Jaipur is one of the most fascinating places in India. The city is filled with its majestic forts, beautiful palaces, picturesque lakes, royal monuments, museums and many more. The characteristic rose colored buildings have graced the covers of many tourist magazines and websites and no one who has been to Jaipur has not been charmed by this enchanting city. There is so much to see and do in Jaipur that we considered shifting our base to Jaipur for some time and take our time exploring Jaipur.
Jaipur exists in two parts – one is the modern Jaipur and the other is the walled city. The modern part has a vibrant nightlife and is just like any other modern city in India but the walled pink city has a life of its own. Its brimming with the rich cultural heritage and most of the historical monuments, palaces are situated here.
Whether you have a weekend or plan to spend more days, here’s our list of the top 10 must see places to visit in Jaipur:
1. Amer Fort
Amer Fort is the poster boy of Jaipur tourism. The magnificent fort tops our list of must see places in Jaipur. Having served as the royal residence of the Rajput kings for over a century, the fort is much more than ramparts and cannons. It was built in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh, known as one of the Navratnas (Nine Gems) of Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. You can see the Administrative Offices, the Hall of Public Audience, the King’s personal chamber and residence, the queen’s palace among others. The most famous structure inside Amer Fort is the opulent Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors. The room is made entirely of small bits and pieces of glass forming beautiful designs.
The fort is nestled among the Aravalli Hills and the fort itself rests on top a hill. The picturesque landscape combined with the majestic architecture and stunning design and paintings on the fort, make this one most beautiful monuments you will ever visit.
Read our blog on our trip to Amer Fort to know more about the places you can see in the fort.
2. City Palace
The City Palace is the current residence of the ruling King of Jaipur. It is the shinning beacon of the Rajput heritage and a wonderful fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture. The palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the king who founded Jaipur and is located in the heart of the walled old city of Jaipur.
The vast complex is mostly a museum now. You can view the Textile museum (which shows the attires of the old kings and queens), the armory (has an impressive showcase of old swords, pistols, knives etc. used in the pre cyber warfare days), the throne room, the hall for public audiences and finally the photography exhibition which is nostalgic as you can see the views of Jaipur pre-independence.
The Chandra Mahal (‘Moon Palace’), which was the residence of the erstwhile Maharaja holds The Sukh Niwas, or ‘Hall of Rest’, which is the royal dining room; the Rang Mandir is adorned with mirror work across the walls and ceiling, Shobha Niwas is known as the ‘Hall of Beauty’, with walls that are lavishly embellished with mirrors, tiles and gold leaf detailing. At the very tip of the Chandra Mahal is the flag of the Jaipur royal family, which is only unfurled when the king is in residence.
3. Hawa Mahal
The exquisite red honeycomb exterior has been the quintessential Jaipur photograph across social media, travel magazines and travel brochures. For anyone visiting Jaipur, it’s impossible not to walk past Hawa Mahal, cross the street and head to the first floor of the many cafes there and take the picture with Hawa Mahal in the backdrop.
Hawa Mahal, also called Palace of Winds was built as part of the City Palace complex to allow the women of the royal house to observe the festivities on the streets without being seen due to the purdah system that existed where women of the royal family could not be seen by outsiders. The famous honeycomb exterior is because of the 953 small windows called Jharokhas decorated with intricate latticework. Also, the palace has been designed to allow cool air to flow through in a way that it remains pleasant during the high temperatures in summer and hence the name Hawa Mahal.
Most tourists are satisfied with just seeing the palace from outside. We recommend that you take a tour of the interiors of the palace and enjoy the many architectural secrets. You will also get glimpse into the lifestyle of the queens. For example, apparently the queens and princesses rarely walked due to the heavy jewellery and clothes they wore and had to be carried in their palanquins. Hawa Mahal doesn’t have any stairs, only ramps for the palanquins to go up and down the various floors.
4. Panna Meena Ka Khund
This is an ancient step well situated at the foot of the Amer Fort. Often missed by tourists in their rush to get to Amer Fort, this ancient step well was built in the 16th century to collect and store rain water. The stunning pale yellow step well has an intriguing geometric design and we believe there is a significance to the confusing way in which the steps are laid out. The locals are able to easily navigate the stairway but as tourists, we got a labyrinth type feel.
In Rajasthan’s dry climate, step wells were important cultural hubs in olden times. This is where locals would meet, seek shade from the heat, collect water and share news of the day. It was almost like a modern day community hall or park.
5. Jal Mahal
The Water Palace is located in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake and used to be the leisure palace and hunting lodge for the king. The palace is a showcase of the Rajput style of architecture. The palace is not built on any island instead it is built in the lake. It’s a five storey building, of which 4 storeys remain submerged in water and gives an illusion that the palace is floating on the lake.
There is no official record for the construction of Jal Mahal. There are many stories related to its construction, although it is supposed to have been builtin the 1700s. The trip to Jal Mahal can be combined with your trip to Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort. The golden sandstone used to build this palace practically glows against the backdrop of the setting sun and is the perfect photograph opportunity. You can spend a leisurely evening at lakeside promenade. It has lots of fun activities for children and also great street food. There are live performances by local bands and boat rides that take you close to the palace.
6. Jai Garh Fort
Jaigarh is one of the most spectacular forts that you will ever visit in India. Like the Amer Fort, it is very well preserved. The fort is also called “The Fort of Victory” as it has never been conquered. It was built as the military outpost to Amer Fort and is connected to Amer Fort via underground tunnels. The theory was that, in the event of an attack, the royal family could safely escape to Jaigarh Fort. In spite of being a military fort, it has elaborate living quarters for the king and the royal household. The fort is located high above Amer Fort on a hill called Cheel ka Teela (Eagle’s Hill).
The fort is very intriguing and has been designed in such a way that wherever you look from the city of Amer, you will see the walls of the fort. It seems like the walls are never ending. Also, in rain crunched Rajasthan, Jaigarh fort was never without water. Its drainage system and rainwater harvesting system is stuff for an engineer’s dreams. The fort was the centre of artillery production for the Rajputs and the cannon foundry here was one of the main production centers for the Mughal empire. You can also see the largest canon in the world here.
7. Galta Ji Temple
Galta Ji Temple is located on the outskirts of Jaipur. It’s a unique sight as the structure seems to protrude out of a rock. Surrounded by the Aravali hills, it is built in between two cliffs of a rock valley. The main attraction of the temple is the natural water spring that flows throughout the year and collects in several pools called the Kunds within the temple complex. The water flows from the ‘Gaumukh’, a rock shaped like a cow’s head. People often bathe in these waters for purification. The most famous of the Kunds is the Galta Kund. The temple complex has a temple dedicated to God Brahma which is a .
There are several legends surrounding the temple. It is believed that the temple is built on a pre-historic Hindu pilgrimage site. One more legend that is linked with this temple is that some part of Ramayana is written in this temple by Goswami Tulsidas and a third legend talks about a saint called Galav who spent 100 years here meditating. This pleased the gods who appeared before him and blessed the area with an abundant supply of water. The temple was built in honor of Galav and hence the name Galta Ji
8. Bazaars of Jaipur
Jaipur is a shopping paradise. It is famous for precious and semi-precious gems, blue pottery, lac bangles, leather goods, textiles and many more. The traditional bazaars situated in the heart of the old city are a treasure trove. Visit Johari bazaar for purchasing jewelry made with gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones. Witness the craftsmanship of the Kundan and Meenakari Jewelry. Pick up traditional Rajasthani Mojaris at Nehuru Bazaar and textiles from Kishanpole Bazaar. Tripolia Bazaar is known for Lac Jewelry especially a large variety of beautiful bangles. If you are looking for purchasing the handicrafts, then Chandpole Bazaar is the place to be and finally, Bapu Bazaar is famous for all things leather. From handbags to shoes to traditional water bags
9. Jantar Mantar
Many people have heard of Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Jantar Mantar means “instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens”. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1724. The same king built another Jantar Mantar in Jaipur as well 4 other. It consists of 19 instruments designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye and became the chief observatory for the king.
For most tourists, Jantar Mantar is an enigma as most people have no idea how the instruments work and what is their purpose. Although the stone plaques next to each instrument mention how they work but without a background in astronomy, the information is difficult to understand. However, a visit to Jantar Mantar is a must only to admire India’s contribution to the field of astronomy. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh’s astronomical observations were remarkably accurate.
The most significant feature Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the biggest sundial in the world.
10. Gaitore Ki Chattariyan
Loosely translated, Gaitore means resting place of the departed souls. Gaitore Ki Chattariyan is the ancient royal crematorium ground. Located on the way to Amer Fort, the site has beautifully architected Cenotaphs marking the official cremation spots of the former rulers.
If you are a lover of ancient monuments, the cenotaphs will leave you spell bound. Each cenotaph looks like a mini palace and the compound primarily follow Vedic architectural principals with a bit of Islamic and Persian architecture thrown in. The Cenotapha are topped off by an umbrella-shaped dome or a chhatri. That’s how the name Gaitore Ki Chattariyan evolved. As you walk around the compound scattered with Cenotaphs, check out the intricate carvings depicting nature, battles, Gods and mythology.
For most tourists, Jantar Mantar is an enigma as most people have no idea how the instruments work and what is their purpose. Although the stone plaques next to each instrument mention how they work but without a background in astronomy, the information is difficult to understand. However, a visit to Jantar Mantar is a must only to admire India’s contribution to the field of astronomy. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh’s astronomical observations were remarkably accurate.
The most significant feature Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the biggest sundial in the world.
