Landmarks of Jaipur, the Pink City - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: Landmarks of Jaipur, the Pink City


1
Landmarks of Jaipur, the Pink City
One of Indias most popular tourist destinations,
Jaipur is named for the salmon hued paint on a
majority of the old citys buildings. This
colourful city is synonymous with grand palaces
surrounded by manicured gardens, handsome forts
and monuments that are oft seen as landmarks not
only for the city but also symbolic of India. Of
the myriad things to see and experience, heres a
list of the top few
2
Rambagh Palace
Rambagh Palace Known as the Jewel of Jaipur,
Rambagh Palace is the former residence of the
Maharaja of Jaipur. Its boundless beauty has
been restored and maintained, and now it is a
heritage hotel, one of the most luxurious in the
world. This structure has evolved quite a few
times. The original building was made in 1835,
as a house for the Queens handmaiden only to be
converted into a hunting lodge and finally the
palace. Ideally located, Rambagh Palace is
mostly the starting spot chosen by Jaipur travel
destination guides for a city tour.
3
City Palace
Only 3.5 kms from Rambagh Palace Hotel is the
City Palace complex built by Maharaja Sawai Jai
Singh. The complex is one part museum in the
Mubarak Mahal building housing artifacts,
costumes and artwork pertaining to royal
heritage. The major part of the palace, known as
the Chandra Mahal is still used by the royal
family. A visitor to the complex also gets to see
the ornate peacock gate and the Diwaan-I-Khaas.
4
Jantar Mantar
Another essential on any visitors list is the
UNESCO World Heritage site of the Jantar Mantar.
This is an astronomical observatory made by the
founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Jai Singh, who was a
scholar and an avid astrologer. There are a
total of five such observatories in India, but
the one in Jaipur is the largest. Other than
being home to the largest sundial in the world,
the Jaipur observatory has 13 more large-scale
tools and observatory points. These are used to
measure time, keep a track of stars and predict
eclipses and other astronomical happenings. This
fantastic structure manages to draw not only
astronomy enthusiasts but also a whole lot of
regular tourists.
5
Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal - Probably Jaipurs most famous
monument, the Hawa Mahal Palace was built in 1798
by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. Since its recent
renovation, it is a beauty to behold. A part of
the City Palace complex, this 5 storied crown
shaped structure has a whopping 953 ornate
lattice worked windows on its red and pink
sandstone facade. Apart from the ventilation
they provide in the hot Jaipur climes, these
little windows were used by royal ladies to
observe the goings on in the city without being
seen themselves.
6
Amber Fort
Amber Fort Perched on top of a hill with
commanding views of the surrounding scenery,
Jaipurs Amber Fort beckons tourists to its
grandeur. Estimated at upward of 5,000 visitors
a day, Amber Fort is one of Jaipurs most popular
landmarks. Built in the 16th century, this
magnificent structure is in surprisingly great
condition. This formidable fort built by Raja
Man Singh, was the original home of the Jaipur
royals, and this is where they resided up until
Jaipur was built. The fort is known for the
artistic Hindu elements used in its construction.
It is also connected via underground tunnel to
the nearby Jaigarh Fort.