Jaipur is one of Rajasthan’s most vibrant cities. Pink City is so named because the buildings are composed of pink-tinted sandstone. It is a city full of architectural treasures that serve as the backdrop for numerous cultural and traditional narratives portrayed in its structures. There are many places to visit in Jaipur for the travelling architects.
Jaipur, Rajasthan’s tourism hub, is a crowded yet serene mix of old and new, warm and accommodating. Jaipur tourism offers a colourful mix of magnificent forts and palaces for those seeking royal bliss, colourful bazaars and delightfully chaotic streets full of life for those interested in learning about Jaipur’s local life, wildlife, and adventure activities for those seeking thrills and excitement, and a collection of devout temples for those seeking solace and spiritual bliss.
1. Hawa Mahal | Places to Visit in Jaipur
The Hawa Mahal, often known as the ‘Palace of Winds,’ is a popular tourist destination and a significant landmark in Jaipur. This stunning edifice, built in 1799, is largely a high screen wall constructed of pink and red sandstone that permitted royal women to see street festivities and lively city life while keeping out of public view due to the Royal Rajputs’ dominating purdah regime. This five-story palace, designed in the manner of Lord Krishna’s crown, features 953 jharokhas or windows and a highly painted façade like a honeycomb of a beehive. The lattice work also permits a cool wind into the area due to the Venturi effect, giving an almost air-conditioning-like effect during peak summers. The domed canopies, floral patterns, lotus embellishments, and fluted pillars depict the opulent Rajput style.
2. Jal Mahal
The Jal Mahal, also known as the Water Palace in Jaipur, is a spectacular blend of Mughal and Rajput artistry. It is an Indian marvel hidden beneath the sea, with four chhatris on each of the octagonal-shaped palace’s four corners. It is a five-story structure, and when the lake is full, four of the five floors remain underwater, leaving only the top floor exposed. The old garden on the terrace has been demolished. A brand-new deck is being built in the manner of a roof garden, similar to the one seen at the Amer Palace. The Jal Mahal Palace is without a doubt one of the most delicate Indian monuments that have survived to the current day, with its well-preserved hand paintings adorning every hall and room, as well as its arching stairs and delicately crafted terrace on top.
3. Sheesh Mahal | Places to Visit in Jaipur
The Sheesh Mahal in Jaipur, also known as the Mirror Palace, is a sophisticated, stunning piece of architecture made of exquisite precious stones and glass and adorned with beautiful paintings. The construction of this hall is designed in such a way that if a single ray of light enters the Mahal, it is replicated in the mirrors, illuminating the whole hall. The pillars are handcrafted, with one featuring a particularly formed flower carved at its base that changes colours when viewed from different angles. The queen was not permitted to sleep in the open air during ancient times, yet she desired to gaze at the sky while sleeping. As a result, the architects built Sheesh Mahal out of stones and glass, and at night, the reflection of two lights in glass seems to star throughout the entire chamber. During the winter, the King would relocate to Sheesh Mahal from Sukh Niwas. The reflections of the candles in the ceiling mirror glass keep the room warm.
4. City Palace
The City Palace of Jaipur is an architectural masterpiece that functioned as the administrative seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur until 1949. The massive pillars, latticework or jali work, and carved marble interiors of the palace reflect a typical blend of Indian, Mughal, and European architectural characteristics. The structure is massive, taking up one-seventh of Jaipur’s historic city. A multitude of palaces, pavilions, temples, and gardens are part of the City Palace complex. The palace complex has multiple entrances, including Virendra Pol, Udai Pol, and Tripolia Gate (triple gate). Virendra Pol and Udai Pol are open to the public, but Tripolia Pol is only for the royal family. The palace complex was built in ‘Grid Style,’ and it has various attractions like the ‘Chandra Mahal,’ ‘Govind Dev Ji Temple,’ ‘Mubarak Mahal,’ and ‘Diwan-I-Khas’.
5. Amer Fort | Places to Visit in Jaipur
The architecture of Amer Fort is a stunning blend of art and nature. For a long period, this palace complex functioned as the Rajput Maharajas’ imperial residence. Amer Fort has a colourful history filled with deception and tragedy. The fort’s other prominent architectural elements are the miracle flower, Man Singh’s palace, and the garden. The fort’s fourth courtyard is another remarkable architectural element. Because the kings needed to meet their queens and mistresses privately, the courtyard required a one-of-a-kind design. Amber Fort’s walls are adorned with hunting and war paintings, as well as costly stones and mirrors inlaid into the plaster. The beautiful Amber Fort Palace is reflected in astonishing and breathtaking ways by the Maota Lake of Jaipur in the foreground of the fort.
6. Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a well-known 18th-century astronomical observation station. Jantar Mantar is composed of 20 primary permanent instruments, each with its characteristics. Sawai Jai Singh created this astronomical observation station with the sole objective of seeing astral locations with his own eyes. It is based on Ptolemaic positional astronomy and was heavily changed by Major Arthur Garrett after Jai Singh’s inauguration. Popular constructions within the Jantar Mantar include the ‘Samrat Yantra,’ the ‘Hindu Chhatri,’ the ‘Jaiprakash Yantra,’ and several symmetrical monuments with astral devices to study the world.
7. Albert Hall Museum
While Prince of Wales Albert Edward was on tour in Jaipur in 1876, the Albert Hall Museum was established. It exhibits the past’s rich legacy and great architectural techniques. Sir Samuel Swinton has magnificently portrayed Indo-Saracenic architecture in Albert Hall. The Albert Hall Museum’s design combines beautiful Islamic architecture with Neo-gothic elements. The magnificence of this museum, which is encircled by Ram Niwas park, attracts tourists from all around. This museum’s allure stems from its elegant and balanced design, which features domes, carved arches, pillars, and beautifully embellished hallways.
8. Riddhi Siddhi Pol | Places to Visit in Jaipur
It is a doorway within Jaipur’s City Palace and one of several gorgeous structures within its walls. Lord Ganesha and his wives, Riddhi and Siddhi, are commemorated in this portion of the city palace complex. Riddhi Siddhi Pol has four little entrances, one for each season. Lotus Gate (summer), Rose Gate (winter), Peacock Gate (fall), and Green Gate are the four doorways (spring). Small marble sculpted reliefs dedicated to the gods are located over each gate. All four gates have beautifully carved brass doors. Riddhi Siddhi Pol is the four-story red sandstone entry hall of Pritam Niwas, the city palace’s most spectacular gardens.
9. Patrika Gate
The Patrika Gate is Jaipur’s southern entrance. The Patrika Gate is referred to as Jaipur’s eighth gate. Each pillar of the Patrika gate is adorned with information about various Rajasthan locations. The Patrika newspaper group built the Patrika Gate on Jaipur’s Jawaharlal Nehru Marg. This memorial aims to combine Rajasthan’s art, craft, and cultural history into a single structure. When designing the Patrika Gate, the nine-point Vastu principle was carefully considered. There are a total of nine pavilions. Each pavilion measures 9 feet wide.
10. Jawahar Circle | Places to Visit in Jaipur
Jawahar Circle Park in Jaipur is renowned as Asia’s largest Circular Park. This park, which is bordered by a Rose Garden, also has a children’s play area. The Dance and Musical Fountain in the Garden is a popular attraction for visitors. There is also a special needs play area and a specially constructed jogging track in the park. The chaat market contains food vendors as well as a few businesses where you may buy locally made items. The Musical Fountain in Jawahar Circle Garden can generate 290 various light presentations, all of which are extremely stunning. The water level in the fountains reaches a height of 25 feet and can display lights in 316 distinct colours at night.
11. Jaigarh Fort
Sawan Jai Singh II built the magnificent Jaigarh Fort. Subterranean passages connect this fort to the Amer Fort, which is surrounded by enormous battlements. The Jaigarh Fort, built to protect the Amer Fort and the palace inside the complex, is aesthetically identical to the Amer Fort and offers a panoramic view of Jaipur. The fort has the world’s largest cannon on wheels, the ‘Jaivana Cannon,’ as well as a vast palace complex. This includes the Laxmi Vilas, Lalit Mandir, Aram Mandir, and Vilas Mandir. A watchtower surrounds a square garden in the centre. Jaipur has traditionally been a hot and humid place due to the deserts around it; hence the forts here, particularly the Jaigarh Fort, were created with rainwater collection systems and subterranean water tanks.
12. Jawaharlal Kala Kendra
In 1986, Charles Correa constructed the Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur. The structure was completed in 1991 and is based on the concept of ‘Navagraha,’ commonly known as the nine-house mandala. Theatres, art galleries, dormitories, restaurants, auditoriums, and a coffee shop are housed in the main edifice. Every aspect of the Jawahar Kala Kendra is based on a distinct planet from the Navagraha. It is meant to resemble that planet in terms of colour, personality, astrological traits, and utility. The entire complex is composed of red sandstone and white marble, with Vaastu motifs adorning the facades of each square structure. The roof of the Jawahar Kala Kendra’s central dome above the entry plaza is adorned with murals and paintings illustrating Jain mythology.
13. Raj Mandir Cinema | Places to Visit in Jaipur
Shri Mehtab Chandra Golcha’s unique thinking resulted in the meringue-shaped auditorium, which was intended to be more than merely a large screen theatre for moviegoers. When Shri Mohanlal Sukhadia (then Chief Minister of Rajasthan) laid the foundation stone for this masterpiece in 1966, he was inspired by the spectacular building of a notable architect of the period, Shri W.M. Namjoshi. The Raj Mandir in Jaipur is a Royal Palace-style structure that has been in existence since 1976. The architecture and interiors of this single screen are spectacular, whether it’s the “Nine Stars” on the exterior or the “Revolving Panel” on the inside. The chandeliers are suspended from the high ceilings. They are like stars in the sky, and the lights brighten the hall and ceilings.
14. Bapu Bazaar
Jaipur is a major shopping location in India. Many friends and family members travel long distances to Jaipur just to shop. Markets were central to the concept, and tremendous efforts were made to ensure that artists and crafters from all over the country were welcomed to settle in Jaipur. As a result, based on their competence, these artists and artisans were assigned to distinct parts of the walled city. Bapu Bazaar on MI Road in Jaipur’s heart is one such shopping destination. It is one of Jaipur’s oldest and most important markets.
15. Birla Auditorium | Places to Visit in Jaipur
The B. M. Birla Auditorium in Jaipur is one of the country’s largest auditoriums, and it has held some of India’s finest and most important events. A scientific museum, a library, an information and broadcasting cell, a computer centre, eight research divisions, a planetarium, and an auditorium are all part of the 9.8-acre auditorium complex. The major auditorium seats approximately 1350 people at a time, and it is here that the auditorium has proven successful. The auditorium is created in a contemporary style with Rajasthani influences. The M. P. Birla Planetarium, situated in the auditorium, was India’s second commonwealth planetarium, the first being in Calcutta.
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