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Jaipur is a top travel destination for its opulent food, unmatched architecture, and the untouched natural splendour of the Rajasthani countryside. Intriguing festivals, lavishly dressed elephants, fascinating cultural insights, and a maze of vibrant dream palaces can all be found in Jaipur.
Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” because everything there has a beautiful pink tinge. The exotic cityscape is fully covered in a gentle, luminous hue of pink that intensifies with each evening’s sundown from the Jaipur hostel where I stayed. A cavalcade of rickshaws and motorbikes, three-wheeled vehicles and elephants, as well as pedestrians from all walks of life and what appears to be a variety of centuries, weave through the boulevards and bazaars while humming with lively enthusiasm.
All about Jaipur Festivals
Elephant Festival
The Elephant Festival is undoubtedly the most well-known Jaipur’s celebrations. The Elephant Festival is held each year in February or March on the eve of Holi, India’s largest Festival of Colors. Among the events that take place during this festival are elephant polo and elephant tug of war.
A peek of Jaipur, the best festival city in the world, includes dancing, celebrations, the marriage procession of the gods, and elephants that have been elaborately dressed. The city of Jaipur is comprised of around 6.5 million individuals from a wide variety of origins. Everything comes to a standstill in Jaipur during the festivals, and the city takes on a completely new vibe.
Kite Festival
The Kite Festival, which takes place on January 14 every year, is a celebration that spans the entire city of Jaipur. Since it has been declared a public holiday, everyone in Jaipur and the nearby suburbs are welcome to take to the streets and fly kites. The Kite Festival surrounds this city, with the contrast of vivid, strong colours. This is an enormous exhibition of life that everyone should witness at least once in their lifetime.
Jaipur Literature Festival – JLF
The Jaipur Literature Festival is another another citywide celebration that happens in January. Despite being a relatively recent annual event, it has already established itself as the nation’s leading free literary festival. In actuality, a large number of South Asia’s most well-known literary figures travel here.
Teej Festival
With its colourful and musical parades, this cheerful event enlivens Jaipur’s streets during the monsoon season of late July and early August. Although the Teej Festival is observed throughout Rajasthan, Jaipur is where it is most prominent. The ceremony honours marriage, especially among married women, with a specific emphasis on the tale of the gods Shiva and Parvati who were reunited after 100 years apart. In honour of the goddess, women dress their best attire, decorate animals with jewels and coloured paint, and head to the streets to dance. Two days of exuberant festival ecstasy take over the entire city of Jaipur.
Breathtaking Architectural Sites
Hawa Mahal
The Hawa Mahal was initially constructed in 1799 as a vantage point for the women of the royal family. It is a lovely pink sandstone fortification that cascades over the streets of Jaipur. The royal women were able to see the city below while remaining hidden behind the Hawa Mahal’s dark windows, far above the streets.
The building is still standing as beautifully as ever today. The iconic “honeycomb” front, which is five stories tall and is composed of 152 windows tucked into circular latticed balconies, is the epitome of the robust yet delicate Rajput architecture. Sometimes a tiny beam of sunlight can be seen beaming through a top story window as the sun sinks toward the horizon.
Amber Fort or Amer Fort
Amber Fort’s sand-colored walls blend nicely with the surrounding landscape. Before Maharaja Jai Singh II moved the state’s capital to the City Palace during his rule, this served as Rajasthan’s initial capital. This structure was built about 200 years before Jaipur was founded and was made of stunning red sandstone and marble. You can ride an elephant today that has been decked with vibrant colours and patterns. Elephants were one of the most important emblems of authority to Rajput emperors. Locals have traditionally loved these animals, and they are frequently lavishly decorated with gems, textiles, and paint. Your elephant will lumber magnificently up the stone path to the main entrance of the hilltop while you sway gently on your perch.
City Palace
Jaipur’s renowned City Palace, the epicentre of the city and the centre of founder Jai Singh II’s rule, is located right behind the Hawa Mahal. The Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal are two of the many buildings that make up the City Palace. Another spectacular illustration of Jaipur’s royal influences is the City Palace, which blends Rajput, Mughal, and European architecture. It was built with expert architectural care. It is an architectural marvel because it uses concentric zones to strengthen the palace’s interior rooms and has an asymmetrical layout that is fitting for the time period. The Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, which displays art and historical artefacts from the city and the surrounding area, is located in a part of the City Palace today.
Jantar Mantar
In addition to creating the highly organised city of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II oversaw the construction of five astronomical observatories in west central India. One such observatory Jantar Mantar, is situated in the centre of Jaipur.
The focal point of this ancient building are the large-scale geometric structures that protrude out on their own, seemingly at random, with staircases that go nowhere. The observatory is a marvel to designers and artists alike, and today it is offered to audiences as a whole experience, complete with time-lapse videos, illustrations, and 3D models to highlight this historic location.
Jaigarh Fort
To defend the city of Jaipur, Jaigarh was constructed in 1726. This fort, a real stronghold, lacks the intricate fort-palace architecture found in other parts of Jaipur. Fortunately, this fort never took part in any significant battles, therefore it has mostly maintained its original form. It provides guests with a stunning perspective of the surrounding mountainous terrain.
Conclusion
Jaipur is an excellent start for seeing the historical architecture and natural beauty of larger Rajasthan because it is the epicentre of the region’s spectacular historical structures.
In Rajasthan, history is still very much present and active. Most of the fortifications, including fortresses, palaces, temples, and other structures, were constructed in the 18th century to guard the region’s numerous settlements as well as centuries of royalty.
Alison