My India travels continues as we head to the magnificent
state of Rajasthan and the city of Jaipur often known as the pink city. Jaipur was
established in 1727 by Jai Singh II, and it is one of the largest city of
Rajasthan. Jaipur is magnificent with beautiful architecture, it has the most
eye catching and majestic fortresses, palaces, temples and beautiful havelis. The
best time to visit this place is between October and March. The weather
although is hot is still bearable.
On our recent visit to Jaipur we visited a few of the
key sightseeing places:
Amber Fort
Amber Fort is situated next to the Maota lake on the
rocky hill of Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) that overlooks the Jaipur. It was
built by Raja Shri Maan Singh JI Saheb’ (Maan Singh I) and It dates back from
the 16th century. The fort can be reached by car, on foot or by elephant rides
which take you to the grand entrance of the fort.
Inside the palace there are many state rooms, lots of beautifully carved architecture, courtyards and chambers. The most intricate and beautiful room in the fort is the Sheesh Mahal the Mirror Palace. The walls and ceilings are carved with floral patterns that are inlayed with glass mirrors. It is thought that if a candle is lit in the Mahal, it will replicate a starry night. The Maharaja built this room for his queen who wanted to sleep under the stars but since Royal women were not allowed to do this this was to replicate the experience of sleeping under the stars.
To make the most of the fort I would highly recommend getting an English speaking guide who will be able to give a detailed history and tour of the fort.
Hawa Mahal- Palace of Winds
Hawa Mahal was built in 1799 and it was an extension of the city palace. The palace spans out over five floors and the inside boasts beautiful and intricate Rajput and Islamic architecture. It has a very iconic honeycomb structure created by pink sandstone. These structures are actually the palace windows made from detailed lattice work made in a typical Marwari design. It was thought that the queens and the royal women in palace used to
sit behind the windows, out of sight so they could watch royal processions or
religious ceremonies. The windows also provided air to travel through the
lattice to keep the palace cool hence it was given the name Hawa Mahal meaning
palace of winds.
Jal Mahal- Water Palace
The Jal Mahal the water
palace set in the middle of Lake Sagar. It appears to have only one story which
is visible from the banks of the lake, however the palace has an extra 4 floors
submerged under water. It is not possible to visit the palace but you can view
it from the banks. Along the banks of the lake there are a few stalls selling
tourist souvenirs, photographers offering to take photos in Rajasthani attire
and also camel rides. A typical visit to the Jal Mahal will be less than 30
minutes, just enough time to take some photos
Whilst in Jaipur we
also visited Nahargarh Fort, Nahargarh which means 'abode of tigers'. It is
located in one of the oldest mountain ranges of the world, the Aravalli Hills.
The fort can be reached by car along a long winding mountain road, there are
many places to stop to admire the beautiful and spectacular views of Jaipur.
It is known that Nahargarh Fort, Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort are all connected and were used as defence for each other. The fort is a two storey building with many rooms and beautiful Indian and European style of architecture.
It is known that Nahargarh Fort, Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort are all connected and were used as defence for each other. The fort is a two storey building with many rooms and beautiful Indian and European style of architecture.
Apart from sightseeing, shopping in Jaipur is plentiful,
there are many shops on MG Road and lots of bazaars leading off the main road too.
You can buy clothing and ethnic attire, hand-dyed and embroidered textiles,
pretty jewellery and delicious food. The city is a rainbow of bright colours and
it is very visually appealing.
Since we only spent two nights in Jaipur we wanted to make the most of the city, together with sightseeing and shopping we were looking for a Rajasthani cultural experience whilst dining. This we found when we visited Choki Dhani, which captures this perfectly in a rural village setting decorated with traditional artefacts and furnishings and serving Rajasthani cuisine in a very authentic and homely way. Our experience of Choki Dhani was very enjoyable and it is worthy of a separate blog post which is next on the agenda.
Time permitting there
are many other places to visit in Jaipur such as the Jaigarth Fort, Jantar
Mantar stone observatory and Birla Temple. Since we only had two nights to
spend in this beautiful city. I think we managed to pack in all the key things
we wanted to experience.
Jaipur- Choki Dhani
Jodhpur
Aww what a great post. Really enjoyed reading this. Hope your having a lovely time. Thank you for sharing this with us. These places look lovely. Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteJaipur was definitely my favourite of the places we visited in India. The Hawa Mahal and the Amer Fort were incredible, and we ended up getting tangled up in an unexpected festival at the Monkey Temple! Looks like you had a great time too!
ReplyDeleteI also love to visit in Jaipur. Is such a So Beautiful Place and there night is awesome...
ReplyDeleteYou have some amazing photos here. The inside of the amber fort is just so beautiful. I've never really thought about visiting Jaipur before now but your post has made me want to
ReplyDeleteJaipur has so much history, lovely temples and palaces. Lovely post with wonderful pictures. I am in awe!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to visit Jaipur, India in general is majorly on my bucket list! You've visited some awesome places, I'm inspired!!
ReplyDeleteWow those state rooms like amazing, I definitely want to go to India x
ReplyDeleteOh this sounds like a great place to visit one day! Also looks like you had a great time out there :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post. The photos look beautiful and I think I learned one word in the Indian language. Isn't Mahal meaning a palace? I just figured out the every palace has that word in their name. :D
ReplyDeleteIndia for me is a must go destination. Loving your article and the places you have mentioned. Fab piccys :) x
ReplyDeleteWow what some absolutely beautiful places, India is somewhere I would love to explore, it is different from here and that I think would be wonderful to experience.
ReplyDeleteoh wow these pictures are absolutely beautiful, I've never visited India and tbh it's not somewhere I've thought about before but you've made me want to go now! xx
ReplyDeleteLoved, loved, loved reading about your travels in Jaipur! It's a dream of mine to travel there - so gorgeous, so much history and character.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! By the way my latest trip was Jaipur itself. I was there for a week.
ReplyDeleteVery much similar experience I had. Loved reading your blog. Nicely curated blog.
Never been to India before, it looks so good. I hope to visit someday
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful city. The buildings are amazing, the palaces just awesome. I am as ever in awe of your travels.
ReplyDeleteLooks such beautiful place to visit, my husband is keen to travel to India one day, and reading posts like this gives me a bit more information on things we can do x
ReplyDeleteThe architecture here is absolutely incredible. I can only imagine how they submerged an entire castle in water. I am guessing the castle would have had to come first and then the lake later. Ah well, that's awesome.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are stunning and your blog is amazing to read ! India is surely on my wishlist
ReplyDeleteI loved visiting the Pink City last April with my grandma - such an interesting place, the palace of the winds was beautiful x
ReplyDeleteWow, India is somewhere I have always really wanted to visit, and this makes me want to visit even more, it really does look incredible x
ReplyDeleteThe colours and the glamour of the buildings look amazing. Elinor x
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place, the architecture is stunning. It sounds that you packed a lot into your short trip there :)
ReplyDeleteDenise | The Life of Dee
Brilliantly written. you have captured the essence of the Pink City.
ReplyDeleteJaipur is one of my favorite heritage cities of all time in India :)
xx
J
Wow....what an fantastic places and amazing pictures. So charm and unique architecture. Jal Mahal, water Palace is look so amazing.
ReplyDeleteKintan XO, http://kintanfashion.blogspot.com
India is on my travel bucket list and i hope to do this trip very soon. Your pictures are wonderful, Jaipur looks so fascinating!
ReplyDeleteIndia is so full of colour and incredible architecture! Jaipur looks like THE place to visit!!
ReplyDeleteJaipur looks beautiful and full of things to see. I love the variety of different views. And of course, the photos are also beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteJaipur certainly looks beautiful! I'd love to visit there sometime in the future.
ReplyDeleteYour India posts are really making me want to visit soon! Looks incredible.
ReplyDeleteSe manifique views and vibes! love the photo journal and descriptions. makes me wanna hop on a plan right now lol
ReplyDeletegreat travel blog post
I've always wanted to go to India and Juniper looks like such a wonderful place. If I'm ever lucky enough to go, I'd visit the Hawa Mahal. How clever that the design shielded those behind the windows from being seen from the street!
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to visit the Taj Mahal for years! So jealous.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit India and your post makes me feel like I'm there!
ReplyDeleteKatja xxx
www.katnapped.com
The palaces are stunning. I love the Mirror palace! The intricate designs on the wall and ceilings must have been labor intensive. How touching it is to have a palace built for a queen who wanted to experience sleeping underneath the stars.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a coincidence! I am planning to travel to Jaipur next week and I love reading about your experiences :) Hope to make some happy memories myself
ReplyDeleteI have been hearing a lot about Jaipur recently and I can't say that I'm not interested. It's really amazing and it would be so nice to be able to go there and just get lost in all the beautiful architecture.
ReplyDeleteThose palaces all look amazing, what a great trip you are having. Mich x
ReplyDeleteIt does loo lovely there your pictures are fantastic. I haven't ever been to India but your post makes it very appealing.
ReplyDeleteSome of those buildings look amazing, sounds like a fab holiday.
ReplyDeleteWow! The Hawa Mahal looks splendid. I didn't know there were other magnificent buildings apart from the Taj. The heritage is so rich.
ReplyDeleteThe view across Lake Sagar is just incredible wow x
ReplyDeleteJaipur looks beautiful, rich and filled with so much history.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful location - with so much history! I would love to see this!!
ReplyDeleteJaipur just looks like such a wonderful place to visit! I have to admit to being fascinated with the underwater floors of the Jal Mahar Palace. It is such a shame that you cannot visit it! xx
ReplyDeleteIndia has long been on my list of places that I'd like to visit. Jaipur looks absolutely incredible, particularly the stunning architecture! xxx
ReplyDeleteThe Jal Mahal the water palace looks amazing. I bet that was such a breathtaking view. Thanks for sharing your journey. I loved the photos.
ReplyDeleteHubby and I have always wanted and even discussed visiting India someday. It look so amazing and looks like a great place to check out and learn from. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow you've taken some amazing photographs! It looks like a wonderful place to visit, I'd love t o do a bit more travelling one day.
ReplyDeleteYou've taken some amazing pictures, what an amazing place, I'd love to visit one day.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a beautiful place to visit, I want to go one day
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that Jaipur was referred to as the pink city. I like the sound of the mirror palace. I have always wanted to go to India x
ReplyDeleteI've been getting the itch to go to India and just needed to work on persuading my other half. This post will help me!
ReplyDeleteJAipur looks such an amazing city. I love the architecture, especially the details in the Amber Fort.
ReplyDeleteSuch amazing art work and culture. I must visit one day, no matter what!
ReplyDeleteI love this city so much .. I have been visiting since my childhood as I have many relatives there.
ReplyDeleteI am very lucky to visit Jaipur so many times in my life...great city, Great culture and great food!
ReplyDeleteYour photographer is stunning, it really makes me want to experience the city for myself!
ReplyDeleteI love Jaipur. The forts and palaces are really beautiful. We even went to the Raj Mandir theatre to watch a movie. I love that old feel of the place.
ReplyDeleteWow, those buildings look incredible! I've never visited India but my parents love it.
ReplyDeleteJaipur looks like such a beautiful city. Your pictures are stunning!
ReplyDeleteI had saved your post to read at leisure. It was lovely to read about Jaipur and its palaces and forts. Loved looking at your photos too. Looking forward to more posts about your travels in India.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about Jaipur, its palaces and forts. Looking forward to more posts about India.
ReplyDelete