|
|
|
Jaipur |
|
Information about Jaipur
Jaipur, the vibrant capital city of Rajasthan, is
situated at an altitude of 431 meters above sea level.
It covers an area of 64.75 square km. Jaipur is
popularly known as the "Pink city" as some of the
buildings in the old city are in pink color. This city
sits on dry lake bed in an arid landscape, surrounded by
the Aravallis and protected by the Nahargarh Fort. The
city is a visitor's delight. Hindi, Rajasthani, Marwari
|
 |
|
|
and English
are the common languages which are spoken in Jaipur. In
Summers, the temperature is around 45 degree Celsius and in
winters it is around 7 degree Celsius. So the best time to
visit Jaipur is from November to March.
History of Jaipur
The royal city of Jaipur owes its name, foundations and
careful planning to the great warrior and astronomer, Maharaja
Sawai Jai Singh II. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of the
Kachchwaha clan of Rajputs ruled the city from the year 1699
to 1744. The ancient capital of Rajasthan was Amber but in
1727 the foundations were laid and from Amber the capital was
shifted to Jaipur. In this land, towering forts were built to
protect the capital from the enemy and battles were fought by
the great rulers. |
| |
| Festivals of Jaipur |
| |
|
Elephant Festival
The Elephant festival is celebrated in Jaipur in the
month of March, on the day of Holi. The major
attractions of this festival is the elephant polo,
elephant race, the tug of war between elephants and men
and women and various other cultural programmes. The
most colourful part of this festival is the Holi played
on the back of elephant. In this festival, the
elephants, camels, horses and folk dancers move in
procession and |
 |
|
|
take part in
various competitions. In this festival, the tourists can watch
the cultural programmes of music and dance and also play the
festival of colors. The sight of beautifully dressed elephants
moving majestically in a pageant is certainly a sight to
behold. The mahawats or owners decorate the bodies of the
elephants with bright colours, jhools and heavy jewellery. In
the end, the prizes are given to the most beautifully
decorated elephant.
Gangaur Festival
The Gangaur festival is a very significant festival of women
in Rajasthan. This festival is mainly celebrated in Jaipur,
Udaipur and Mandawa in March or April. This festival
celebration goes on for almost two weeks after Holi is over.
This festival is devoted to Goddess Parvati, the wife of Lord
Shiva. During this festival the young girls and women wore
their traditional dress of ‘Lehnga’ ‘Choli’ and ‘Odhni’, sing
and dance and pray Issar and Gangaur, manifestations of Shiva
and Parvati, for grooms of their choice while the married
women pray for the well being of their husbands. During this
festival various activities take place in a grand procession
which marks the arrival of Lord Shiva to take his bride home. |
| |
|
Teej Festival
Teej is an important festival of Rajasthan. Teej
festival is celebrated on the onset of the monsoon
season in the month of August. This festival is also
dedicated to the worship of goddess Parvati. The Teej
festival is celebrated all over the state, but, it is
mainly celebrated in Jaipur, where the idol of the
goddess Parvati is taken out in colourful procession
accompanied by song and dance, for two days. The women
and young |
 |
|
|
girls gather
in large groups, dress up in colouful clothes and spend time
on swings decorated with flowers and enjoy the festival by
singing and dancing.
Tourist Attractions in Jaipur
The main tourist attractions
in Jaipur are Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Amber Fort, City
Palace, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort,
Albert Hall and Raj Mandir (Movie Theatre). The City Palace is
the formal residence of the royal family, built in a blend of
the Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. In the museum of the
city palace there is private collection of the Jaipur
Maharajas. Jantar Mantar is an observatory of outsized
astronomical instruments, the largest of Jai Singh's five
remarkable observatories. Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) was
built in 1799 AD. It contains 953 small casements with each
having its own balcony. Laxmi Narayan Temple is the Hindu temple of God
Vishnu and goddess Laxmi. This temple was built by the Birlas
of white marble.
More....
How to reach Jaipur
By Air:
Jaipur is well connected to major metropolitan cities of India
like Delhi, Bombay, Kolkata and Madras. It is also well
connected to other cities of Rajasthan as well through regular
flights of Indian airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines.
By Rail:
Jaipur is connected by rail with important trains on its
principal networks. The main pride of Jaipur is Palace on
Wheels, the Royal Train. This special luxury train starts from
Delhi and takes a round trip of Rajasthan.
By Road:
Jaipur is connected by all the major destinations of India and
Rajasthan. Deluxe and air conditioned buses are operated by
the Rajasthan Roadways and private operators between Jaipur,
Delhi and other cities of Rajasthan and rest of India. |
| |
| |
|
 |
|
