When we've that ardent desire to travel and a long weekend coming, we could not resist our vagabond pulses and contemplate on our next destination. After much pondering and bickering, we gave in for Jaipur.
Jaipur is India's magnum opus and exhibits an elegant blend of the ancient and the contemporary that attracts abundant vacationists. This bustling city offers from pink-tinted buildings to historic splendour, from colourful markets to chaotic streets, from the traditional delicacies to modern-aged cafes and the list goes on and on.
From October to March, its winter in Jaipur and ranges the best time to visit the pink city of Rajasthan. It humbles you with cool breezes. This season is favourable for the travelers, as one can explore without having to find a shed.
We were staying at the Zostel as the location was an added advantage and situated in a prominent area. The rooms are clean, the common area is quite spacious and the walls are beautifully painted. Above all, the staff is welcoming and humble. You'll definitely want to come back and visit this place again like other zostels.
The City Palace is open from 9:30 in the morning and will take around two hours to visit. Ensure to visit the palace before the crowd rushes in, wherein you shall miss capturing some great shots at this architecture with exquisite intricate carvings. Since the palace is divided into two parts - the museum and the royal palace, there are two separate tickets that you need to purchase for each part.
Walkable from the City Palace, Jantar Mantar is the largest astronomical observatory and has major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses, ascertaining declinations of planets, tracking stars in their orbits etc. We shall recommend to hire a guide to understand the working of the instruments or else you'll be sauntering and regret wasting your time here.
Located at a stone throw away from the commercial center of Pink City, Hawa Mahal is considered as the landmark of Jaipur. Also, known as the 'Palace of winds', this five-storey building is decorated with 953 windows or 'Jharokhas' which are adorned with intricate designs. Through this fort all the Rajput women used to catch the glimpses of royal processions, hustles and bustles of the city. This gave the women a sense of freedom, without appearing in public.
Sisodia Rani ka Bagh is a hallmark of Sawai Jain Singh's love for his beloved queen from Udaipur. The sprawling landscape is an exquisite blend of traditional Indian and Mughal architecture with picturesque lawns and beautiful flower beds. The best time to visit this garden is in the evening for sunset to witness the orange hues of dusk. With not many visitors, you can spend a very peaceful time strolling around watching peacocks and other birds.
Panna Meena ka kund was built during the 16th-century reign of Maharaja Jai Singh, the baori’s (step-well) geometric staircases are a stunning medley of intelligent engineering and architectural beauty; the symmetrical arrangement of stairs in a criss-cross manner, the recessed doorways and the octagonal gazebos. Presently, there are security personnel guarding the well as its restricted to step down. Best time to visit this place is early morning to avoid any jam.
Amer fort alternatively known as Amber fort and Amer Palace is situated in Amer town and located high up on a hill. Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the appealing, luxurious palace is laid out on 4 levels, each with a courtyard. This palace and also Jaigarh Fort is considered one complex, as both are attached by a subterranean passage, which visitors use to visit the latter.
With an expansive layout overlooking Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort boasts of exuberance and royalty. It was built to be a defensive structure, than a palace itself, by the king. The highlight of the fort is the connecting underground pathway between Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort to help people reach safety, in case of an attack. You can walk along the magnificent walls of the fort and get a very good view from there.
Externally, this seems like a palace. Due to time constraints, we couldn't go in. This gallery is a treat for historic artifacts.
Shopping in Jaipur
There are undoubtedly some notable shopping places in Jaipur that can enrich your total shopping experience. But we could stopover at the below markets:
1. Bapu Bazaar : For beautiful garments, lac bangles, Jaipuri stoles, Gotapatti fabrics / dresses, dupattas etc.
2. Nehru Bazaar: For colorful and pretty mojris
3. Johari Bazaar: For traditional kundan and silver jewellery
Where we ate
This is an amazing small cafe exactly opposite to Hawa Mahal. The location is perfect for clicking pictures of Hawa Mahal. The cafe serves some good fast food and soft beverages and shakes.
After assessing many options on the internet, we gave in this restaurant to devour the Rajasthani Thali and voila, it was the best decision we'd made. This place is a delight for classic Rajasthani cuisine lovers.
When in Rajasthan, non-veg lover cannot afford to miss eating Lal Maas. Handi is one such restaurant serving amazing Lal Maas, which was oh-so-delicious and mouth-watering. We had also ordered Chicken Biryani, which was equally divine.
This place offers plenty of rich-creamy Kulfis and Faloodas together with lots of hustle. We tried their Rabdi Falooda and Pista Kulfi, which was delectable.
Along with the magnificent architecture and rich culture, the pink city has also embraced the trend of quirky cafes. One such cafe is this, with cute + cosy ambience and seating arrangement. We had been here for breakfast.
This one's original lassiwala and was hard to locate them as there are so many shops trying to mirror them, but they are still going strong. They serve thick and creamy lassis in small/big Kulhads (clay glass).
This is a hidden gem nestled near Hawa Mahal and please, do not get deceived by its exterior. The interiors have surprisingly hygienic, stupendous yet fancy ambience. And the food is heavenly.
One of the best Pyaz (Onion) Kachori is found here. This place is jam-packed. Do not miss their diverse traditional sweets like Ghevar to take home.
Approximate Spends per couple (in INR)
Mumbai-Jaipur Return flight : 12,000
Stay at Zostel for 3 nights: 5,000/-
Food: 5,000/-
Local Travel: 1,500/-
Monumental Visits: 600/-
Approximate Total Cost: INR 24,100/-
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