is a procession of Goddess Parvati signifying her departure
from the parental home to take up the residence with
her husband Lord Shiva. There are elephants, camels
and dancers joining in the processions.
Deepawali
(October-November)
The festival of light. Though Diwali (or Deepawali)
is celebrated all over India, Jaipur's Diwali is something
special. The complete Pink City is ornamented and dressed
like a new bride. Every corner of the city sparkles.
With every building glowing, skyline filled with colourful
light crackers and the Nahargarh fort over the hill
seeming like a glittering palace in the sky, one cannot
help remembering childhood fairytales.
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