It all started way back from school. When we used to get new books at the start of every new term. School is the place where our interests germinate, take shape. All those geography, social studies, history books with the shiny, lit pictures of Hawa Mahal and Pink City. That was where I got curious to know about the place it belongs to - Jaipur.
Jaipur is also called 'Choti Kashi' because of its vast number of temples. Built by the king Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, hence the name Jaipur. The best way to explore the city is on foot. Yes, pack a really nice and comfy pair of shoes if you really want to find the best lassi in the city and bargain to get the best price in the local market.
Last minute chaos - Hum They wo thi, aur sama rangeen samjh gaye na.
Jana tha Japan pahuch gaye cheen samajh gaye na.
This song is literally my story every frigging time I plan a trip. It was planned as Delhi-Agra trip but ended as Jaipur-Haridwar-Rishikesh-Musoorie-Delhi trip. Here I am narrating only Jaipur part.
November is not too cold not too hot in Jaipur. In fact the best season to visit Rajsthan is in winters in my opinion. Technically it is off season which makes it less crowded and cheaper, all the boxes ticked for a budget traveller!
All these places which I am going to cover for the day 1 of my trip is on walkable distances.
Amber fort is approximately 11 km away from the main city. You might take 2-3 hours to explore the fort so make sure you have enough time. It is located on a hill and connects to the Jaigarh fort via a tunnel. Amber for was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with 5 other hill forts of Rajasthan.
Entry fee - Rs. 50 for fort and 200 for light show in the evening.
Timing - 8am to 5.30pm; 6.30pm to 9.15pm
Tip - Visit early in the morning or late evening to avoid burning sun.
It is connected to the Amber fort internally with a tunnel. Jaigarh fort was built to protect the Amber fort and hence it was a base of military activities.
Nahargarh fort is located on the Aravali hills overlooking the city of Jaipur. Literally it means the 'adobe of lions'. When you will take the cab from the city to the fort, make sure to talk to the cabbie they tell you all the local stories floating about the place, which is so much fun. There is a wax museum and a sheesh mahal as well at the entrance of the fort.
Entry fee - Rs. 50 for the fort and Rs. 500 for wax museum.
Timing - 10am to 5.30pm
Tip - Choose a time of the year so that you can avoid the scorching heat.
It is the place where we are going to spend our evening overlooking the Man Sagar lake and enjoying the cool breeze. It's a 5-story building of which 4 floors are submerged inside the water. Amazing right! on top of that they illuminate it with lighting to make it even more alive during the night.
Entry fee - free (That's because you can only watch it from outside of the lake.)
Timing - 12 noon to 10.30pm
Tip - Carry a good camera, because the lake is far and pictures should be good right!
Hawa Mahal was built in 1799 by the King Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh who was grandson of Sawai Jaisingh. It was basically made as an extension of the City Palace for Zanana (ladies). With its 953 windows and 5 floor structure, it is one of the most beautiful monuments of India.
Entry fee - Rs. 50.
Timing - 9 AM to 5 PM.
Tip - 1. To get the full instagrammable picture of the structure, get on to the tarrace of any restaurant on opposite side of the palace.
2. There is no official entry inside the Hawa Mahal, get local help to get inside from the back side.
This amazing knowledge centre is just 10 min away from the Hawa Mahal. This astronomical observatory features 19 architectural astronomical instruments and was built by Sawai Jaisingh in 1734. It featured world's biggest stone Sundial and is a UNESCO world heritage site. This is a splendid example of how the science was a prominent part of our day to day life since ages.
Entry fee - Rs 50 per adult.
Timing - 9 AM to 4.30 PM
Tips - 1. Hire or get along with a guide who can explain the technical importance of all the instruments. Things become much interesting when you understand the science behind them.
Let's march to the City Palace now, resident to the present day royal family and a tourist attraction centre in the capital city of Jaipur used to be the ceremonial and administrative seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur until 1949. It also houses the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum inside the premises. Do you remember the beautiful pictures of the Peacock Gate flashing on your Instagram feed? Yes, they are here in the Chandramahal courtyard, there are 4 small gates representing 4 seasons and Hindu gods, namely peacock gate, lotus gate, lahariya gate and rose gate.
Entry fee - Fees are different for visiting museum, palace and the queens chamber.
Timing - 9.30 AM to 5 PM
Tip - Beware of the fake guides approaching you from all sides. There is no need of any guide, you can open the Wikipedia page of the Palace which will help you enough.
Its a straight not to miss place if you are a shopping enthusiast but DO NOT forget to bargain. Yes, it is a beautiful shopping lane where you can buy handicrafts, cloths jewellery and household things. Patch work and leather work is famous here.
Entry fee - free
Timing - 11 AM to 9 PM
Tip - Bargain, bargain and bargain.
It is the oldest Museum of the state of Rajasthan, opened in 1887 for general public. History lovers make sure you don't get faint of happiness. Yes, its beautiful piece of architecture and if you head here in the evening, bonus lighting!
Entry fee - Rs. 40 per person.
Timing - 9am to 5pm, 7-10pm
5 min walk from the museum and you are at the gate of Masala Chowk. In my opinion it is a total touristy food court where you will find all the Indian street foods. Get your evening nom nom here and take a long evening walk towards your hotel room absorbing the sweet wind of the royal city.
The places we visited on the first day were all in the pink city itself but on the second day we are going out to explore the forts and other gems of the city.
Step wells are found all over the Rajasthan because of the obvious geographical reasons. Panna Meena ka kund is such a step-well constructed in 16th century used to provide water to nearby villages. Few stories also say that it served as the bathing place for kings and queens.
Entry fee - free
Timing - All over the day
Tip - Tourists are not allowed to get down on the steps. So, if you want to experience the privilege of going down well, take permission first.
