Author’s experience
Before going forward let me explain to you what were the weirdest things I came across during this trip. As it began with a lot of confusion, Something unexpected was obvious. Anyway, Let’s come to the point JAIPUR The pink city! Of course, I get to know why it’s called a pink city, I mean I reached here by midnight and that too in the pink city where there were some festivals and people were on road preparing for the fest, it was Eid I guess. And literally in the middle of the night all houses were glowing in pink color each and every house is colored in pink, In 1876, the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria visited India on a tour. Since pink denotes the color of hospitality, Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the whole city pink in color to welcome the guests. The tradition has been sincerely followed by the residents who are now, by law, compelled to maintain the pink color.
Introduction
Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. As of 2011, the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known as the Pink City, due to the dominant color scheme of its buildings. It is located 268 km (167 miles) from the national capital New Delhi.
Jaipur was founded in 1727 by the Rajput ruler Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amer, after whom the city is named. It was one of the earliest planned cities of modern India, designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. During the British Colonial period, the city served as the capital of Jaipur State. After independence in 1947, Jaipur was made capital of the newly-formed state of Rajasthan.
Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in India and forms a part of the west Golden Triangle tourist circuit along with Delhi and Agra (240 km, 149 mi). It is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Jantar Mantar and the Amer Fort. It also serves as a gateway to other tourist destinations in Rajasthan such as Jodhpur (348 km, 216 mi), Jaisalmer (571 km, 355 mi), Udaipur (421 km, 262 mi), Kota (252 km, 156 mi) and Mount Abu (520 km, 323 mi). Jaipur is located 616 km from Shimla.
Historical Importance
The city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Jai Singh II, the Raja of Amer who ruled from 1699 to 1743. He planned to shift his capital from Amer, 11 kilometers (7 mi) to Jaipur to accommodate the growing population and increasing scarcity of water. Jai Singh consulted several books on architecture and architects while planning the layout of Jaipur. Under the architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, Jaipur was planned based on the principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra. The construction of the city began in 1726 and took four years to complete the major roads, offices, and palaces. The city was divided into nine blocks, two of which contained the state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to the public. Huge ramparts were built, pierced by seven fortified gates.
Jaipur is a standout amongst the most socially rich legacy urban areas in India. Established in the year 1727, the city is named after Maharaja Jai Singh II who was the primary organizer of this city. He was a Kachhwaha Rajput and ruled the region in the vicinity of 1699 and 1744.
During the rule of Sawai Ram Singh I, the city was painted pink to welcome H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII, Emperor of India), in 1876. Many of the avenues remained painted in pink, giving Jaipur a distinctive appearance and the epithet Pink city. In the 19th century, the city grew rapidly and by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The wide boulevards were paved and its chief industries were the working of metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls’ school (1867) opened during the reign of the Maharaja Ram Singh II. (By the way you can find it on Wikipedia, wahi se tapa hai! :P).
Best time to visit
So basically we can visit Jaipur round the year. But in summer it is very hot to handle, So I would better suggest winters are a good choice. Jaipur is a city of joy people love to celebrate and you can find that joy on various festive occasions few of them are Elephant festivals, Kite festivals, and Teej. So better plan your holiday somewhere around this festive time. Kite festivals are held each year on 14’th January. And you can avoid the sunburn as well this month. Elephant festivals also fall somewhere near February and March.
Climate(12 months)
Jaipur current weather update on weather.com
How to reach( by air, bus , train and car)
So the most important question is how to reach Jaipur. I prefer public transport buses not AC buses indeed. Jaipur is 4 to 5 hours drive away from Delhi by car, But beware Delhi-Jaipur Highway is the busiest one and of course it’s not a pleasant long drive you would like to have. Delhi Jaipur Expressway becomes more difficult to drive at night when you will find yourself surrounded by Trucks and Lorries, I mean I have been to the situations quite a few times and it’s literally frustrating So better plan your drive day time.
You can find yourself in Jaipur just after 40-50 minutes when choosing to travel by Air. Airfare occasionally shoots up most of the time it’s under budget.
There are Trains running between Delhi to Jaipur almost all the time and it takes 4 to 5 hours. So the train is also a good option.
Staying and food
There are penalties for hostels and luxurious hotels as well in Jaipur, I would suggest booking a dormitory in a hostel if you really want to meet people and feel the diversity of the place. I mean as per my budget I have rented a bed in a hostel and it was not a bad decision at all. I reached the location late night somewhere around 9-10 PM and there was not much chaos. People from around the world sharing a room together be it Chinese, Korean, French, and Israeli were sharing the kitchen and common area. Since they come up with a plan for an entire month these hostels seem to be the best option for staying as it costs a few hundred bucks a day only. Families can opt for a studio apartment as well which will cost a little much.
Couple friendly
Of Course, it is the best destination for a pre-wedding photoshoot and creating lifelong memories with your loved ones. But I didn’t find anything cool and happening at night, better sleep or enjoy a drink together inside.
Things to Do
Do we need to do anything on a vacation? I mean if you are really interested in culture and history doing some documentary will find a penalty of information about the Rajputana Kingdom. Amer fort still gives a little idea about warfare and inventory of the Kingdom, we can see the entire Jaipur from Amer fort rooftops. Artillery forging systems were installed inside the fort and you will be amazed to see the ancient war weapons used by the infantry in the museum. Jaipur is a very good place to buy handicrafts.
Things to be taken care of
Don’t forget to carry your college ID card if you are a student it will help to get the passes at lower costs. Carry water bottles and beware of camels. Nothing much to care about.
Media(vlogs and photos) youtube links
Still looking for an application that is free and easy to use (haha :D). I am not good at these artistic works. Hopefully, I will upload it as it is an update here.