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Top 15 Tourist Attractions and Places to visit in Jaipur
Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Millions of people visit the capital city of Rajasthan every year. Jaipur is one-third of the incredibly popular tour called the Golden Triangle Tour India. Being a gateway to other tourist destinations of the state like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Mount Abu, makes it one the most-visited place in India. Jaipur has a lot of history associated with it even though it was one of the cities that were founded a lot later in Rajasthan. Raja Jai Singh II, founded the city in 1727 during his reign and the city was hence named after him. He shifted his base from Amer to Jaipur in order to accommodate the growing population and find a solution to the problem of water scarcity. The whole city of Jaipur was painted in natural pink colour back in 1876 and since then the colour has remained within many parts of the city. This distinctive colour gave the nickname of ‘Pink City’ to the city. Jaipur lets you experience its rich history, tradition and culture through the different forts, palaces, temples and various places spread in and around the city of Jaipur. This article will take you through the Top 15 Tourist Attractions and Places to visit in Jaipur.
Amber Fort
Amber Palace or Amer Fort was once home to the royal family. The fort, sitting on top of a hill, lies just 11 kms from the main city of Jaipur. The fort was built using red sandstone and marbles and is laid out on four levels with their own courtyards. It lies close to another fort called Jaigarh Fort just a few hundred meters away from it. You get to witness some of the most amazing views of the city lying below. Maota Lake lying adjacent to the fort is its major water source. However, the shortage of water prompted the royals leave the fort to build a new one in present day Jaipur. The huge courtyards, fresco paintings, murals, intricate design works of stone and mirror and statues are few of the many things you can see in the fort. The Fort is one of the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Jaipur.
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City Palace
City Palace was the new palace that the royal family built when the shifted their base from Amer. The palace got its foundation and the basic structure during the reign of Raja Jai Singh II but the construction work continued for more than a hundred years to accommodate the changes and additions made by the subsequent rulers. Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Diwan-i-khas and Diwan-i-Am are some of the major sections of the palace. It has a vast array of courtyards, gardens and royal buildings throughout the complex. The City Palace is one the finest examples of Indian architecture with incredible design works incorporated in the walls, rooms and courtyards of the complex, making it one of the best places in the Top 15 Tourist Attractions and Places to visit in Jaipur.
Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal is a palace that lies amidst the ‘Pink City’, close to the City Palace of Jaipur. The facade of the palace facing the main road makes it one of the most visually stunning palaces in Jaipur. Back in the days, the royal women were not meant to show their face to the public and hence could not attend public gatherings and meetings. Hence, a palace was built with hundreds of windows to allow these women to have a look at the outside world. Hawa Mahal has 953 windows in total, which allows the wind to flow throughout the palace with ease, hence the name, which roughly translates to ‘Palace of Wind’.
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Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort was one of the three forts along with Jaigarh Fort and Amer Fort that formed a strong defence mechanism for the main city of Jaipur. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh built the fort in 1734 as a place for retreat on top of a big hill but later worked as a strong defence base. The view you get from the top of the fort is pure bliss and something that is hard to express in words. The palace saw quite a bit of construction work over the years when there were suites made for the queens and the king. You get to witness some of the best mural works done in a fort in Jaipur.
Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort is the third fort among the series of forts located on hilltops in Jaipur. The fort sits on top of a hill, 400m above the Amber Palace and acted as a defence base to the palace when it was home of the royals. A secret passageway connects the two forts, which was used by the members of the royal family during the war or a siege. The fort was once a canon foundry that mass-produced canons, back in the days, making it a stronghold for all the royals of the area. You can get some stunning pictures of landscape from the top of the fort, making it a must-visit place in Jaipur.
Jantar Mantar Observatory
Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the main observatory out of the many the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II built during his reign in different parts of North India. The king was fascinated with the concept of cosmos and how the movement of celestial bodies affected the daily life of humans and hence built these massive structures. There are 19 astronomical instruments in the complex, including the largest stone sundial in the world. The structures present in the complex allow you to make astronomical observations with naked eye with a lot of accuracy. The instruments used to help the King understand the concept of time more accurately and thus helping him plan war strategies with precision. The Jantar Mantar Observatory is the second UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jaipur.
Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal (The Water Palace) is a palace built in the middle of a lake in the city of Jaipur. The palace, built in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake, is a fine example of the Rajput style of architecture. The five-storey structure is built using red sandstone and has various unique structures like ‘chhatri’, fresco paintings, murals and multiple windows, all a sign of Rajput structure. Four stories of the building remain underwater when the lake is full of water. There was an option of boating for the tourists but it has now been shut down due to an accident a few years back. However, it is a great place to visit with a small market on the street adjacent to it.
Birla Mandir
Birla Mandir is part of the several temples built by the Birla family of India. The temple is built on an elevated ground below the Moti Dungari Hill in Jaipur. Lord Vishnu is the main deity of the temple and the three domes of the temple depicts the three different approaches one can have in the Hindu religion. The temple, made up of white marble, looks great during the day and even more stunning when it is lit during the night. The beauty of the temple lies in the fact that the outer walls statues or carvings of some of the greatest personalities the world has seen, like Buddha, Christ, Zarathustra, Socrates and Confucius.
Nahargarh Biological Park
Nahargarh Biological Park is a part of the Nahargarh Sanctuary and gives you an opportunity to get close to nature. The park is known for its incredible variety of flora and fauna available here, also acting as a research place to study about these different species. The place is perfect for wildlife photography, especially bird photography, as it is home to more than 280 species of birds. Ganga Vilas, Lalit Vilas and Gopal Vilas were once the small palaces that the royals used to rest while on hunting but now they work as rest houses for the tourists. Asiatic Lions, Panthers, Bengal Tigers, hyenas and wolves are few of the many animals that you can spot in the zoological park.
Albert Hall Museum
Albert Hall Museum is the oldest museum in Jaipur, named after King Albert Edward VII, the Prince of Wales, as he laid the foundation stone of the structure during his visit to India. The Museum was built under the reign of Maharaja Ram Singh who built it as a town hall. However, his successor Maharaja Madho Singh made it a museum and stored artefacts that were important to the culture of Rajasthan. The museum was opened to public in 1887 and now is the state museum of Rajasthan. The museum, built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, has some of the best collections of jewellery, carpets, ivory stones, coins of different eras, paintings, weapons and several other artefacts.
Galtaji Temple
Galtaji Temple is a series of temples, which was once an ancient Hindu pilgrimage. The temples built in the crannies of the hills that surround the temples from all sides. A natural spring coming from the mountains fills the numerous water tanks or ‘kunds’ present in the area. Pilgrims bathe here in these sacred kunds before visiting the temple atop the hill. The Galta Kund is the holiest of the seven kunds present in the area. The site has pavilions with rounded roofs, painted walls and carved pillars. The view you get from the top of these Aravali Hills is one of the best in Jaipur as you get to see the whole of Jaipur from here.
Govind Dev Ji Temple
Govind Dev Ji Temple is one of the most revered temples in the city of Jaipur. The main deity of the temple is of Govind Ji (Lord Krishna). Raja Sawai Jai Singh II built the temple inside the City Palace of Jaipur. It is believed that the idol of the deity brought from Vrindavan looks exactly the way he was. The popular belief is that the idol was built by the great-grandson of Krishna himself close to 5000 years ago, hence the resemblance of the statue’s face to that of Krishna’s. Thousands of people visit the temple every day to attend the morning and evening ‘aartis’. The temple witnesses an even greater footfall during the festival of Janmashtami.
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Panna Meena ka Kund
Panna Meena ka Kund is a historic stepwell known for its symmetrical stairways. The kund acted as a water tank back in the days and was one of the main water sources for the locals of the area. Built in the 16th century, the stepwell was a hotspot for public meetings as people from different villages came here to fetch water, have a swim or just chat. One of the most interesting things about this place is that no tourist can use the same steps to get down and go back up but the locals manage to do that easily. The Kund is another one of the places that gives you an opportunity to take some stunning pictures.
Sisodia Rani Bagh
Sisodia Rani Bagh is a beautiful garden palace built just a few kilometres away from the city of Jaipur. The complex has multiple gardens beautifully built on different tiers. The multi-level garden has multiple fountains, watercourses and painted pavilions that improve the aesthetics of the place. There is a palace built at the top-most level of the garden. You can witness some of the most beautiful murals and artwork, depicting scenes from the fabled stories of Lord Krishna, in the galleries, hallways and rooms of the palace. This garden complex is one of those places that may not be popular among tourist but surely gives you some great memories.
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Choki Dhani Village
Choki Dhani Village is one of the Top 15 Tourist Attractions and Places to visit in Jaipur that you must not forget to experience on your tour. The area, built like a classic Jaipur village, is a place where you get to experience everything that the city of Jaipur has to offer. You get to experience the amazingly unique food delicacies of the famous Rajasthani cuisine and witness different folk songs and dances. You can enjoy the experience only in the evenings, making it the ideal option to end your Jaipur tour. You get a first-hand understanding of how the traditional locals of Jaipur lived.
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