Most popular places to visit in Jaipur
Tourist Attractions | Places to visit in Jaipur
Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Once you land in the Pink City, you may wonder what to see first. The following are some of the best tourist places to visit in Jaipur:
Amer Fort
Amer Fort, located only 11 Kms from the main city of Jaipur, is one of the leading destinations to visit for tourists in Jaipur. Constructed of marble and sandstone, the fort is known for its exquisite architecture that reflects Hindu aesthetic. Cobbled paths connect different areas of the fort together, creating a stunning visual element. Moreover, the fort lies overlooking Lake Maota, which was the principal source of water for this fort. Four levels tall, this fort has spacious courtyards on each level, leading to an open feeling even within the closed compounds With the sparkling lakes and the majestic Aravali hills in the backdrop, Amer Fort offers breath-taking views.
City Palace
The City Palace in Jaipur is an elaborate complex of palaces and structures, making this a necessary site to visit. Some of the notable places within the City Palace include Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Maharani Palace, Mubarak Mahal, Pritam Niwas Chowk, Bagghi Khana, Govind Dev Ji Temple, and Chandra Mahal. Elaborate entrance gates are spread across the City Palace as well. While the Chandra Palace has now be converted partly into a museum, certain areas of the palace are still active as residential areas for members of the existing royal family. The City Palace complex showcases an outstanding fusion of Indian, Rajput, and Mughal architecture.
Jantar Mantar
Star-gazers and astronomy enthusiasts in particular will love this site. Jantar Mantar is a complex located in Jaipur. It houses 19 ancient astronomical instruments that were built by the Rajput King, Sawai Jaisingh II. This UNESCO world heritage site houses the largest stone sundial in the world. The fact that these instruments allow one to observe astronomical objects through the naked eye is quite fascinating. Especially if one considers that this complex was built in 1723! The instruments at Jantar Mantar offer many uses such as calculating eclipses, measuring time, tracking the location of stars around the Earth, determining the celestial altitudes, and so on. It is definitely a place to visit while touring Jaipur.
Hawa mahal
The name Hawa Mahal translates to Palace of Wind or Breeze. Made of red and pink sandstone, this airy palace is a sight to behold in Jaipur. The Hawa Mahal is a part of the City Palace complex, and extends to the Janana, which was the women’s quarters. The 5 storey monument is lauded for its resemblance to a beehive’s honeycomb. This is because it as 953 tiny windows known as jharokas. These windows have intricate lattice work on them. They were made so that the women of the royal court could watch the on goings on the streets below them, without being seen. The crisscross of the lattice allows air to breeze through the palace, making it cool and pleasant during the summer months.
Birla Mandir
Located at the foot of the Moti Dungri fort, Birla Mandir is a temple that is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. While most of the other monuments mentioned in this article are ancient, the Birla Mandir is not very old. Its construction began in 1977 and finished in 1985. The temple has been a known tourist site since then, and is said to be particularly riveting at night. The Birla temple is also known as the Laxmi Narayan temple as it contains idols of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi. The idols attract the most attention at this temple. This is because they are both made of a single block of marble.
Nahargarh Fort
Standing on the foothills of the Aravalis, Nahargarh fort was used to form a defence ring for Jaipur. Popular mythology states that the fort was named after Nahar Singh Bhomia. It is believed that his spirit haunted the fort and caused numerous delays in construction. His ghost was pacified when a temple dedicated solely to Nahar Singh Bhomia was built within the walls of the fort. After this, construction went on smoothly, and the majestic fort was built without a hitch. The fort is extremely beautiful and tourists love going to the terraces to admire the breath-taking views.
Albert Hall Museum
Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur, is the oldest museum of Rajasthan. It has such an extensive collection of historical artefacts that it has been appointed the State Museum of Rajasthan. Travellers looking to understand the culture and heritage of Rajasthan must certainly put this spot on their itinerary. The museum opened in 1887 and is also widely known as the Government Central Museum. Interestingly, this building was intended to be a town hall of sorts. Apart from historical artefacts, Albert Hall Museum has a great collection of art.
Galta Ji Temple
Galta Ji is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in Jaipur. It includes a complex of various temples that are built into a crevice in the ring of hills around Jaipur city. The hills have a natural spring of water. The water flows down into sacred tanks in which many pilgrims bathe. Located 10 kms away from Jaipur, this temple complex has been a popular pilgrim site since the 15th century. One of the temples within the complex is colloquially known as the monkey temple and is loved by tourists as it houses many monkeys. This temple is actually known as the Sita Ram Ji temple.
Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh fort is a well known tourist destination in Jaipur. The fort is located in a place known as Cheel ka Teela, which translates to the hills of eagles. It is only 400 m above Amer fort, and tourists generally visit the two places during the same day. It is also quite close to the Nahargarh Fort. Jaigarh fort was the defence structure of the palace in this area. Due to the abundance of iron ore near this fort, it came a huge canon foundry during the Mughal rule.
Jal Mahal
The name Jal Mahal translates to water palace. It is called so because it is located right at the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur City. This is one of the best palaces to visit if you want to understand more about Rajput architecture. The view itself is quite picturesque, with the palace floating in the middle of the lake, isolated from crowds. Made of red sandstone, this five storey palace is quite interesting. This is because 4 floors remain underwater when the lake is full. When the water receeds, you can see the rest of the palace.
Chowki Dhani
If you want to experience a traditional Rajasthani village, you must go to Chowki Dhani. Located 20 kms away from Jaipur, Chowki Dhani is a mock village. It is built on the outskirts of Jaipur on the tonk Road and contains many delightful things. Open terrace restaurants, live performances, and camel rides are some of these things. Millions of tourists flock to Chowki Dhani each year to experience Rajput culture in all its glory. Chowki Dhani offers the best of Rajasthani cuisine, as well as fun acrobats, amuseparks and more. If you are looking for a fun-filled evening, this is the place to go.
Moti Dungri Temple
Moti Dungri Temple is a temple complex in Jaipur. This complex is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The idol present in this temple is believed by many to be more than 500 years old. It is estimated that devotees offer around 1.25 lakhs of laddos (round Indian sweets) to the idol every year. The temple is built in the distinct Nagara style. It located quite close to the Birla mandir complex. It is only 6 kms away from the main city of Jaipur. The temple’s architecture is modelled on Scottish castles, making it an interesting site to see all the way in India.
Panna Meena Ka Kund
Panna Meena Ka Kund is an extremely interesting site to see. It is an ancient step well that was made to catch rain water and store it. The site is over 450 years old. Due to the intricate structure of the step well, it is believed that it is not impossible to walk down to the base of the well and climb back up using the same set of stairs. The step wells are located within a compound that includes rooms and spacious pathways. It also offers a great view of the Amer fort. Panna Meena Ka Kund must feature on your list of places to visit in Jaipur!
Tour Packages including Jaipur City
4 Days Golden Triangle Tour | 5 Days Golden Triangle Tour | 6 Days Golden Triangle Tour | Golden Triangle with Taj Hotels | Golden Triangle with Luxury Hotels | Golden Triangle with Oberoi Hotels | Golden Triangle with Ranthambore Tour | Golden Triangle with Kerala | Golden Triangle with Rajasthan | Agra jaipur Udaipur Tour | Rajasthan Tour with Oberoi Hotels | Rajasthan Tour with Taj Hotels | 12 Days Rajasthan Tour from Delhi | Rajasthan Heritage Tour | Taj Mahal Rajasthan and Kerala Tour
