The pink city of Jaipur, the capital of the northern state of Rajasthan, is just as popular with tourists as Agra and Delhi. It is impossible to confuse it with other cities of India, as in the daytime, and in the light of the setting sun, it shines with an amazing pink-terracotta color and surprises with the correct geometric layout.
Young capital
By the standards of India with its thousand-year history, the city is very young. He is not even three hundred years old. It began to be built in 1727, as in the old capital, Amber Fortress, drinking water ceased to be sufficient. Maharaja Dhudhara Sawai Jai Singh II attracted an architect from Bengal, who surrounded 9 rectangular blocks (the Old City) with battlements. They protected him from enemies and wild animals. It is best to take a walk to explore the sights of Jaipur. What can be visited?
Firstly, the Jantar-Mantar Maharaja Palace Sawai Jai Singh. This huge building occupies 1/7 of the old city. It amazes with grandeur and unusual architectural delights (Mongolian and Rajput artistic trends were fused in its style), and its interior decoration, and the museum, which contains collections of clothes, weapons, carpets and miniatures. The Royal Palace consists of a system of palaces, pavilions, gardens and temples. It was constantly being completed for two centuries. The most amazing building in it is the Chandra Mahal Palace. Each floor has its own name in it. It is decorated with mirrored tiles and floral decorations. You can not miss it when visiting this complex.
What deserves unconditional attention
No one will remain indifferent to such attractions of Jaipur as the Palace of the Winds. This is a symbolic symbol of the city, which is a historical heritage and artistic value. It is built for the wives of maharaja. Its Indian name sounds like the Hawa Mahal. This building of five floors, built of pink stone, has a pyramidal facade.
It is decorated with windows and balconies, like bee honeycombs. Balconies are covered by arches and hanging cornices. When the wives went to them, no one could see them. They did not live in the palace. They were allowed to come to the Hawa Mahal Palace and watch through the small windows (jarokhas) or loopholes that ventilated the palace, for the celebrations that took place in the capital. The stronger the heat, the cooler and windier it was inside. There are 953 of these openings. A special feature of the palace is the absence of stairs. They were replaced by gentle slopes that do not have a railing. Simple concubines were usually downstairs. And beloved wives went upstairs, as tourists are now, and admired the extraordinary panoramas that opened before them.
What did the wives of maharaja see
Well, of course, the old city with its buildings. First of all, the Sarga-Suli tower, the marble temple in which they worshiped Ganesha, the Jantar-Mantar observatory, the Kanak Vrindvan temple. These are all the sights of Jaipur now. And then they were perceived as an integral part of the city landscape. A modern tourist will be able to get acquainted with the Albert Hall Museum and see Galtagi (the ancient pilgrimage center, which is already outside the city).
Through the city streets
Walking to the intended goal, the traveler will certainly meet cows, monkeys, stray dogs on his way. But here it is already next to a completely exotic place in the northern part of the city - the temple of the monkeys. It is also called Monkey Palace. Curious animals live in incredible numbers. There are more than two thousand of them. They talk unceremoniously with white visitors, asking for food from them, and do not pay attention to the Indians. You can buy peanuts for refreshments in advance, but you need to hold a bag tight so that the monkeys do not tear it out.
Sarga-Suli Tower
This is the highest tower of Jaipur. The climb takes seven minutes. The most beautiful views come off from it. It is inhabited by almost tame pigeons, which have arranged their nests in the windows.
What not to miss
Birla Temple in Jaipur is an amazing religious building not only externally, but also for its intended purpose. Built at the end of the 30s of the last century with the private funds of a major advanced Indian entrepreneur, it was intended to combine Hinduism with its system of varn and castes, Jainism, which denies them, and the philosophy of Buddhism, which also renounced the horrendous caste system, where the concept There is no creator.
The white marble structure is surrounded by balconies and a colonnade. The entrance to it resembles ancient dwellings. It is indoor and surrounded by a colonnade. Its three domes gradually rise. Inside, the transitions between them are decorated with multi-colored marble, gilding, arched ceilings and elegant staircases. Under the highest dome is an extensive hall, reminiscent of the Greek courtyard - the atrium, with columns on three sides. In the depths is an altar with two golden statues made of a single piece of marble. One of them is the goddess Lakshmi, who patronizes the family, and is also the embodiment of happiness, wealth and prosperity. The second is her royal husband Vishnu. He is the keeper of the universe. He punishes the villains and protects the virtuous people. The palace, which is called the Gita-Bhavan, is connected to the main temple. It worships the god Krishna, who in Hinduism is the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu and bears his 57th name. The third temple is for Buddhists. It is surrounded by green gardens. Birla Mandir Temple is decorated like a white pearl, temples and palaces of Jaipur.
Away from Jaipur
Having examined all the pink Jaipur, you can leave it and see no less interesting surroundings. The list of "Sights of Jaipur" includes a palace, which stands in a beautiful picturesque valley near Lake Man Sagar. In winter (November, December) it dries up. From May-June, when light precipitation begins, you can see a majestic reflection of the Jal Mahal Palace in the clear waters.
It stands at the very edge of the water, and it seems that it grows directly from it. Indeed, over the past centuries, four floors plunged into the water, and we see only its upper part. It was the summer residence of the rulers of Jaipur, built in the middle of the XVIII century. There are many ducks on the lake that they hunted. Ducks still live on the lake. The once magnificent palace was simply on the ground. But a terrible drought came, and with it hunger. The ruler put up a dam that blocked the valley and filled with water. Peasants began to take water for irrigation of fields and were saved from starvation, and the palace plunged into the water. You can watch it from a boat or riding elephants. Tourists are not allowed inside the building.
Ganesha Temple
This deity - a child, the son of Shiva and Saraswati with the face of an elephant - is very revered in India. It is located outside the city, but the Maharaja arranged his marble palace so that, looking through binoculars from his palace, he could see the statue of Ganesha. Today it is not just a museum exhibit, but an existing temple.
Elephant riding
The road to Amber Fort, which is located on the crests of rocks 11 km from Jaipur, leads through the sun-scorched hills that are located around Lake Maota. You can walk to it, get by jeep, but most often a tourist sits on an elephant, which brings him to the ancient capital of Rajasthan or, as he was called, the Dhundhar principality. The walled city is built of pale yellow and pink sandstone and white marble. It is divided into 4 parts, each of which has a courtyard. The main is considered Jaleb Chowk. They enter the fortress through the Solar or Lunar Gate. But before you enter the main courtyard, you should visit the small temple of Siladevi, dedicated to the formidable goddess Kali, whose image is rare in these places. She is especially revered in the south of Hindustan. Calcutta is her city where everything is filled with her temple complexes. She loves daily sacrifices (now they are forbidden) - strangled goats, whose blood she must drink to the last drop. On the doors of the temple are her silver images, and inside is her statue, which was brought from Bengal. Raja Man Singh I considered her his patroness.
In the first room, Divan-Am, the ruler talked with his subjects. From it you can go to the hall, where there is a statue of Ganesha, made of whole coral. Then you need to return to the main staircase, which will lead to the second courtyard with columns. They are crowned with statues of elephants. In the third courtyard is the Victory Hall (Jai Mandir), the walls of which are decorated with marble carved panels with floral motifs and images of insects and a mirror ceiling. This room can be lit with a single candle. After victories, pleasure and pleasant sensations should follow, therefore the tourist enters the Pleasure Hall. It is fragrant with sandalwood, from which its walls are made with rich ivory inlay.
From here you can admire the magnificent scenery with Lake Maota. The fourth courtyard leads to the women's chambers, built according to the corridor system. The rooms of the women are not connected, and none of them knew whom their master had visited today.
Nahargar Fort
You can further go on foot to look at the Jaigarh fortress, where, according to legend, is the largest cannon. And then, on the way back to Jaipur, go to the Nakhargar fortress, seeing, if fortunate enough, walking peacocks. She stands on a rock and hangs over a pink city. From its ramparts, the sight of Jaipur is amazing. The interiors of the building are intact. You can have a wonderful photo shoot, and then go down the winding road between the rocks back to the capital.
Ethnic village
The folk village of Choki Dhani will give a generalized view of the real village that existed in India.
Tourists come to it, as well as the Indians themselves, to feel Great India, which is still 85% filled with peasants to this day. It is always a holiday, consisting of traditional entertainment. At the entrance of the tourist, dancing boys and girls in national clothes are met to the sound of music. They perform their dances on metal glasses or nails. Girls, moving smoothly, dance and hold jugs on their heads. The number of jugs can reach up to 7 at a time. Magicians and fakirs immediately entertain tourists. Anyone who knows English well can listen to the fortune-teller's prediction. You can go to the shadow theater or get a massage from a working professional. Also for a while, if you want, you can paint your hand with clay or henna. If you are hungry, then you will be offered national dishes on unusual plates. They are replaced by palm leaves. After that, head to the pond, where you will be boated. And you can ride a camel or oxen. Indians often come to this village to hold a wedding. So some visitors will be able to see all the wedding ceremonies.
This is not to say that all the interesting places of the pink city of Jaipur end there. You can find many more sites in the vicinity, which are interesting to visit if you have enough time. We talked about the most significant and popular.