Jaipur, the vibrant capital of Rajasthan, is popularly known as the ' Pink City ' because of the pink-coloured buildings in its old city.Founded in AD 1727 by Sawai Jaisingh II.The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is steeped in history and culture. Here the past comes alive in magnificent forts and palaces, blushed pink, where once lived the maharajas.This fascinating city with its romantic charm takes you to an epoch of royalty and tradition.

Jaipur sits on a dry lake bed in a somewhat arid landscape, surrounded by barren hills surmounted by forts and crenellated walls. This buzzing metropolis is certainly a place of wild contrasts and a feast for the eyes. Jaipur has massive forts, magnificent palaces, exquisite temples and marvellous gardens. All through, Jaipur has retained its strong Rajputana flavour tempered by several influences - the mughal being the most prominent. The region's strong cultural heritage is distinctly evident even today.

The city is a visitor's delight. From the intricate, delicate looking Hawa Mahal to the graphic forms of the Jantar Mantar - an open air observatory of outsized astronomical instruments, the Badi Chaupar lined with shopsand business establishments on both sides to the majestic fort-palace at Amber; from the colorful fountains of life to the sublime Birla Temple; from the architectural delight of the City Palace to the serene Jal Mahal. The principal shopping centre in the old city is Johari Bazaar, The jewellers' market. Unlike most other shopping centres in narrow alleys in India and elsewhere in Asia, this one is broad and open. There are three main interconnecting roads in the new part of town - Mirza Ismail road (MI road), Station road and Sansar Chandra Marg.

Tourist Attractions in Jaipur

Amer Palace - High on the rugged hills outside of town sits ancient forts, including Amer (often called the Amber Fort), where the Jaipur royal house held court for seven centuries. Visitors ridding painted elephants can ascend to the fort to see magnificent gateways, courtyards, pavalions, and a gliterring chamber of inlaid mirrors.

Hawa Mahal - Jaipur's most famous landmark is the Palace of the Winds or Hawa Mahal, a fantasia of 1953 ornate of windows set in a rose-colored five storey facade. The palace , tier upon tier of curved arch surmounting fairy casements with "jali", lattice work screens. From here the ladies of the court could look out at festive processions without jeopardizing their modest seclusion..

Jal Mahal - A picturesque palace admist the Man Sagar Lake. It is Jaipur's lake palace surrounded with water. It is built for royal duck shooting parties.

Jantar Mantar - The architectural astronomical instruments of 18th century Rajasthani king named Jai Singh contained in an amazing, three-storey-high complex known as Jantar Mantar.

City Palace - A pride of peacocks adorn an ornate doorway in Jaipur's City Palace. Palace retainers stand at attention as in the past when Jaipur Court was headquartered here. The palace is now a fine museum. It houses a remarkable collection of textiles, paintings, manuscripts, and extraordinary weapons. On display there are two huge urns of silver, said to be the largest silver vessels in the world. Nakkarkhana-ka-Darwaza, the imposing gateway of the City Palace guarded by stone elephants, is monumental.

Jaigarh - The western skyline is dominated by the extensive walls, watch towers and gateways of Jaigarh built by Jai Singh in 1726. It is one of the few military structures of medevial India preserved almost intact, containing palaces , gardens, open and covered reservoirs, a granary, an armoury, a canon foundary and several temples. It is the royal treasury for several years. The world's largest cannon on wheels is to be found here. The fort has its own museum and provide an excellent view of Amer Palace.

Nahargarh Fort - Built in 1734, the Nahargarh Fort lies north-west of City Palace and provides some stunning views of the city down below both during daytime and night.

Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh - Has beautiful gardens, fountains, pools & some magnificent pieces of sculpture.

Albert Hall Museum - It exhibits include a natural history collection, models of yogis adopting various positions, tribal ware, dioramas depicting Rajasthani dances and sections on decorative arts, costumes, drawings and musical instruments.

Bairath - An important historical place with the excavated remains of a circular Buddhist temple - unique in Rajasthani and the earliest known temple in India. Bairath also has relics of the Mauryan, Mughal and Rajput periods. A mint constructed by Akbar, a beautiful Mughal garden and a remarkable monument with painted chhatris and wall built by Jahangir are other attractions.

Gaitor - The cenotaphs of the royal family are at Gaitor, just outside the city walls. The cenotaph of Maharaja Jai Singh II is particularly impressive. The cenotaphs of the maharanis of Jaipur are on Ambr road, midway between Jaipur and Amber. Nearby is the Jal Mahal (water Palace), in the middle of the lake and reached by a causeway.

Galta - The temple of the sun god at Galta is 100m above Jaipur to the east, a 2.5km climb from Surajpol. A deep, temple-studded gorge stands behind the temple and there are good views over the surrounding plains.

Ramgarh Lake - A huge artificial lake created by constructing a high bund amidst tree covered hills. While the temple of Jamwa Mata and the ruins of the old fort are some of its antiquities, its beautiful landscape, especially during in oils pools, makes it an idyllic picnic spot.

Samode - The beautiful Samode Palace, has been rebuilt and renovated and provides a fine example of the Rajput haveli architecture and is an ideal spot for outings. The highlight of the building is the exquisite Diwan-i-Khas, which is covered with original paintings and mirrorwork.

Sanganer - This small town is entered through the ruins of two ' Tripolias ' or ' Triple-gateways '. The town has a ruined palace and a group of Jain temples with fine carvings. Entry to the temples is restricted. The town is an important centre for craft, industry and produces some of the finest hand printed textiles from units of block and screen printers. This textile is popular all over the country and abroad. It is noted for its hand printed handloom industry using simple techniques.

Vidyadhar's Garden - Nestled in a narrow valley, this beautiful garden was built in honour of jai Singh's chief architect and town planner.