Planning a visit to Jaipur, the Pink City known for its gardens, courtyards and museums? Here are a few tourist spots that offer you a glimpse of the rich heritage and cultural vibe of ancient India.
Hawa Mahal
One of the most famous tourist spots in Jaipur, the Hawa Mahal is a beautiful heritage structure with 953 windows on the outside wall. Built in the shape of 'mukut' (crown of Lord Krishna), the Hawa Mahal has a peculiar architecture that lets cool air to circulate, making visiting the spot a pleasurable experience even during the summer.
It was built by the ruler of Jaipur, Sawai Pratap Singh, for the royal ladies to enjoy the processiors in the main streets through its windows. The stone-carved screens, small casements and arched roofs are some of the features that make this spot a must-visit place.
Jal Mahal
As its name suggests, the Jal Mahal is situated in the middle of Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city. The amazing construction of the building makes it seem like it is floating on the lake’s surface. It is a five-storey building, of which four storeys are submerged underwater. Only the top floor is above water level. The building which exudes the Rajput style is made of pink sandstone. The evenings are pretty vibrant with the banks occupied by street food vendors. It is also one of the most photographed spots, thanks to the light colour of the sandstone wall that creates a sharp contrast with the deep blue of the lake and some green foliage.
City Palace
The City Palace, situated in the central northeast part of Jaipur city, is one of the hot tourist spots of the city and was built when Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded the city. City Palace has an architecture that combines the Mughal and Rajasthani styles with some European influences. The royal family still lives in a part of the palace, while the rest is open for tourists to visit.
Jantar Mantar
The Jantar Mantar of Jaipur is one of the best of the five Jantar Mantars of the country. It boasts a collection of 19 astronomical instruments and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also has the world's largest stone sundial. It was designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye for celestial calculations and the determination of important events like solstices and equinoxes.
Moti Dungri Fort
It is a small fort situated on a hill around Jaipur city and resembles a pearl drop. Once home to Sawai Man Singh, the complex is a replica of a Scottish castle. The famous and iconic Ganesh Temple atop the fort draws a lot of visitors. The Ganesh Temple was built by Seth Jai Ram Paliwal sometime in the early 18th century and spans 2 km. Its building has three domes which signify the three main religions followed in the country.
Sisodiya Rani Bagh
It is situated 10 km from Jaipur city and lies on the Jaipur-Agra Highway. This royal garden was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1728 for his second queen Sisodia and is adorned with beautiful paintings of Radha-Krishna love story. With flowerbeds, foliage, beautiful fountains, pavilions, galleries water channels and murals. It is said that in the older days, the garden served as an ideal getaway for the queens.