Jaipur city is one of the main destination to visit in Rajasthan. The city was founded by King Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727, this is the first planned City in Jaipur the king of Jaipur used rules of Vastu Shastra & Astrological rules to build the city. in your Rajasthan tour package you must give minimum 2 days to explore Jaipur city.
Birla Temple is also known at Lakshmi Narayan Temple built by the B.M. Birla foundation in 1988. The temple is constructed with white Makrana marble. The temple has a beautiful image of Lord Vishnu & Goddess Lakshmi. You will be impressed seeing the beautiful carving on marble. The land for this temple was sold by Jaipur’s Royal family to Birla Foundation only in just one rupee.
The Albert Hall Musiem was built in 1876 & it’s the oldest Museum of Rajasthan State. The Museum gets its name Albert Hall from King Edward VII (Albert Edward) because the foundation stone was laid by him while his visit to Jaipur.
When the building was constructed, the royals and government did not have any idea about usage of the building. It was initially used as Town Hall in 1880. Later, the King of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II suggested to use it as a museum for Industrial Arts. Later, the hall was used for displaying masterpieces of local artisans.
In 1881, the museum was at its prime beauty and people from across the country visited this museum to buy or enjoy handicrafts, artwork and other masterpieces. However, the building was under construction until 1887. Later, the museum started to showcase artifacts and ancient artworks along with budding artist’s masterpieces.
Hawa Mahal is a landmark of Jaipur city, it has five stories with 953 windows & the bulding is beautifully painted in pink color. The palace is also known as Palace of Breeze, Hawa Mahal was built in 1799 as an extension to the Royal City Palace by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh.
At that time royal ladies strictly followed ‘Pardah system’ (has to cover their face). Because of Hawa Mahal, Royal ladies were enabled to watch daily life and processions of the city without being seen by the public. Hawa Mahal has 953 windows on the outside walls. The honeycomb shaped and beautifully carved windows allow breeze to blow through the palace and makes it a perfect summer palace
The City Palace or Chandra Mahal was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1718. City Palace has a sequence of gardens, buildings and courtyards, temple and museum to give it a grand view that reflects its historical importance and magnificent royal grace. The palace has been built in mix of Rajput, Mughal & British architecture. Its outer boundary was built by Raja Jai Singh and other structures by his successors up until the 20th century to add charm to it. It also served as a residence for former Maharaja of Jaipur.
On important festival days such as Gangaur and Teej, the procession of the image of the Goddess through the streets unites the City Palace and the people of the city in shared celebrations. Today, the palace has thrown open its exclusive spaces to the public through the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, welcoming domestic and international visitors from far and wide.
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur had good interest in astrology & astronomy, he had constructed 5 observatories in northern India from 1718 to 1734 in Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain, Varanasi & Jaipur. Jaipur’s observatory is the largest observatory among all these & UNESCO has declared it World Heritage Site in 2010.
There are many dials (instruments) made of Marble, brass all these work in sun-light & by help of these dials we can get information about local solar time, position of sun, positions of stars, rotation of earth & many more. If you are in Jaipur you must visit this observatory but don’t forget to get a Guide to enjoy your Jantar mantar visit.
Amer fort is one of the top tourist attractions of Jaipur, the fort is situated in the old capital of Jaipur ‘Amer’ the fort has been used as a residence by Rajput Rulers till 18th century. The fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013 as part of a group of six hill forts in Rajasthan. Its architecture is a noteworthy fusion of Rajput (Hindu) and Mughal (Islamic) styles.
Maharaja Man Singh I, He was a commander in Mughal Emperor Akbar’s army & King of Amer, he started building Amer fort in 1591 & later his successor’s added many parts till 18th century. Later Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II shifted his capital from Amer to Jaipur.
Amer Fort has four court yards & there you can visit several places like Shila Devi Temple, Lion Gate, Hall of Public Audience, Ganesh Pol, Mughal Garden, Mirror Palace, Royal ladies apartments and many more. It will take minimum one & half hour to visit this palace.
Jal Mahal – Water palace or Lake Palace is a palace in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, the lake is an artificial (Man-Made) lake & build by King Man Singh I in 16th century, later when the Royal family shifted their capital from Amer to Jaipur the lake was enlarged by kind Jai Singh II. Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh started building a Palace in middle of the lake in 1799. It was a summer palace for the Rajput family, there is a beautiful roof-top garden where royal family used to enjoy Music & Dance program.
