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Jaipur, India |
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The capital of Rajasthan is popularly known as
the 'pink city' because of the ochre-pink hue of its old buildings
and crenellated city walls. The Rajputs considered pink to be a
colour associated with hospitality, and are reputed to have daubed
the city in preparation for the visit of Britain's Prince Alfred in
1853. This tradition and Jaipur's welcoming, relaxed air continue to
this day.
Jaipur owes its name, its foundation and its careful planning to the
great warrior-astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II (1699-1744), who took
advantage of declining Moghul power to move his somewhat cramped
hillside fortress at nearby Amber to a new site on the plains in
1727. He laid out the city's surrounding walls and its six
rectangular blocks with the help of Shilpa-Shastra, an ancient Hindu
treatise on architecture.
Today Jaipur is a city of broad avenues and remarkable architectural
harmony, built on a dry lake bed surrounded by barren hills. It's an
extremely colourful city and, in the evening light, it radiates a
magical warm glow. The city now has 1.5 million inhabitants and has
sprawled beyond its original fortified confines, but most of its
attractions are compactly located in the walled 'pink city' in the
north-east of the city. All seven gates into the old city remain,
one of which leads into Johari Bazaar - the famous jewellers'
market.
The most obvious landmark in the old city is the Iswari Minar Swarga
Sul (the Minaret Piercing Heaven) which was built to overlook the
city, but the most striking sight is the stunning artistry of the
five-storey facade of the Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds. The
palace was built in 1799 to enable ladies of the royal household to
watch street life and processions, and is part of the City Palace
complex which forms the heart of the old city.
Numerous international airlines are based in Jaipur Towers, while
for domestic flights it's easier to book through any of the big
travel agents. Daily flights to Delhi are availble and most continue
on to Mumbai via Jodhpur, Udaipur and Aurangabad. The Rajasthan
State Transport System covers Rajasthan's major cities, as do the
privately owned deluxe services. Most of these places can also be
reached by train. |
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