Royalty entwined with vibrance and mesmerising beauty! Those are the least words to explain the beauty of the Pink City, Jaipur(Rajasthan, India).
India is a country known for its varied heritage. From North to South and East to West, the geography, the climate, the language, the food, the religion, the architecture, are extremely diverse. This diversity is what attracts tourists to add India to their wish-list. One of the major attractions are the splendid architecture of various palaces, monuments and temples.
Just like the Taj city, Agra (known for the three World Heritage Sites listed by the UNESCO; Taj mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri) Jaipur is also famous for its architectural grandeur. It is known as the Pink City of India and, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Jaipur was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh ll( the ruler of Amer) after whom the city is named. As of 2011, the population of the city was 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country.
The city is planned based on the Indian Vastu shastra. It has three gates each one facing a different direction. The eastern gate is called Suraj pol (Sun gate), the Western gate is called the chand pol ( Moon gate) and the northern gate faces the ancestral capital of Amer.
Jaipur is one of the favourite tourist destinations in India. In 2008, Conde Nast Traveller Reader's Choice Survey, Jaipur ranked the seventh best place to visit in Asia.
The city is known for the various mahals and forts. Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Jantar-Mantar, City Palace, Jaigarh fort, Amer Fort, Nahargarg Fort, Birla Mandir, Jaipur zoo and Gary Ganesh Temple are a few of them.
Hawa Mahal, as the name suggests, is a five-storey pyramid shaped monument with 953 windows. See if you can fit in a visit. More news on Jaipur and its popularity with the UK retired fraternity to follow soon.
Prabhala – India correspondent.