Jaipur Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan in Western India.
Contents |
Understand
Jaipur, is the largest city in Rajasthan, not only provides a stepping stone to the enchanting desert cities of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, but offers several massive forts of its own - tributes to the Rajputs who once ruled the land. It is called the "pink" city because of the colour of its historical buildings built by Rana Jai Singh. Inside the historical area, city regulations require that all buildings be painted pink so that the character is maintained.
It is a bustling, dusty, chaotic city that will confuse and overwhelm an ordinary traveller's senses.
Get in
Jaipur has an International Airport. Regular flights are available from Mumbai and also from Udaipur. Overnight trains arrive from many major cities including Delhi, Agra and Mumbai.
Get around
By and large, autorickshaw is the best way around the city. Cycle-rickshaws are cheaper, but the amount of time it takes quickly makes the extra few rupees worth it. Walking in the bazaar is a treat, although side streets are a bit less welcoming and offer a sharper glimpse of poverty.
See
Forts
- Nahargarh Fort.Portions of the movie Rang De Basanti were shot at this fort. To go the area where the 'Pathshala' song was shot, take a left turn as soon as you enter the fort.
- Amber Fort. The Amber fort greets one with regal architecture (and elephants giving rides to tourists!) derived from Hindu and Muslim styles. There are two main halls 'Diwan-e-Aam' (hall for commons) and 'Diwan-e-khaas' (hall for dignitaries). Inside the fort are two palaces where the king used to stay, one for summer and one for winter. The winter palace is called the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ (house of glass). There’s a ‘Kaali’ temple inside the fort. One cannot wear leather and enter this temple. Beware of monkeys at this fort. There are a lot of handloom shops at the bottom of the fort but the prices are high and the quality may not be very good.
- Jaigarh Fort. The Jaigarh Fort holds the world's largest cannon (Jaivan), and offers stunning views.
Palaces
- City Palace.
Temples
- Govind Devji Temple
- Moti Doongari
- Lakshmi Narayan Temple
- Akshardham Temple (at Vaishali Nagar)
- Jain Mandir (Shivdas Pura) 15-16 Km from Jaipur
Monuments
- Jantar Mantar
- Hawa Mahal
Gardens
- Ram Niwas Garden
- Central Museum (or Albert Hall Museum)
- Zoological Garden
- Sisodia Rani Palace and Garden
- Vidyadhar Garden
- Central Park (Entrance near Statue Circle)
Other Places to see
- JalMahal, Statue circle , Galta, Ramgarh, B.M. Birla Auditorium and Convention Centre
amer fort, hawa mahal, chulgiri, bhuteshwar mahadev temple, city palace,
Do
- Raj Mandhir Theater. An experience in itself. The best movie theater in Rajastan, it offers an overwhelming experience. From the pushing, shoving, and general chaos in the ticket line, to an audience that laughs, cries, cheers, claps, and consistently talks through the entire film, the Raj Mandhir provides an insight into Rajasthani culture. The movies themselves are always interesting; Masala movies are action, drama, mystery, suspense, and epics all wrapped into one single movie, teeming with dances and obligatory wet Sari scenes, and unabashedly lifting generous amounts of plot devices from Western movies.
Buy
- Bazaar. A brilliant colorful explosion of flowers, elephants, ox carts, and wares! The traveller will smell the deep aroma of spices in canvas bags, the fetid smell of animals and open sewers, the sweet waft of tea, and the crusty acrid burn of dust and exhaust. The noise is chaotic, the people constantly will stare if you are a Westerner and anybody who has something to sell will try to sell it to you, repeatedly. Watch cobras dance out of their wicker baskets, and don't be too surprised if the snake charmer slaps his cobra for having a wayward eye.
Eat
Lakshmi Mishtaan Bhandar is a great place to eat good Rajasthani meal
- Chitra Cafeteria, Behind Amber Towers, Sansar Chandra Road, Jaipur - 302001, ☎ ''+91 141'' 237 2456, ''+91 141'' 237 1773, ''+91 141'' 510 6010'' (tarun@aryaniwas.com, fax: ''+91 141'' 236 1871), http://www.aryaniwas.com/hotelarya.html. Good, wholesome vegetarian food. Their lunch buffet is excellent. Rs 150 for a three course meal.
Sleep
Budget
- The Pearl Palace [1] is a wonderful place to spend a week! The place is uniquely designed, and just walking around the hallways has a feel of being in an art museum. The roof top patio restaurant is wonderful and very inexpensive. The owners are so nice! Mr Singh will invite you into his home and make you feel very welcome. This place is a great budget hotel which feels like a 4 star hotel.
Mid range
- Arya Niwas Hotel, Behind Amber Towers, Sansar Chandra Road, Jaipur - 302001, ☎ ''+91 141'' 237 2456, ''+91 141'' 237 1773, ''+91 141'' 510 6010'' (tarun@aryaniwas.com, fax: ''+91 141'' 236 1871), http://www.aryaniwas.com/hotelarya.html. A feudal lord's mansion converted into a hotel, this family managed hotel has the ambience of a stately mansion. Has a cafeteria serving decent vegetarian food and a garden to relax in during the evenings. Centrally located. Rs 600 to Rs 880.
- Umaid Bhawan, D1-2A, Behari Marg, Bani Park, +91 141 2206426 (reservation@umaidbhawan.com, fax +91 141 2207445), [2]. A nicely restored heritage hotel with clean, comfortable rooms, many with balconies. Has a swimming pool on the ground floor, which is not well kept in the off-season. Will arrange airport/train station pickup. Rs 1100-1600/1200-2800. (singles/doubles)
Splurge
- Raj Vilas Palace Hotel - a world class hotel.
- Oberoi Rajvilas Palace Hotel, Goner Road, Jaipur 303 012, ☎ ''+91 141'' 268 0101 (gm@oberoi-rajvilas.com, fax: ''+91 141'' 268 0202), http://www.oberoihotels.com/india/jaipur/oberoirajvilas/. If you have money to blow and you want to stay in the lap of luxury, this is the place for you. Rs 22,500 to Rs 127,000.
Stay safe
Beyond the standard dangers of travelling in India (thieves, hustlers, touts, questionable drinking water), Jaipur has developed its own set of unique scams. You may be accosted by youths on motorbikes who claim that Westerners are unwilling to engage with the Indian people. The scam artist then changes their tune and invites the traveller to drink a tea. As a general rule, do not accept tea from strangers, but in addition be wary of any who invite you to talk in secluded areas.
There have been reports of smugglers trying to entice travellers to assist in smuggling items. Under no circumstances accept - smuggling is a major criminal act.
Get out
Continue into Rajasthan, to the beautiful city of lakes Udaipur, the stunning, powerful fort of Jodhpur, and onto the dreamy, enchanted desert city of Jaisalmer or for a more untouristic desert city go for the charm of Bikaner as an alternatice to Jaisalmer.
To Udaipur train #2965,Jaipur Udaipur Superfast Express, is the best option has it has recently entered service after work was finished on converting the gauge enroute although many will try to tell you that it is still not operational at Railway Reservation Offices outside of Jaipur.
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