Jaipur Tourism to experience Tradition blended with Royalty

Jaipur is the city that fascinates me with its picture-perfect locations, the royal structures and the marks of Rajasthani culture. Last weekend, my sister Angelina came up with the idea of visiting Jaipur. As we were already in Delhi so it was a good idea to spend our weekend amidst the royalty of the bygone era.

Nahargarh Fort Jaipur

I set my camera and left with Angelina for Jaipur trip. We opted to go by road and hired a car for the same. Within few hours, we were in Jaipur, the land I always wished to visit. After reaching Jaipur, it seemed that I was travelling back to time. We stayed in a budget hotel and went for sightseeing. Enriched with grand structures and royal monuments, Jaipur tourism is undoubtedly popular with tourists.

The grand City Palace became first part of our exploration. Reflecting the finest amalgamation of Mughal, Rajput and European styles of architecture, the palace looks stunning. Among various entrances, Udai Pol and Virendra Pol are the famous ones. The rich decoration of the palace was simply awe-inspiring that added delightful memories to our Jaipur travel. Walls and gates are adorned in Mughal style with different murals, mirrors and lattice.

​​​Then, it was the time to go for Hawa Mahal, the most imposing structures in the city. Appearing like a crown, this is the wonderful example of ancient architectural styles. Constructed of red sand stones, this unique structure is also known as the “Palace of Winds” that stands apart from other monuments in the Jaipur city.

Jaipur Trip

Then, we head on to satiate our taste buds. We had traditional Rajasthani food among which I liked Dal Bati Churma and Gatte ki Sabji the most. We also visited “Jauhari Bazaar” for our shopping in Jaipur. From there, we shopped for few tie-and-dye items and some souvenirs.

Next, we moved on to another wonderful structure of Jaipur, the Nahargarh Fort. Its huge walls and bastions still remind one of the royal splendour. Though it was a tedious trek of two km, yet we enjoyed the exploration. Exhibiting the perfect blend of Indian and European architecture, the fort simply left us mesmerized.

Amber Fort in Jaipur was our next halt. It is a must-see attraction of Jaipur. The architecture, interiors and surroundings, everything about the fort was amazing. The tour came to an end and we bid goodbye to Jaipur with the wonderful memories of our weekend trip to Jaipur.

Jaipur Monuments: Retaining The Age Old Rajputana Glory

Amber Fort, Jaipur-Rajasthan

A feeling of bravery and victory engulfs us as we talk about the Rajputs. The majestic forts and palaces of the Rajput Kings, and the stories of their wars have always fascinated me. After the first rain of the monsoon, the weather became quite pleasant and my six friends- Pooja, Monika, Shakeel, Tahir, Abhishek and Dara- asked me to visit Jaipur. Lucky is how I felt when all of a sudden I got an opportunity to visit my wonderland. We packed our bags and boarded the Ajmer Shatabdi train. In another four hours, we were in Jaipur- 'the cultural hub of Rajasthan'. After a heavy breakfast, we hired a guide and moved out to explore the city.

The stunning Amber Fort, built in white marble and red sandstone, was out first destination. Dara, being familiar to the place, told us that the construction of the Fort was started by Raja Man Singh I in 1592, but it was completed during the reign of Raja Jai Singh I. The crystal mirror image of the Fort in the Maotha Lake at its foreground, was the best part. Usually pronounced as Amer Fort, the structure has out of the world interiors that provide a soothing and warm ambiance. Dara then took us to the beautiful City Palace. Tahir had a dream to own a palace since his childhood, and he went crazy to see the grand structure of the City Palace. Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the palace covers a huge area that comprises of several gardens, courtyards and buildings. We paid short visits to the beautiful Chandra Mahal, Badal Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Mukut Mahal, Maharani's Palace and Shri Govind Dev Temple. The Maharani's Palace, made for royal queens, has now been converted into a museum, showcasing weapons dated back to 15th century. Besides, Diwan-I-Khas (a hall for private audience) and Diwan-I-Aam (a hall for public audience) are also open to the tourists.

We stopped for a quick bite at a restaurant, where Dara told us that the Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort are the antique forts quite close to Jaipur, which provide the spectacular views of the city. Our next destination was Jantar Mantar, the largest stone observatory of India built in 1724. Hats off to Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh who was so passionate for astronomy and numerology. There are several striking instruments like the Brihat Samrat yantra Sundial, which are purely made of stones or bricks, and were used to calculate the local and meridian pass time, the sun's declination, altitude, the declination of stars, planets and to determine eclipses.

Our last halt was the spell binding Hawa Mahal, the most easily recalled landmarks of Jaipur, built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. This five storey building was built for the ladies of the royal household to watch everyday life in the market streets and processions in the city. Another stunning examples of Rajput architecture and artistry are the delicately honeycombed 953 sandstone windows (Jharokhas) of the Hawa Mahal. The day was quite tiring, but our fatigue vanished like a dream after reaching the ethnic village resort- 'Choki Dhani'. Located 18 km from the heart of the city, this place offers thatched cottages with all the modern facilities for its guests. We enjoyed the traditional Rahasthani dinner at the multi cuisine restaurant 'Bindola'. It was truly a remarkable trip to the monuments of Jaipur but I was still left with a lot to explore.