The old city in Jaipur is often called the Pink City because of the pink walls and buildings. Jaipur is famous for the ancient palaces and forts. The architecture of these buildings are a reminder of the royal heritage. Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan and the gateway to visit other places in the state. In this post you find a list of top things to do in and around Jaipur like the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Amber Fort.
Table of Contents
City Palace of Jaipur
The City Palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727, when he moved his court from Amber to Jaipur. The Jaipur Royal Family still lives in the palace today and a part of the palace is now a museum. The palace complex has many buildings, a few courtyards, restaurants, galleries and the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum and offices. The City Palace is located in the old city of Jaipur. When you visit the Pink City in Jaipur you can easily reach the City Palace by foot or take a rickshaw.
Hawa Mahal Palace of Winds
Also located in the Pink City of Jaipur is Hawa Mahal. Translated it means The Palace of Winds. The building is made of red (pink) and white sandstone and was build by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. The street side exterior is inspired by the honeycomb of a beehive and it has 953 small windows. The structure was designed to allow royal ladies to observer daily life in the street and the festivals without being seen. The Royal Ladies had to follow strict rules and they were not allowed to appear in public without covering their face. The front side at the street side is actually the backside of the palace.
Jantar Mantar Observatory
Jantar Mantar is an observatory and is also constructed by Mahara Jai Singh II in 1724. The purpose of building Jantar Mantar was to predict time and movement of the celestial bodies like the sun, moon and other planets. It’s a collection of 19 architectural astronomical instruments and is since 2010 listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ‘Jantar’ means instrument and ‘mantar’ means calculation.
Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal means Water Palace and it’s located in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. It’s not allowed to enter the Palace but you can enjoy the view either from the roadside or go for a boat ride. When you go to Amber Palace from Jaipur you pass Jal Mahal. Ask the driver to make a stop so you can make pictures.
Go shopping at the famous Jaipur bazaars
Jaipur is known for the immense variety of each item they sell. Each bazaar has unique items for sale. Here is an overview of popular things you can buy and which bazaar;
- Colourful Mojari’s and perfum > Nehru Bazaar
- Handcrafted handbags > Nehru Bazaar
- Blue pottery > Bapu Bazaar
- Bangles > Bapu Bazaar
- Embroidered bed sheets, textiles > Badi Chaupar
- Meenakari showpieces > Johri Bazaar
- Jewellery > Johri Bazaar
Jaipur is a paradise for shoppers and retailers from all over the world come here. To get the best price you have to haggle. Over the years shop owners have seen many foreign customers paying high prices. Some foreigners don’t haggle and have no idea what the market prices are. Bargaining is the key to pay a fair price at the bazaars.
Albert Hall Museum
The Albert Hall Museum is the oldest museum in Rajasthan and is situated in the Ram Niwas Garden. You can find the museum outside and on the south side of the city wall. The building is designed by Sir Samuel Jacob and a public museum since 1887. The architecture is a mixture of north Indian and English elements. The most popular attraction is the Egyptian mummy.
Amber Fort & Palace
Amber Fort is also known as Amber Palace, Amer Fort and Amer Palace. So basically you have four names for one place. Amber Fort is located 11km from Hawa Mahal and it takes 20-30 minutes by taxi to get there. The palace is on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2013.
The palace is built on a hill and has a great view of Maota Lake. The red and yellow sandstone and marble palace has four levels and each level has it’s own courtyard. The architectural style elements haven influences of the Mughal architecture. The palace used to be the residence of Rajput Maharajas and their family. Nowadays it’s a tourist attraction.
Step well
On the north west side of Amber Fort you can find an abandoned step well. You can walk the 900 meters from Amber Fort or take a rickshaw. Unfortunately the guards don’t allow you to walk down the stairs but it’s a great place to take photos.
Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort is ideally located on the Aravalli Hill and a few centuries ago Nahargarh Fort, Amber Fort and Jaigarh Fort formed a strong defence structure for the city. The fort was built in 1734 but never under attack. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the king of Jaipur, as a place for retreat. The fort is connected to Jaigarh Fort and this fort is located on the south side of the city of Amber. Jaigarh Fort is not an interesting place to visit. There is not much to see and the view of the Amber city is limited.
There is popular story going around about the spirit of Nahar Singh Bhomia. They say the place is haunted by his spirit and held up the construction of the fort. His spirit was conciliated by building a temple in his memory within the fort and so became known by his name, Nahar.
The fort is a great place to watch the sunset and see the many lights in Jaipur while having a beer at the restaurant. It’s also possible to visit the Jaipur Wax museum at the fort.
Have you been to Jaipur? I would love to hear your story. Feel free to share tips about Jaipur and leave a comment below. Are you planning to see more of Rajasthan? Read more about Udaipur, Jodhpur, Pushkar and Jaisalmer or check out the photogallery of Amber Fort.
