India >> North Zone >> Rajasthan >> Jaipur
About Jaipur Jaipur, popularly known, as Pink City founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II is the capital of Rajasthan, offering an endless variety of crafts, gem and jewellery centres. A contractor’s compulsion famed Jaipur to Pink city and the city is the pristine jewel in the desert sands of Rajasthan with a combination of traditional hues with the blend of modern trends. It remains the only city in the world symbolizing the nine divisions of the universe, through nine rectangular sectors.
| Area: | 200.40 sq. kms
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| Best Time to Visit: | October to March
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| Main Languages: | Hindi, Rajasthani and English
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| Population: | Approx. 5 million
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| Temperature: | Summer - Max: 45 Min: 25
Winter - Max: 22 Min: 8.3
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Other Attractions In & Around
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Bairath
Lying between Jaipur and Alwar this is a location, which has significance from the Mahabaratha times and it is said that the Pandavas spent one year of their exile here. Excavations reveal that Bairath formed a part of the Mauryan Empire and flourished as a Buddhist establishment.
Bairath was then called Virata Nagar, which was the capital of Abhimanyu's (Arjuna's son) father-in-law. Virat, the capital of Matsya, is considered to be the abode of King Virata. It is said that the Pandavas spent one year of their exile here.. Attractions Around : This is an important historical place with the excavated remains of a circular Buddhist temple. It is unique in Rajasthani style and the earliest known temple in India. Bairath also has relics of the Mughal and Rajput periods.
A mint constructed by Akbar, a beautiful Mughal garden and a remarkable monument with painted chhatris and wall built by Jehangir are other attractions.
The Ashokan inscription, the monastery and the circular temple are the pointers towards Bairath's antiquity.
The Bhim-Ki-Dungri or the Pandu Hill is a low rocky hill on which is a cave considered to be Bhim's (Pandava prince’s) abode. Bijak-ki-Pahari is a grey granite hill with remains of two Buddhist monasteries. These are believed to have existed when Huen Tsang (the Chinese Traveller) visited India in 634 A. D. City Palace : In the heart of the city is situated the City Palace, which is now a museum except for one section where the erstwhile royal family still lives. Grey-white marble columns studded with floral motifs in gold and coloured stones support the carved arches. The museum houses a fascinating armory of Mughal and Rajput weapons and swords of all shapes and sizes. There is also an art gallery.
The palace is in fact a large sprawling complex of palaces, gardens and courtyards. Did you know? : The Banganga Fair is held annually near a rivulet, 11 kms. from the historical township of Bairath, on the full moon day of Vaishakh (April- May). It is believed that the Pandava prince Arjun created the stream. This area is identified with the settlement of Virat Puri of the epic days. Interesting to know : Outside the buildings there is a large silver vessel which a former Maharaja used to take drinking water with him to England. Being a devout Hindu he preferred drinking water of Ganges.
The complex reflects both the changing architectural fashions and the changing fortunes of the Rajputs. The City Palace was in construction right through to the early years of the 20th century. Like all royal abodes, the City Palace occupies a large area, divided into a series of courtyards, gardens, and buildings. The palace houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
The first building in it is Mubarak Mahal, built by Maharaja Madho Singh, with a beautifully carved marble gate with heavy brass doors on either sides. Beyond this gate, lies the Diwan-E-Khas or the Hall Of Private Audience with a marble paved gallery. Across a paved square lies the Diwan-E-Aam or the Hall Of Public Audience, with ornate pillars to support the high ceilings. The walls, intricately painted with touches of deep red and gold, provide perfect mounts for immense medieval Afghan and Persian carpets.
Sawai Jai Singh's Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace), better known as the City Palace, is the centerpiece, commanding fine views of the gardens and the city. The complex contains an excellent museum, an armory and several fine halls. The ground and first floor of this Mahal, form the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Museum. The paintings include miniatures of Rajasthani, Persian and Mughal schools. The Mubarak Mahal, or the Auspicious Palace, contains a section on textile. Location : Bairath lies 66 kms. North of Jaipur, along the Jaipur-Shahpura-Alwar route. Museum : The palace interior houses select collection of various types of Rajasthani dresses, a fascinating armoury of Mughal and Rajput weapons; swords with chased handles, some of them inlaid, enameled, encrusted with jewels and encased in bold and magnificent scabbards.
It also has an art gallery with a fine collection of paintings, carpets, royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical works in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit, acquired by Sawai Jai Singh-II who was interested in the study of planets and their movements. The Grand Structure : The magnificent City Palace, built in the 18th century, is the biggest edifice complex within the walled city. It is a historic landmark. Grey-white marble columns studded with floral motifs in gold and coloured stones support the carved arches. Two elephants carved in marble guard the entrance, where retainers whose families have served generations of rulers are at hand serving as guides. The palace is built in the fortified campus style, covering almost seventh part of Jaipur. TOP
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Gaitor
Gaitor is about 15 kms. from Jaipur and is famous for the cenotaphs or chhatris of Jaipur rulers, with the exception of Sawai Ishwari Singh’s. The cenotaph of Sawai jai Singh ii stands out for its delicate carvings and beautiful shape.
The cenotaphs of all Jaipur rulers, with the exception of Sawai Ishwari Singh who was cremated outside the Jai Niwas Garden were built at this place. All the chattris are covered with bas-relief depicting the tastes of the person it commemorates.
There are memorials to the queens in the Maharani-ki-Chhatri complex near the Ramgarh road crossing. The white marble cenotaph of Maharajah Jai Singh II is the most impressive which is decorated with carved peacocks.. Location : To the west of the road to Amber in a valley is the royal cremation ground of Gaitor. Attractions : The island palace-Jal Mahal built by Sawai Madho Singh as a pleasure spot at the centre of the Man Sagar Lake, and the Kanak Vrindavan complex of temples and gardens add to its pristine glory. TOP
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Jantar Mantar
Largest of the five remarkable observatories made by Jai Singh in five different cities, this is the best-preserved one. It shows the Maharaja passion for astronomy.
Translated into 'Instruments of Measuring the Harmony of the Heavens', Jantar Mantar was built between 1728 and 1734. It is a grand celebration of astronomical science. It appears to be a collection of sculptures with each sculpture serving a specific purpose of measuring attitudes, azimuths, calculating eclipses or counting of stars. This is the only observatory out of five built in running condition. Situated within the City Palace Complex, it is cut off from the main buildings.. Location : Jantar Mantar is located near the gate of City Palace, Jaipur. Amazing History : Jai Singh was a great admirer of progresses and research made in the fields of science and technology, but he was passionate about astronomy. Before the commencement of construction he sent scholars abroad to study the foreign observatories. The emissaries returned with many manuals on astronomy containing cutting-edge technological information. One of these manuals contained a copy of La Hire's Tables. The king ordered the observatory to be built according to the details contained in the manual and when the construction got over, for the astonishment of the king and others, the observatory was 20 seconds more accurate than the one mentioned in Table.
The Jantar Mantar conceived, as a quest for discovering the mysteries of the Cosmos, is a corruption of the Sanskrit word yantra mantra meaning instruments and formulae. It was built not only to verify astronomical observations made at Jaipur, but also to stimulate interest in astronomy. Following the style of an observatory at Samarkand, huge masonry instruments were built, keeping in mind the rules of astronomy, the position of the equator, latitudes and longitudes. Instruments in Jantar Mantar : The samrat yantra consists of a massive triangle with a curved structure on both sides.
The jaiprakash yantra is a two hemispherical bowl structure representing the celestial spheres and the use of a vertical rod in the center, giving different positions of celestial bodies during the day and night.
The ram yantra is in the form of a high cylinder. It is surrounded by circular walls and the shadow of the sun on the vertical and horizontal marble gradations via the cylinder, indicates the altitude and the azimuth or declination of celestial bodies.
The composite instrument is heart shaped and includes a sundial and a massive hemisphere on the northern wall.
Sawai Jai Singh attempt to introduce a renaissance in astronomy through Jantar Mantar never took off due to chaos in the country. The first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said that so accurate was his work that Jai Singh would have been remarkable anywhere. Thoroughly restored in 1901, the Jantar Mantar was declared a national monument in 1948. TOP
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Sanganer
Situated about 40 kms. from Jaipur, this small town is entered through the ruins of two 'Tripolias' or triple-gateways housing, a ruined palace and a group of Jain temples with fine carvings. On the Ajmer Road, the ground level fort is still in good shape, which is noted for its hand printed handloom industry using simple techniques.
The town is an important centre for craft, industry and produces some of the finest hand printed textiles from units of block and screen printers. This textile is popular all over the country and abroad.. The Paper Rule : It is famous for kagazi mohulla (handmade paper) and block printing and is the world's largest centre of hand-made paper! Sanganer is blessed with water and open spaces, essential for papermaking. From here the Kagzis enjoyed patronage of the royal court of Sawai Man Singh and his successors.
Today there are about 10 hand-made paper industries in Sanganer, all owned by Kagzis. Of these the largest is Salim Kagzi's Handmade Paper and Board Industries. All Sanganer paper makers are the largest producers in the world. Did you know? : During the 1520s Emperor Babur encouraged the establishment of a paper industry in Alwar, Rajasthan. Later, in 1728, Maharaja Jai Singh II set up a paper business in Sanganer on the outskirts of Jaipur.
It is said that in the 16th century, the ruler of Amber, Raja Man Singh, brought Kagzis to Sanganer situated on the bank of Saraswati river, where abundant clear water was available. The town emerged as one of the biggest paper making centres in northern India. In between, however the industry did get a setback, but after independence, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) included the handmade paper in its agenda for promotion of crafts. Hand block printing : A craft handed down through generations is in the forefront of the fashion scene today. Cotton is also printed in Ahmedabad, Sanganer, Bagru, Farukhabad and Pethapur. Hand block printing in Rajasthan and Gujarat continued to flourish and sometimes, the prints of these areas seem to be quite similar. The Bagru and Sanganeri prints cannot be easily distinguished but if looked carefully the Sanganer prints are always on a white background, whereas the Bagru prints are essentially in red and black. TOP
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