Jaipur is the largest city in Rajasthan and was built in the eighteenth century by Sawai Jai Singh as India's first planned city. Although Jaipur serves mainly as a stepping stone for travelers heading to the desert cities of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, it is not without its own attractions, such as several massive Rajput forts. So, despite the chaos and dust, it is definitely worth pausing here for several days. Now Jaipur is growing fast and various development projects are being done by the government and private enterprises.

Jaipur is often called the Pink City in reference to its distinctly colored buildings, which were originally painted this color to imitate the red sandstone architecture of Mughal cities. The present earthy red color originates from repainting of the buildings undertaken for a visit by the Prince of Wales in 1876.

Jaipur is shoppers paradise, if you are good at bargain things, you can really get some good stuff. The local Bazaars are very colorful and world famous like Johari Bazaar, Mirza Ismail Road (MI Road), Bapu Bazaar etc. You can shop from handicrafts, jewelry, carpets, textile, home furnishing and lot more. But, you have to be very careful in shopping and bargain hard.

Jaipur - a treasure trove for shoppers, shopping is irresistible, a wide range of handicrafts is available in the market, most of them are produces in the centres in and around the city.

The city is one of the most important centres in the world for cutting of small diamonds. Diamond studded jewellery in gold and silver, steals anyone's heart at jaipur. The local 'Kundan' style jewellery finds a market throughout the world. The exotic blue pottery, the batik painting, block printed textiles of sanganer and bagru, tie and dye fabrics, mojari - the local shoe, beautiful stone carvings etc..., have made Jaipur proud of itself in the entire world. The main market places in Jaipur are -


Johri Bazar is the street where most shops dealing in precious and semi-precious metals and stones are centred, traditional tye and dye fabric is also available.

Bapu Bazar and Nehru Bazar for textiles, local perfumes and 'Mojari' embrodered in radiant colours.

Mirza Ismail Road (M I Road) has most of the better emporia of the city, exbiting variety of goods ranging from jewellery, brass work to textiles, woolen carpets and rugs. A wide range of souvenirs, curios, gifts and other handicraft items are available catering the needs of a tourist.

Tripolia Bazar and Chaura Rasta for textiles, utensils, ironware and trinkets.

Tourist attractions in Jaipur are mainly centered in the Old City and City Palace area. City Palace is a beautiful blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. Albert Hall or Central Museum has a large collection of woodwork, jewelry, costumes, brassware, and pottery. Jantar Mantar in the City Palace area is a working observatory and showcases the scientific brilliance of Sawai Jai Singh - the founder of Jaipur. Built for the royal ladies to watch the royal processions without being see, Hawa Mahal is or Palace of Winds is the most famed landmark of Jaipur. The city has its share of forts also, some of them on the outskirts of Jaipur. Nahargarh Fort is a good example of Fort/Palaces of Rajasthan. Apart from these there are many more attractions like Birla Mandir and Sisodia Rani ka Bagh that completes a visit to this great city.

By plane

Jaipur Airport (JAI/VIJP) is situated in the satellite town of Sanganer and offers sporadic (chartered) service to London and Dublin. Flights to Singapore and Bangkok are available via Delhi. Direct flights to Sharjah, Muscat and Dubai are also available.

Jaipur also has daily domestic air links with many Indian cities such as Jodhpur, Udaipur, Aurangabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Indore.

One plus point for those flying out of Delhi is that the Delhi airport is close to the highway, so you could reach the airport without entering the city.

By train

Indian Railways[2] connects Jaipur from all over the country and is one of the cheapest options. A number of daily trains connect Jaipur to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Agra,Mumbai, Jodhpur, Kota, Alwar and Ajmer. Daily connections are also available for Udaipur, Chittaurgarh, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Kolkata, Jammu, Pathankot, Ludhiana, Kanpur, Roorkee, Haridwar, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur and Bhopal.

budgetary requirements. Long-distance trains arrive from many other major cities including Lucknow, Allahabad, Benaras, Vadodara, Surat, Nagpur, Bilaspur, Raipur, Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Hyderabad, Goa, Mangalore, Kozhikode and Kochi.

However the most popular option from Delhi is the Shatabdi express which departs New Delhi station at 6:05AM and reaches Jaipur at 10:50AM.

There are three major railway stations Jaipur Junction (main station),Durgapura and Gandhinagar (Jaipur), which is not to be confused with Gandhinagar in Gujarat state. All trains stop at Jaipur Junction and a few trains stop at Durgapura and Gandhinagar stations also.

By bus

There is an excellent bus service between Jaipur to Delhi by Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation with buses approximately every half an hour both sides. There are several types of buses including Deluxe, AC and the superior AC Volvo buses. From Delhi you can board the bus from Bikaner House on Pandara Road next to India Gate. From Jaipur you can board the bus from Narayan Singh Circle or the main Sindhi Camp bus stand. You can also book tickets up to 6 days in advance from both these places.These buses typically take 6 hours (by Volvo) or 6-7 hours by other deluxe buses. There are also some private bus operators active in the city but you should avoid them as most of them do not have permits and drive rashly. Also note that if you plan to leave from Delhi airport, you can get off the bus at Dhaula Kuan and get an autorickshaw or perhaps a taxi from there. You do not need to enter congested Delhi.

Express buses to Ahmedabad and several cities amd towns within Rajasthan (such as Kota and Bundi) are also available.

By car

This is the most popular way of reaching from Delhi. The journey by car from Delhi to Jaipur takes less than 4hrs. National Highway no. 8 connects Delhi to Jaipur via the industrial township of Gurgaon. The road is excellent.

By autorickshaw

By and large, autorickshaw is the best way around the city. In order to hire an autorickshaw for a whole day (with a trip to Amber Fort) costs 250 INR (January 2008). Prepaid autos are available at the Jaipur railway station and the Sindhi Camp bus stand.

By cycle-rickshaw

Cycle-rickshaws are cheaper, but the amount of time it takes quickly makes the extra few rupees worth it. Walking in the bazaar is a treat, although side streets are a bit less welcoming and offer a sharper glimpse of poverty.

By taxi

The taxis in Jaipur are very convenient and comfortable. Most of the vehicles are Maruti Omni Vans or Tata Indica cars, which are much safer than Auto rickshaws, and the drivers are polite. If you are alone or going to an unknown destination, you are strongly advised to choose this option, even though the rates will be double that of an autorickshaw. you must call for a taxi, as it is nearly impossible to hail one unless you are at a major point like the airport. When you call, you should negotiate a fare (or agree on using the meter) and get the taxi's 'number'. The taxi will come pick you up, and call you when they are close. Taxis generally have yellow license plates with black letters. Some taxis are painted with yellow & black color scheme on their body which helps to uniquely identify from the private cars.

• Pinkcity Radio Taxi, +91 141 220-5000
• Shree Shyam Radio Taxi, +91 141 237-2222
• Jain Taxi Service, +91 141 229-2064

By car

Most travel agencies will provide cars for local hire

Travel agencies

• Jaipur Travels, +91 141 2317957
• India Travel Group, +919829436491
• Crossroad Tours, ""+919829062192
• Krishna tour's & travels +919829036162

• Registhan Tours Pvt.Ltd, D-227 First Floor, Tulsi Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur Rajahstan 302016. Tel: 91-141-2201688, 2201796, 2207578, fax: 91-141-2201796, regitour@datainfosys.net.

• TGS Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd [3], near Allahbad Bank, Panch Batti, M.I. Road, Jaipur 302001. Phone: 91-141-2378377, 2367735, tgsjai@gmail.com.

• Welcome Rajasthan Tours and Travels [4], c/o Umaid Bhawan, D1-2A, behind Collectorate, (via) Bank Road, Bani Park, Jaipur-302016. 24-Hour direct line to Ranvijay: +91 9314503423, +91 (141) 2316184 / 2206426 / 2201276, fax: +91 (141) 2207445, info@welcomerajasthan.com.

• The Incredible India Travel [5], B 104 – 105, Ganpati Plaza, M.I Road, Jaipur 302001. Phone: 091 141 4037555, mobile: 091 9829257777, info@leisureindiatours.com.

• Safar, destination and travel management, 102, Aishwarya complex, Ajmer road, Jaipur. Tel: +91 141..., 2226199. Taylor made tours for Rajasthan along with Delhi and Agra, domestic and international air ticketing.

• Tirupati Holidays [6] offers our clients a wide range of tour and travel services including hotel booking,renting of transport, air tickets and many more.

• Statue circle

• Ramgarh

• B.M. Birla Auditorium and Convention Centre

Forts

• Amber Fort, (11 km from central Jaipur). This massive fort-palace complex built in hybrid Hindu-Muslim style dates back to Raja Man Singh and was the royal palace of the Kachwahas from c. 1600 to 1727. The name has nothing to do with the rather pretty pastel yellow colour; instead, the fort is named after the town of Amber, in turn named after the goddess Amba. The main sights within the fort include the Sheesh Mahal, adorned with thousands on thousands of mirror tiles on the walls and ceiling. The fort/palace grounds are sprawling and have no signage whatsoever in any language, so it's worth getting an audio guide or a real guide. It's a bit of a hike up from the town, and the touristy thing to do is to hitch an elephant ride to the top (in order to get an elephant it is better to to arrive there in the morning, otherwise at midday the elephants are over. But the road that elephans pass is not so long). Rs. 10/50 Indians/foreigners, plus optional Rs.25/100 for still/video camera, Rs.100 for audioguide.  

• Jaigarh Fort. Never conquered in battle, this was considered the strongest of the three forts in the area. It is best known as the site of the world's largest cannon, the Jaivana, which was test-fired only once — according to legend, despite using only the half the design amount of gunpowder, the cannonball flew 35 km! A better reason to visit the fort, though, are the scenic gardens at the other end and the spectacular views over the Amber Fort and the hills around. The remains of the foundry where the Jaivana (and many more) were cast are also in the fort grounds. Rs.50 plus Rs.40 for camera.  

• Nahargarh Fort. The smallest of the three forts, notable primarily for excellent views over Man Sagar lake and the vast sprawl of Jaipur. The fort also houses the (relatively) compact Madhavendra Bhawan palace, although its former splendour is fading fast under a new layer of graffiti and pigeon droppings. Portions of the movie Rang De Basanti were shot at this fort. To go the area where the "Pathshala" song was shot, take a left turn as soon as you enter the fort. Rs.10 entry, Rs.35 for Madhavendra Bhawan.  

Palaces

• City Palace. The City Palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajput and Mughal architecture. It is a vast palace complex occupying nearly one-seventh of the Pink City. It was originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal (home to present Maharajah of Jaipur), Mubarak Mahal (housing a textile museum), Diwan-e-Khas (or Hall of Private audience housing the two largest silver vessels in the world, which are duly mentioned in the Guinness book), the Diwan-e-Aam ( or Hall of Public Audience) and the gateway Ridhi Sidhi Pol (with four small doorways decorated with motifs depicting the four seasons). Another integral part of the palace complex is the Hawa Mahal, standing away from the main complex.

• Jal Mahal. Jal Mahal (or the Water Palace) is on the way to Sisodia Rani Garden. A Rajput style architectured palace sits in the center of the Maan-sarovar lake. The lake is often dry in the summer but winter monsoons frequently turn it into a beautiful lake filled with water hyacinths.

Temples

• Govind Devji Temple

• Moti Doongari

• Lakshmi Narayan Temple

Also called Birla temple, this is a relatively new temple made of white marble with beautiful carvings.

• Akshardham Temple (at Vaishali Nagar)

• Jain Mandir (Shivdas Pura) 15-16 Km from Jaipur

• Galtaji

Galtaji is an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site situated 10 km from Jaipur on Jaipur-Agra highway near Sisodia Rani Garden. The main temple here is temple of Galtaji in constructed in pink stone. The temple has a number of pavilions with rounded roofs, exquisitely carved pillars and painted walls. The temple is surrounded by natural springs and reservoirs that are considered holy .There are also seven tanks or kunds here.

Monuments

• Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar is the biggest of five astronomical observatory build by Maharaja Jai Singh during the period 1727-1734 in north India. It is located very close to the City Palace. The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices (or yantra in Hindi) for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes etc. Unfortunately no text is made available to tourists regarding the various yantras nor are there any plaques/boards in front of them. In most of the cases local guides are not of any help either.

• Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal (or Palace of breeze) was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Singh as part of City Palace. It was an extension of the Zenana (women) chamber. It's purpose was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. It is a five storey high red sandstone structure complete with over 950 windows. The breeze (or hawa in Hindi) circulates through these windows giving the palace its name. Tourists are not allowed to go inside the palace.

Gardens

• Ram Niwas Garden
• Central Museum (or Albert Hall Museum)
• Zoological Garden
• Sisodia Rani Palace and Garden
• Vidyadhar Garden
• Central Park (Entrance near Statue Circle)

Museums

• Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, Kheri Gate, Amber +91-141-2530226/2531267 [7] A beautiful clean museum dedicated to the traditional art of hand block printing textiles, this museum is housed in a recently restored heritage haveli tucked into the back streets of old Amber. Small cafe, clean toilets, small shop, friendly staff & a printer & block carver demonstrating their crafts every day.

• Amber Sound and Light Show, Kesar Kyari, Amber Fort. Evening. Experience the history, culture, life of AMBER through this spectacular show. Wonderful music and lighting bring the fort alive. A must for everyone visiting Jaipur.  

• Raj Mandir Theatre. An experience in itself. The best movie theater in Rajasthan, it offers an overwhelming experience. From the pushing, shoving, and general chaos in the ticket line, to an audience that laughs, cries, cheers, claps, and consistently talks through the entire film, the Raj Mandir provides an insight into Rajasthani culture. The movies themselves are always interesting; Masala movies are action, drama, mystery, suspense, and epics all wrapped into one single movie, teeming with dances and obligatory wet sari scenes, and unabashedly lifting generous amounts of plot devices from Western movies.

• Indian Music: nadsadhna.com"Life without Music is like a flower without fragrance, a bird without wings or a body without soul. Music is the essence of life, like a smile it has no language & no religion but only one identity, i.e., it gives pleasure, peace & power." Nad Sadhna is the institution, which has tried to unfold this beauty & treasure of Music before its worshippers. Nad Sadhna provides a platform to learn Indian Music (Vocal, Instrumental and Dance). Here you will acquire not only the knowledge of the subject but also the skill to implement it, the power to understand the depth of the music and above all a musical way to step into the world of Meditation, a perfect peace & joy, enough to turn anyone's life into utopia. Above all, this place will provide an opportunity to learn from an eminent musician, an experienced faculty & a recipient of several prestigious awards like SUR-MANI and NAD-SADHAK, Dr. Ashwin Dalvi.

 

• Bazaar. A brilliant colorful explosion of flowers, elephants, ox carts, and wares! The traveller will smell the deep aroma of spices in canvas bags, the fetid smell of animals and open sewers, the sweet waft of tea, and the crusty acrid burn of dust and exhaust. The noise is chaotic, the people constantly will stare if you are a Westerner and anybody who has something to sell will try to sell it to you, repeatedly. Watch cobras dance out of their wicker baskets, and don't be too surprised if the snake charmer slaps his cobra for having a wayward eye. Be prepared to be asked for money if you plan to take photographs of snake-charmers, beggars etc.

• Teamoods An exotic Tea Boutique located right as one enters the Pink City. The Boutique offers a myriad range of Indian Teas (Darjeeling, Assam & Niligiri) and Flavoured teas.

• Rajais Jaipur is famous for its `Rajais' (A type of light quilt stuffed with cotton). You can get colourful & soft `Shaneel ki Rajai' in velvet finish. These are quiet warm, soft and long lasting. You can shop in the main market area. But remember to bargain.

 

• 'Daal Baati' - Daal-Baati of Jaipur is not to be missed item. It is available in most of the joints. Do not miss it.

• Chokhi Dhani & Apno Gaon - Two excellent places to enjoy Rajasthani food served in the traditional mode. Chokhi Dhani a.k.a lalten restaurant is a more popular place because of being on the main road near the airport and excellent to do things like horse riding, camel riding, maze, boating, kathputli (puppet) show etc. Apno gaon however serves mouth watering delicious food as all vegetables and fruits are plucked minutes before from the field before being served to you. Slightly away from the main city one has to go in for a bumpy ride to reach here.

• Natraj - On MI Road is an excellent Vegetarian place serving local fare. Their specialty is the Rajasthani Thali.

• Loharu House - this is the house of a Royal Family in Civil Lines, where you can call in advance and request them to put together a special dinner. Tel 0141 - 222 5251/0141 - 222 5945

• Four Seasons - If you are looking for vegetarian food this is the place. Location -C-Scheme

• Pyaz ki Kachori- Do not miss the famous Pyaz ki Kachori (a spicy onion dish) of Rawat Mishthan Bhandar. Situated at Polo Victory cinema and very close to both railway station and the bus stand this is a famous age old kachori hangout

• Rasmalai - Another very popular sweet dish all round the country is Rasmalai of Laxmi mishtan Bhandar (LMB). The hotel LMB is situated in the walled city

• Shakes and Icecreams - Yankee Doodle, Jal Mahal at MI Road and Milky Way near St. Xavier School are popular ice cream parlours.

• Chitra Cafeteria, Behind Amber Towers, Sansar Chandra Road, Jaipur - 302001, ☎ ''+91 141'' 237 2456, ''+91 141'' 237 1773, ''+91 141'' 510 6010'' (tarun@aryaniwas.com, fax: ''+91 141'' 236 1871), [8]. Good, wholesome vegetarian food. Their lunch buffet is excellent. Rs 150 for a three course meal.  

• Anokhi cafe. excellent organic home-baked cakes (the carrot cake is a winner!) & freshly prepared sandwiches, pastries, savoury snacks plus organic cafetieres of coffee, a selection of good teas etc. Quiet, relaxing, good value for money & situated outside the Anokhi shop, 2 Tilak Marg, C-Scheme, jaipur. The shop is great for truly ethical hand printed contemporary & wearable clothes & textiles.  

• Gangaur. sweets for chamcham  

• Niros - Located on MI Road, Niros is a 60 year old restaurant serving mostly Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes. Expect to spend Rs. 500+ on a meal for two.

• Surya Mahal - A popular ice-cream parlor located on MI road (near Paanch Batti), Surya Mahal has an assortment of ice cream shakes, and some very indigenous ice cream flavors. Excellent after a hearty meal at one of the MI road restaurants.

 

Mr Kripal Singh Renounced artist offers Indian painting and ceramic classes for free, however you must supply materials. Advance bookings are required. PH: 2201127

Maharaja Sawai Mansingh Sangeet Mahavidyalaya (music school) Music lessons 8am-11am Dance lessons 4-8pm Tuition starts from Rs500/month

Get out

Continue into Rajasthan, to the beautiful city of lakes Udaipur, the stunning, powerful fort of Jodhpur, and onto the dreamy, enchanted desert city of Jaisalmer or for a more untouristic desert city go for the charm of Bikaner as an alternatice to Jaisalmer.

To Udaipur train #2965, Jaipur Udaipur Superfast Express, is the best option has it has recently entered service after work was finished on converting the gauge enroute although many will try to tell you that it is still not operational at Railway Reservation Offices outside of Jaipur.

• Chokhi Dhani. Chokhi Dhani (Fine Hamlet in Rajasthani dialect) is a 5 star ethnic resort. It is located on Jaipur-Tonk highway, around 18 km from city center. There are lodging facilities available but the real attraction is the evening fun-fares. One can watch live folk dances, listen to live folk music, enjoy elephant, camel, bullock cart rides and eat a traditional eat-as-much-as-you-can meal on a single ticket. It gives you a glimpse of culture from different parts of Rajasthan, and could be nice if you will not have time to see much of Rajasthan yourself. They open at 6PM with entrance fee Rs 275 (including dinner). You can go there by bus, auto-rikshaw or taxi, but best is probably to make sure you have a ride back.

• Bhandarej Is a little known town 62 km from Jaipur off Jaipur-Agra Highway.From the times of Mahabharat,it is said,has seen a lot of history made. Around 11th century A. D. Dula Rai defeated Badgujjars at both Dausa and Bhandarej and ushered in the rein of Kachhawaha princes and established the kingdom of Dhundar. The Bhandarej Fort was built around then. It has been renovated extensively since. In 1994 it was made in to Bhadrawati Palace Hotel(P)91-141-2363262.In the ancient times the fort was connected to the step well in the village.The Step Well has five stories,is known as the Bari Bawari and was made in 1732A.D.by the Kumbhani rulers Deep Singh and Daulat Singh.It was renovated by Kuber Singh.Every year a Mela is held here at the Ancient Temple of Balaji.It is attended in large numbers by the local villagers.Other ancient temples in the village are of Bhadreshwar Mahadev,Bhandana Mata,Gopalji's Temple and Masthala balaji.Abhaneri,an ancient step well,built on a much larger scale than the bhandarej step well and the ancient haunted towns of Ajabgarh-Bhangarh are 30km from bhandarej.

In 1767 A.D. then aged Rao Dalip Singh was commander of Jaipur forces against Bharatpur ruler Jawahar Singh at Maonda-Mandholi, near Neem Ka Thana, for Jaipur ruler Sawai Madho Singh I. In a fierce battle Rao Dalel Singh his son Kunwar Laxman Singh and grand son Bhanwar Raj Singh (11yr) all lost their lives. Such was the bravery of Bhandarej chieftains.

 

(taken from WikiTravel)