Jaipur,
popularly known as the Pink City, was founded in
1727 AD by the Maharaja of Amber Sawai Jai Singh.
This remarkable city is considered a marvel of town
planning. Designed in accordance with ancient Hindu
treaties on architecture, the Silpa Shastra, Jaipur
follows a grid system and is encircled by a fortified
wall. The palace lies in the heart of the city and
occupies the space of the central grid. The rest
of the grids were cut across neatly by wide lanes,
which divided the area into tidy, well laid-out
rectangles of commercial and residential use. The
fortified wall has eight gates (originally had seven)
was built for protection from invading armies and
wild animals. Today the city has spread beyond these
walls and reached neighboring towns and continues
to grow. Pink city: The periphery wall and all the
buildings facing the main roads of the old city
are colored with pink and this is why the city is
called pink city.
CITY PALACE
The city Palace complex is the most important landmark
with its numerous outbuildings, courtyards, impressive
gateways and temples. Occupying one - seventh of
the walled city area, the city palace houses the
seven storeyed Chandra Mahal (residence of the royal
family), Mubarak Mahal, the Diwan-I-Am, and Diwan-I-Khas.
The museum houses a rare collection of arms, carpets,
costumes, paintings and royal paraphernalia. A notable
exhibit is a pair of pure silver containers, which
are the largest single pieces of silver in the world.
Across the road from the palace is the
JANTAR MANTAR,
one of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai
Singh, this one is the latest and the best preserved.
A collection of complex astronomical instruments
chiseled out of stone - most of which continue to
provide fairly accurate information to this day
- is the highlight of the observatory.
HAWA MAHAL (PALACE OF WINDS)
Adjoins the outside of the palace wall. Built in
1799 this pink seven storied building is a remarkable
structure, which overlooks one of the main streets
and also provides some excellent views of the city.
Dedicated to the lord Krishna, it is shaped like
a crown, which adorns the Lord?s head. It has over
900 niches and is quite an unusual structure the
likes of which are not to be found anywhere else
in the world.
AMBER Fort
Set in a picturesque location, Amber is a fascinating
blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture. Built in
the 16th century by Raja Man Singh, it sprawls on
the hillside. Built in red sandstone and white marble,
the palace complex has some very interesting apartments,
the likes of which are not to be found anywhere
else in the country. Jai Mandir, Sheesh Mahal, Sukh
Niwas, Ganesh Pol are some of the prominent areas
of interest. The old township of Amber lies at the
foothills of the palace and has an Old World charm,
a character of its own.
