Jaipur

Jaipur: The Paris of India.
Jaipur, the city of palaces and forts, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India and a part of the west Golden Triangle Tourist Circuit along with Delhi and Agra. It is the capital city of Rajasthan, the biggest state of India. Jaipur is popularly known as ‘The Pink City’, ‘The City of Palaces and Forts’, ‘The Island of Glory’ and ‘The Paris of India’. Jaipur is also called the gateway to other tourist destinations of Rajasthan such as Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Ajmer and Mount Abu. Jaipur is one of the most vibrant and majestic cities in India, as soon as you step into Jaipur city you will feel the majesty and vibrancy of the city by witnessing the royal décor of the palaces, ornate temples, busy market place, magnificent wild life, light and fresh environment and a fantastic nightlife.
Geography:
Jaipur is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan at 27 degree north latitude and 76 degree east longitude. It is at a distance of 270 km from national capital Delhi and 240 km from other vertex of the Golden Triangle circuit, Agra. Jaipur covers an area of 467 square kilometers and surrounded by fertile alluvial plain to the east and south while mountain ranges of Aravalli in north and west. River Dravyavati flows through Jaipur having nearly 13 kilometers of river front. River, Sabi, Bandi, Dhund and Banganga flows nearby contributing the water requirement of the city.
Climate:
The climate of Jaipur is hot, semi arid, and monsoon influenced. The summers of Jaipur are too hot and last for a long period. Western wind with dusty storm often comes here in summer. Winters of Jaipur are mild to warm and last for a short period. Monsoon of Jaipur has mild to heavy rainfall for two months July and August but often experiences thunderstorm. Spring of Jaipur is very pleasant and the beauty of nature becomes the beauty of the city.
History:
The king of Amer Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II had founded the city Jaipur in 1727 and shifted his capital from Amer to Jaipur. The king appointed an architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya for designing and planning the city according to Vastushashtra and Shilpashashtra. It took 4 years to complete the project including the wide roads, palaces and administrative offices of the kingdom. The architecture of Jaipur was influenced by the architectural renaissance of Mughal period. The city was divided into nine blocks, two of which were occupied by administrative buildings and rest seven allotted to the public residences and commerce. One of the successors of Maharaja Sawai Jai singh II, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh painted the city in pink color to show his hospitality for the Prince of Wales Albert Edward, and from then the city became ‘the pink city’. Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh developed the city Jaipur by establishing the industries of metals and marble along with traditional dress materials and wooden crafts. He founded the School of Arts and three colleges, one for Sanskrit, one for Technology and one dedicated to women.
Culture:
Jaipur is famous for its art, craft, culture and food. ‘Anokhi’, a crafted textile has become the identity of Jaipur. The city has many traditional shops selling antiques and handicrafts including Anokhi, Bandhani, Block Printing, Tarkashi, Zari, Gota-patti, Kinari, Zardozi etc. You will find the craft works of Stone Carving, Wood Carving, Silver Jewellery, Gems, Kundan, Meenakari, Lakh ki Chudiyan, Ivory Carving Miniature Painting, Blue Pottery, Shellac work and Leather ware of various varieties in Jaipur. Jaipur has many cultural sites like Kala Kendra, Central Museum, Art Galleries etc. Ghoomar is a popular folk dance and Tamasha is art in which Kathputli Puppet dance is shown in play form. Major festivals celebrated in Jaipur are Elephant Festival, Gangaur, Makar Sankranti, Holi, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Teej and Mahaveer Jayanti. Jaipur Literature Festival is the world’s largest free literature festival in which authors, writers and literature lovers from all over world participate. Jaipur is also famous for the traditional Rajasthani foods like Dal Baati Churma, Missi Roti, Gatte ki Sabji, Lahsun ki Chutney, Ker Sangri, Makke ki Ghat, Bajre ki Ghat, Bajre ki Roti, and the sweets include Ghevar, Feeni, Mava Kachori, Gajak, Meethi Thuli, Chauguni ke Laddu and Moong Thal. Languages spoken here are Hindi, Rajasthani, Marwari and English.