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India » Jaipur
 City Guide
 
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Flaming colours, bicycles, rickshaws, camels and busy pedestrians deftly moving through a bustling metropolis. Welcome to Jaipur, the legendary Pink City.
Once enclosed within fortified walls 20 ft high and guarded by eight gates, Jaipur, named after Maharaja Jai Singh, is a city of never-ending warmth and hospitality. The land of valiant Rajputs, Jaipur is scientifically planned and known for its royal hunting grounds and polo matches. The Moghul and Jain influences blend beautifully in the architecture typical to this part of Rajasthan and also the interiors, which are inlaid with precious stones and metals.
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AIR
Jaipur is well connected to all major cities in India by air. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways have daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai. Indian Airlines also flies in thrice a week from Calcutta. Sahara has daily flights from Mumbai.
Airport
The Sanganer Airport is 12 km out of the city. Taxis and autorickshaws are available for Rs 150-300.
RAIL
The Shatabdi Express and Pink City Express come in from Delhi. Trains also come in from Calcutta and Mumbai.
Railway station
The railway station is in the heart of the city. Taxis, tongas and rickshaws are available.
ROAD
Linked by the National Highways 8 and 11, Jaipur is a fairly smooth drive from Agra (230 km) and Delhi (258 km). The route is dotted with tiny villages and refreshment points. Behror (130 km from Delhi) and Dharuhera (75 km) are well equipped with fast food joints, motor repair centres and motels on the Agra-Delhi-Jaipur route. Deluxe coaches operated by RTDC, ITDC and others run from Delhi, Agra, Udaipur and Jodhpur at tariffs upto Rs 350. Taxi service is available from all destinations at negotiable prices. Buses shuttle between Delhi and Jaipur almost every hour from Bikaner House at Delhi.
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Population
2,324,319
Languages
Hindi, Rajasthani, and English
Climate
Jaipur has moderate to very hot climate throughout the year. Temperatures range from 30°C to 46°c in the summer and between 7°C and 27°C in the winter.
STD CODE
0141
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Jantar Mantar
Open daily from 9 am to 4:30 pm, the Jantar Mantar is equipped with futuristic scientific instruments and is the best among the five observatories pioneered by Maharaja Jai Singh II, Newton of the East .
Hawa Mahal
Near Jantar Mantar stands the Palace of Winds, more commonly known as the Hawa Mahal, welcoming the onlookers. The 500 windows are reminiscent of the furtive glances of royal women who had resigned themselves to a veiled existence within the havelis. Entry is Rs 2 and Rs 30 extra for a still camera and Rs 70 extra for a video camera.
City Palace
Enter the palace from the Sireh Deorhi Gate where two elephants extend a warm welcome. Mubarak Mahal in the outer courtyard hosts a museum that flaunts rich silks and brocades alongwith musical instruments from 17th century onwards. The magnificently painted ceiling of the Diwan-e-Am (the public court) in the inner courtyard houses the second largest chandelier in India. There are many other displays of intricate artwork here.
Sheesh Mahal
Sheesh Mahal in Amber Palace is known for its multiplication of a single ray of light into billions of stars. The Kali Temple s silver door is 400 year old while the Jagat Shiromani Temple is a fine example of exquisitely carved marble.
Jaigarh Fort
A stark change from the glamorous interiors of the Amber Palace, the rugged and stocky Jaigarh Fort is perched on a hilltop near the palace. It houses the largest wheeled cannon in the world, the Jai Bana. The view of the Amber Palace and the city of Jaipur from here is stunning. Jaipur is renowned for its herbal beauty parlours where you can pamper yourself with a body massage or a turmeric facial.
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 Sanganer
Sanganer (14 km) boasts of some very beautifully carved Jain temples. Known for the largest handmade paper factory (Salim s Paper on Gramudyog Road), Sanganer also offers lovely block prints on paper as well as textiles. Buses from Jaipur charge Rs 5/ 7 for a one-way trip.
Abhaneri
About 100 km from Jaipur, along the Agra-Jaipur highway, is Abhaneri. It is a simple village with awesome step-wells known as baolis in the local dialect. The temple of Balaji, a mile further up is known for its exorcisms that are scheduled on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Buses are available for Rs 26 from the city centre. Private taxi services are also available.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
Slightly far off, but worth the drive up is the Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary). Lodging facilities are available at the tourist reception at RTDC hotel (Tel: 22 542) a few metres from the sanctuary. Money can be exchanged at the Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur near Binanarayan gate. You could take a detour before getting to Jaipur or fix up with a local travel agency to get there in deluxe buses.
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Jaipur is famous for its lacquer jewellery, painted with enamel, encrusted with kundan. Gem Palace and Jewel Emporium, both on M I Road, sell lacquer jewellery. Precious and semi-precious stones including garnets, emeralds, rubies, topaz and amethyst are also very popular with tourists. Tie-and-dye work on silk and crepe and the Sanganer block prints are the specialities of Jaipur. Large and small units of block and screen printers at Sanganer village (on Tonk Road near the airport) produce some of the finest hand-printed textiles. You can purchase Sanganer bed linen, table linen and dress material on a variety of fabrics in the village or at any outlet in the Pink City. Ethnic block prints can also be bought at Anokhi on Tilak Marg. Crafts Impression, 17 Civil Lines, offers traditional crafts of Rajasthan. Khadi Ghar and Rajasthali are places where you should definitely have a browse. While in Sanganer, don t forget to check out the Jaipur blue pottery. The thumb rule for bargaining at roadside stalls still operates here. So you can make some good buys. The Jaipuri razai called "Phulki" or "Pharzi" is also very popular.
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