Jaipur - The Heritage Pink City has been the capital of erstwhile Jaipur state since its inception in 1727 AD, it gets the name from its founder Maharaja Jai Singh II. He was not only a great ruler but also a renowned mathematician and astrologer, his various talents are clearly exhibited in the Jaipur city. Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya designed Jaipur as per the Hindu treatise, Shilp Shastra. The Jaipur city was laid with great precision, it could also be called as the first planned city of the country. The roads were divided into rectangular blocks and surrounded by a peripheral wall with huge gates guarding it. The market places were named after the commodity, which as supposed to be predominantly sold or manufactured there.
Jaipur - The Capital City of the state Rajasthan, very nearly exemplifies the character of the state and its people. Surrounded by rugged hills on three sides, each crowned by formidable fort and beautiful palaces, mansions and gardens dotted throughout its precincts.
In 1876 A.D. Jaipur dressed itself in pink to welcome Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria and earned the epitaph 'PINK CITY', it is also a home of excellent handicrafts especially known for the exquisite gold jewellery enamelled or inlaid with precious stones, blue pottery, carving on wood, stone & ivory, block print, tie & dye textiles, hand made paper, miniature painting etc.
Jaipur - The Capital City of the state Rajasthan, very nearly exemplifies the character of the state and its people. Surrounded by rugged hills on three sides, each crowned by formidable fort and beautiful palaces, mansions and gardens dotted throughout its precincts.
In 1876 A.D. Jaipur dressed itself in pink to welcome Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria and earned the epitaph 'PINK CITY', it is also a home of excellent handicrafts especially known for the exquisite gold jewellery enamelled or inlaid with precious stones, blue pottery, carving on wood, stone & ivory, block print, tie & dye textiles, hand made paper, miniature painting etc.
General Information
| STD Code | 0141 |
| Population: | 23, 24, 319 (2001) |
| Area: | 23.3 sq. km. approx |
| Altitude: | 431 m (above sea level) |
| Temperature: | Summer Average Max 45.0°C, Average Min. 25.8°C Winter Average Max. 22.0°C Average Min 8.3°C |
| Rainfall: | 64 cm |
| Season: | September to March |
| Clothing: | Summer - Tropical Winter - Woolen |
| Languages: | Hindi, Rajasthani & English |
About Jaipur
| The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is not only the gateway to the state, it is also the most natural place to begin a discovery of Rajasthan’s multifaceted attractions. For visitors unfamiliar with its history, a little explanation may be necessary, since it will aid their understanding of one of the most fascinating cities of India. As a city, Jaipur is fairly young, less than three centuries old. It was laid out by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of the Kachchawaha dynasty from Amber which, less than 10 km away, was the former capital of the state. Markets and residential areas have bridged this gap so that, for all practical purposes, Jaipur includes Amber within its sway. Like most Rajput kings, the Kachchawahas claim descent from the noble line of Shri Rama, the prince-hero whose exploits are the subject of the great Hindu epic, the Rama-yana. If one were to zip through history to arrive in the 10th century, it would bring us face to face with Dhola Rai whose throne at Narwar (close to Gwalior, in Madhya Pradesh) was usurped by his uncle. However, the royal prince was welcomed as a bridegroom into the feudal principality of Dausa, close to Amber, and he soon made himself at home, even claiming the right to rule. His son, who accepted the hospitality of the Mina tribesmen of Amber, betrayed it similarly and established the foundations of a dynasty that was to become renowned for its power and wealth. In more recent times, the Jaipuris, as they were called, came to represent the glamorous face of princely India, and were the cynosure of the media in Western society. Having won themselves their kingdom, the Kachchawahas strengthened their stronghold through strategic matrimonial alliances with the Mughals who ruled over much of India from their forts at Delhi and Agra. Though their faiths were different, it established a sense of kinship between the more powerful Mughals and the valiant Kachchawahas, and laid the foundation for a similar relationship with other Rajput states. |
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The Mughals still occupied Delhi when Jai Singh, hardly a man yet when he was anointed maharaja of Amber, was taken to meet Emperor Aurangzeb who, as a conservative Muslim, had spent little time befriending his Hindu neighbours. Grasping Jai Singh’s hands in his own, Aurangzeb asked him: “How do you expect to be powerful with your hands tied thus?” Jai Singh was quick-witted, and replied: “Just as a bridegroom takes his bride’s hands following their betrothal, in a sacred vow to protect her, so you, Sire, have held my hands. What do I fear now that the Mughal himself has taken my hands in his?” Aurangzeb was pleased and immediately granted the young prince the hereditary title of ‘Sawai’ placing the Kachchawaha family a ‘quarter’ above the other Rajput families. But the Mughal was ageing. He had no strong successors. Towards the east, the British were eroding the existing power structure from their capital in Calcutta. The north, however, after several centuries of invasions and rife, was quiet. Jai Singh seized the opportunity to pamper himself with a new capital. Moving out of the hilltop Amber, he descended to the plains below, and planned a modern capital with a Bengali architect, Vidyadhar, whose instinct for planning he trusted implicitly. |
