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Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan in Western India. * Jaipur Tourism

[edit] Understand

Jaipur, is the largest city in Rajasthan and not only provides a stepping stone to the enchanting desert cities of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, but offers several massive forts of its own - tributes to the Rajputs who once ruled the land. It is called the "pink" city because of the color of its historical buildings built by Maharajah Jai Singh. Inside the historical area, city regulations require that all buildings be painted pink so that the character is maintained.

It is a bustling, dusty, chaotic city that will confuse and overwhelm an ordinary traveler's senses. Jaipur, Delhi and Agra make up the famous Golden Triangle, the most popular tourist route in the country.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Jaipur's Sanganer Airport (IATA: JAI) has regular flights from Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and also from Udaipur. The only direct international connections are to the Middle East, notably Sharjah on Air Arabia and Muscat on Oman Air.

[edit] By train

Overnight trains arrive from many major cities including Delhi, Agra and Mumbai. There are two major railway stations Jaipur and Durgapura. All trains stop at jaipur and some stop at Durgapura also.

[edit] By bus

There is an excellent bus service between Jaipur to Delhi by Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation with buses every half an hour both sides. They consist of both Deluxe and AC Volvo buses. From Delhi you can board the bus from Bikaner House, Pandara Road next to India Gate. From Jaipur you can board the bus from Narayan Singh Circle or the main Sindhi Camp Bus stand. You can also book advanced tickets.

[edit] By car

Expect to spend at least four hours travelling by car from Delhi to Jaipur. National highway no. 8 connects Delhi to Jaipur via industrial township of Gurgaon. The road has major renovation work going on around Delhi-Gurgaon border and are expected to last till late 2007. The construction works can sometimes cause severe traffic jams. In addition, many industries and IT offices are located in Gurgaon, which effect traffic during office hours.

[edit] Get around

By and large, autorickshaw is the best way around the city. Prepaid autos are available at the Jaipur railway station and the Sindhi camp bus stand.

Cycle-rickshaws are cheaper, but the amount of time it takes quickly makes the extra few rupees worth it. Walking in the bazaar is a treat, although side streets are a bit less welcoming and offer a sharper glimpse of poverty.

[edit] See

[edit] Forts

• Nahargarh Fort.Portions of the movie Rang De Basanti were shot at this fort. To go the area where the 'Pathshala' song was shot, take a left turn as soon as you enter the fort.
• Amber Fort. The Amber fort greets one with regal architecture (and elephants giving rides to tourists!) derived from Hindu and Muslim styles. There are two main halls 'Diwan-e-Aam' (hall for commons) and 'Diwan-e-khaas' (hall for dignitaries). Inside the fort are two palaces where the king used to stay, one for summer and one for winter. The winter palace is called the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ (house of glass). There’s a ‘Kaali’ temple inside the fort. One cannot wear leather and enter this temple. Beware of monkeys at this fort. There are a lot of handloom shops at the bottom of the fort but the prices are high and the quality may not be very good.
• Jaigarh Fort. The Jaigarh Fort holds the world's largest cannon (Jaivan), and offers stunning views. This was the fort to be used by the kings in the situation of an attack by the neigbouring kingdom. Very close to the Amber Fort and Nahrgarh fort you must not miss this and offers excellent views

[edit] Palaces

• City Palace. The City Palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajput and Mughal architecture. It is a vast palace complex occupying nearly one-seventh of the Pink City. It was originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal (home to present Maharajah of Jaipur), Mubarak Mahal (housing a textile museum), Diwan-e-Khas (or Hall of Private audience housing the two largest silver vessels in the world), the Diwan-e-Aam ( or Hall of Public Audience) and the gateway Ridhi Sidhi Pol (with four small doorways decorated with motifs depicting the four seasons). Another integral part of the palace complex is the Hawa Mahal, standing away from the main complex.

• Jal Mahal. Jal Mahal (or the Water Palace) is on the way to Sisodia Rani Garden. A Rajput style architectured palace sits in the center of the Maan-sarovar lake. The lake is often dry in the summer but winter monsoons frequently turn it into a beautiful lake filled with water hyacinths.

[edit] Temples

• Govind Devji Temple

• Moti Doongari

• Lakshmi Narayan Temple

• Akshardham Temple (at Vaishali Nagar)

• Jain Mandir (Shivdas Pura) 15-16 Km from Jaipur

• Galtaji

Galtaji is an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site situated 10 km from Jaipur on Jaipur-Agra highway near Sisodia Rani Garden. The main temple here is temple of Galtaji in constructed in pink stone. The temple has a number of pavilions with rounded roofs, exquisitely carved pillars and painted walls. The temple is surrounded by natural springs and reservoirs that are considered holy .There are also seven tanks or kunds here.

[edit] Monuments

• Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar is the biggest of five astronomical observatory build by Maharaja Jai Singh during the period 1727-1734 in north India. It is located very close to the City Palace. The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices (or yantra in Hindi) for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes etc. Unfortunately no text is made available to tourists regarding the various yantras nor are there any plaques/boards in front of them. In most of the cases local guides are not of any help either.

• Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal (or Palace of breeze) was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Singh as part of City Palace. It was an extension of the Zenana (women) chamber. It's purpose was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. It is a five storey high red sandstone structure complete with over 950 windows. The breeze (or hawa in Hindi) circulates through these windows giving the palace its name. Tourists are not allowed to go inside the palace.

[edit] Gardens

• Ram Niwas Garden
• Central Museum (or Albert Hall Museum)
• Zoological Garden
• Sisodia Rani Palace and Garden
• Vidyadhar Garden
• Central Park (Entrance near Statue Circle)

[edit] Museums

• Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, Kheri Gate, Amber

A beautiful clean museum dedicated to the traditional art of hand block printing textiles, this museum is housed in a recently restored heritage haveli tucked into the back streets of old Amber. Small cafe, clean toilets, small shop, friendly staff & a printer & block carver demonstrating their crafts every day. http://www.anokhimuseum.com +91-141-2530226/2531267 Check out Anokhi's museum and learn about unique aspects of hand printed textiles visit the link below to watch the video: http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/india/jaipur/hand-printing-museum

[edit] Other Places to see

• Chokhi Dhani. Chokhi Dhani (Fine Hamlet in Rajasthani dialect) is a 5 star ethnic resort. It is located on Jaipur-Tonk highway, around 18 kms from city center. There are lodging facilities available but the real attraction is the evening fun-fares. One can watch live folk dances, listen to live folk music, enjoy elephant, camel, bullock cart rides and eat a traditional eat-as-much-as-you-can meal on a single ticket.

• Statue circle

• Ramgarh

• B.M. Birla Auditorium and Convention Centre

[edit] Excursions Around Jaipur

• Bhandarej Is a little known town 62km from Jaipur off Jaipur-Agra Highway.From the times of Mahabharat,it is said,has seen a lot of history made. Around 11th century A. D. Dula Rai defeated Badgujjars at both Dausa and Bhandarej and ushered in the rein of Kachhawaha princes and established the kingdom of Dhundar. The Bhandarej Fort was built around then. It has been renovated extensively since. In 1994 it was made in to Bhadrawati Palace Hotel(P)91-141-2363262.In the ancient times the fort was connected to the step well in the village.The Step Well has five stories,is known as the Bari Bawari and was made in 1732A.D.by the Kumbhani rulers Deep Singh and Daulat Singh.It was renovated by Kuber Singh.Every year a Mela is held here at the Ancient Temple of Balaji.It is attended in large numbers by the local villagers.Other ancient temples in the village are of Bhadreshwar Mahadev,Bhandana Mata,Gopalji's Temple and Masthala balaji.Abhaneri,an ancient step well,built on a much larger scale than the bhandarej step well and the ancient haunted towns of Ajabgarh-Bhangarh are 30km from bhandarej.

In 1767 A.D. then aged Rao Dalip Singh was commander of Jaipur forces against Bharatpur ruler Jawahar Singh at Maonda-Mandholi, near Neem Ka Thana, for Jaipur ruler Sawai Madho Singh I. In a fierce battle Rao Dalel Singh his son Kunwar Laxman Singh and grand son Bhanwar Raj Singh (11yr) all lost their lives. Such was the bravery of Bhandarej chieftains.

[edit] Do

• Raj Mandhir Theater. An experience in itself. The best movie theater in Rajastan, it offers an overwhelming experience. From the pushing, shoving, and general chaos in the ticket line, to an audience that laughs, cries, cheers, claps, and consistently talks through the entire film, the Raj Mandhir provides an insight into Rajasthani culture. The movies themselves are always interesting; Masala movies are action, drama, mystery, suspense, and epics all wrapped into one single movie, teeming with dances and obligatory wet Sari scenes, and unabashedly lifting generous amounts of plot devices from Western movies.

[edit] Buy

• Bazaar. A brilliant colorful explosion of flowers, elephants, ox carts, and wares! The traveller will smell the deep aroma of spices in canvas bags, the fetid smell of animals and open sewers, the sweet waft of tea, and the crusty acrid burn of dust and exhaust. The noise is chaotic, the people constantly will stare if you are a Westerner and anybody who has something to sell will try to sell it to you, repeatedly. Watch cobras dance out of their wicker baskets, and don't be too surprised if the snake charmer slaps his cobra for having a wayward eye. Be prepared to be asked for money if you plan to take photographs of snake-charmers, beggars etc.

• Teamoods An exotic Tea Boutique located right as one enters the Pink City. The Boutique offers a myriad range of Indian Teas (Darjeeling, Assam & Niligiri) and Flavoured teas. Serving tea connoisseurs through our Tea Boutique enables Tea drinkers at all corners of the globe to take pleasure in the myriad range of Premier's Teas, a brand that delivers non-adulterated CHAI packed with the "Passion of Purity". Teas can be tasted before any purchase. Teamoods is a brand from the house of Premier's Tea Limited For more information please visit www.premiertea.net Teamoods - Jaipur, - TEA MOODS, NEW BUILDING, RAMGARH CROSSING, (NEAR RAINBOW JEWELLERS) AMER ROAD, JAIPUR - 302 003 TELEPHONE : +91 141 2670 811/22 MOBILE : +91 93144 21037 E-MAIL: admin@teamoods.com

[edit] Eat

• Chokhi Dhani & Apno Gaon - Two excellent places to enjoy Rajasthani food served in the traditional mode. Chokhi Dhani aka lalten restaurant is a more popular place because of being on the main road near the airport and excellent to do things like horse riding, camel riding, maze, boating, katputli show etc. Apno gaon however serves mouth watering delicious food as all vegetables and fruits are plucked minutes before from the field before being served to you. Slightly off the main city one has to go in for a bumpy ride to reach here.

• Natraj - On MI Road is an excellent Vegetarian place serving local fare. Their specialty is the Rajasthani Thai.

• Loharu House - this is the house of a Royal Family in Civil Lines, where you can call in advance and request them to put together a special dinner. Tel 0141 - 222 5251/0141 - 222 5945

• Four Seasons - If you are looking for vegetarian food this is the place. Location -C-Scheme

• Pyaz ki Kachori- Do not miss the famous pyaz ki Kachori of Rawat Mishthan Bhandar. Situated at polo victory cinema and very close to both railway station and the bus stand this is a famous age old kachori hangout

• Rasmalai - Another very popular dish all round the country is Rasmalai of Laxmi mishtan Bhandar (LMB). The hotel LMB is situated in the walled city

• Shakes and Icecreams - Yankee Doodle, Jal Mahal at MI Road and Milky way near St. Xavier School are popular ice cream parlours.

• Chitra Cafeteria, Behind Amber Towers, Sansar Chandra Road, Jaipur - 302001, ☎ ''+91 141'' 237 2456, ''+91 141'' 237 1773, ''+91 141'' 510 6010'' (tarun@aryaniwas.com, fax: ''+91 141'' 236 1871), [1]. Good, wholesome vegetarian food. Their lunch buffet is excellent. Rs 150 for a three course meal.

• Anokhi cafe. excellent organic home-baked cakes (the carrot cake is a winner!) & freshly prepared sandwiches, pastries, savoury snacks plus organic cafetieres of coffee, a selection of good teas etc. Quiet, relaxing, good value for money & situated outside the Anokhi shop, 2 Tilak Marg, C-Scheme, jaipur. The shop is great for truly ethical hand printed contemporary & wearable clothes & textiles.

• Gangaur. sweets for chamcham

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• The Pearl Palace [2] is a wonderful place to spend a week! The place is uniquely designed, and just walking around the hallways has a feel of being in an art museum. The roof top patio restaurant is wonderful and very inexpensive. The owners are so nice! Mr Singh will invite you into his home and make you feel very welcome. This place is a great budget hotel which feels like a 4 star hotel.

• Sunder Palace Guest House[3] Email: sunderpalace@hotmail.com Ph: 091-2360178 Fantastic clean rooms, great service, convenient location, a rooftop restaurant, a lovely garden area and a terrace. We had a huge tiled double room with cable TV, big bathroom with hot water and even a Persian carpet area with a small table where you can sip tea and read for Rs 550. Internet was also available at Rs 40 and the computers were the fastest we have encountered in India so far.
• The Karan's Guesthouse[4],Email.karans@bsnl.in (P)91-141-2363262,is a Budget House Hotel with spacious neat and clean air conditioned rooms providing personalised service at a reasonable price.

[edit] Mid range

• Arya Niwas Hotel[5] Behind Amber Towers, Sansar Chandra Road, Jaipur - 302001" directions = "" phone = "+91 141 237 2456, +91 141 237 1773, +91 141 510 6010 " email= "tarun@aryaniwas.com" fax = "+91 141 236 1871" url = "[http://www.aryaniwas.com" hours = "" price="Rs 600 to Rs 880">A feudal lord's mansion converted into a hotel, this family managed hotel has the ambience of a stately mansion. Has a cafeteria serving decent vegetarian food and a garden to relax in during the evenings. Centrally located.</sleep>
• Umaid Bhawan[6], D1-2A, Behari Marg, Bani Park, +91 141 2206426 (reservation@umaidbhawan.com, fax +91 141 2207445), [7]. A nicely restored heritage hotel with clean, comfortable rooms, many with balconies. Has a swimming pool on the ground floor, which is not well kept in the off-season. Will arrange airport/train station pickup. Rs 1100-1600/1200-2800. (singles/doubles)
• Umaid Mahal, tel. +91 141 2201952, [8]. Rooms from Rs. 2000.

• Hotel Diggi Palace, [9].

• Loharu House, Civil Lines, Jaipur 302001, Tel:+91-141 222 5251, +91-141-222 5945 - This property belongs to the Royal Family of Loharu and they rent out a few rooms. The place is quaint and beautiful and the rooms are well appointed. The service also has the touch of personal care and warmth. A plus side is the cooks are excellent and put together some fine dinners. Around $30 - 40 per night including breakfast.

[edit] Splurge

• Oberoi Rajvilas Palace Hotel, Goner Road, Jaipur 303 012, ☎ ''+91 141'' 268 0101 (gm@oberoi-rajvilas.com, fax: ''+91 141'' 268 0202), [10]. If you have money to blow and you want to stay in the lap of luxury, this is the place for you. Rs 22,500 to Rs 127,000.

[edit] Stay safe

Beyond the standard dangers of travelling in India (thieves, hustlers, touts, questionable drinking water), Jaipur has developed its own set of unique scams. You may be accosted by youths on motorbikes who claim that Westerners are unwilling to engage with the Indian people. The scam artist then changes their tune and invites the traveller to drink a tea. As a general rule, do not accept tea from strangers, but in addition be wary of any who invite you to talk in secluded areas.

There have been reports of smugglers trying to entice travellers to assist in smuggling items. Under no circumstances accept - smuggling is a major criminal act.

[edit] Get out

Continue into Rajasthan, to the beautiful city of lakes Udaipur, the stunning, powerful fort of Jodhpur, and onto the dreamy, enchanted desert city of Jaisalmer or for a more untouristic desert city go for the charm of Bikaner as an alternatice to Jaisalmer.

To Udaipur train #2965,Jaipur Udaipur Superfast Express, is the best option has it has recently entered service after work was finished on converting the gauge enroute although many will try to tell you that it is still not operational at Railway Reservation Offices outside of link Jaipur.

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