Jaipur

Jaipur

Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan. As of 2011, the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Located 268 km (167 mi) from the national capital New Delhi, Jaipur is also known as the Pink City due to the predominant colour scheme of its buildings in the old city.

Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II, the Kachwaha Rajput ruler of Amer, after whom the city is named. It is one of the earliest planned cities of modern India, designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. During the British colonial period, the city served as the capital of the Jaipur State. After Indian independence in 1947, Jaipur was made the capital of the newly formed state of Rajasthan in 1949.

Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in India, a part of the Western Golden Triangle tourist circuit along with Delhi and Agra. The city serves as a gateway to other tourist destinations in Rajasthan such as Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Udaipur, Kota, Mount Abu and has two World Heritage Sites of Amer Fort and Jantar Mantar. On 6 July 2019, the city was named in the list of World Heritage Cities. It is also called the Paris of India. Its beauty led C.V. Raman to call it the "Island of Glory".

History

Jaipur was founded on 18 November 1727 by Jai Singh II, a Rajput chieftain of the Kachwaha dynasty, who ruled the region from 1699 to 1743. He planned to move his capital from Amer, 11 kilometres (7 mi) away, to Jaipur, keeping in mind the growing population and increasing water shortages. Jai Singh consulted several architects while planning the layout of Jaipur and laid out the city on the principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra under the architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya.[18] Construction of the city began in 1726. During the rule of Sawai Ram Singh II, the city was painted pink to welcome Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1876. Many avenues are still painted pink, giving Jaipur a distinctive look and the nickname of the Pink City. In the 19th century, the city grew rapidly and had a population of 160,000 in 1900. Wide boulevards were paved and its main industries were metal and marble work, promoted by a school of art established in 1868. In August 1981, large areas of the city, including the airport, were flooded due to heavy rains caused by a cloudburst, resulting in eight deaths and much damage to the city's Dravavati River. On 6 July 2019, the city was added to the list of World Heritage Cities.

Culture and urban landscape

Tourism

Jaipur is a major tourist destination in India and is a part of the Golden Triangle. The 2008 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Survey ranked Jaipur as the seventh best place to visit in Asia. According to TripAdvisor's 2015 Traveler's Choice Awards, Jaipur ranked first among Indian destinations for the year. The Presidential Suite at the Raj Palace Hotel, which costs US$45,000 per night, was ranked second in CNN's list of the world's 15 most expensive hotel suites in 2012.[88] Jaipur was ranked eighth in the "Top 15 Cities in Asia". The Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC) is Rajasthan's largest convention and exhibition centre. Tourist attractions include the Albert Hall Museum, Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, City Palace, Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Birla Mandir, Galtaji, Govind Dev Ji Temple, Garh Ganesh Temple, Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple, Sanghiji Jain Temple and Jaipur Zoo. The Jantar Mantar Observatory, a collection of 19 astronomical instruments, and the Amer Fort are World Heritage Sites. The Hawa Mahal is a five-storey pyramid-shaped monument with 953 windows that rises 15 metres (50 ft) from its high base. Sisodia Rani Bagh and Kanak Vrindavan are major parks in Jaipur.

Culture
Jaipur has many cultural sites such as the Jawahar Kala Kendra, founded by Charles Correa and Ravindra Manch. The Government Central Museum houses many arts and antiquities. There is a Government Museum in the Hawa Mahal and an art gallery in Viratnagar. There are sculptures depicting Rajasthani culture all around the city. Jaipur has many traditional shops selling antiques and handicrafts, as well as contemporary brands reviving traditional techniques such as Anokhi. Jaipur's former rulers patronised many arts and crafts. They invited skilled artisans, artists and craftsmen from India and abroad who settled in the city. Some of the crafts include bandhani, block printing, stone carving and sculpture, tarkashi, zari, gota-patti, kinari and zardozi, silver jewellery, gemstones, kundan, enamelling and jewellery, lac bangles, miniature paintings, blue pottery, ivory carving, conch shell work and leather ware.
Jaipur has its own performing arts. The Jaipur Gharana for Kathak is one of the three gharanas of Kathak, the major classical dance form of North India. The Jaipur Gharana of Kathak is known for its intensely complex dance forms, lively body movements and subtle abhinaya. Ghoomar is a popular folk dance style. Tamasha is an art form in which puppetry is performed as a dance drama. Major festivals celebrated in Jaipur include Elephant Festival, Gangaur, Makar Sankranti, Holi, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Teej, Eid, Mahavir Jayanti and Christmas. Jaipur is also famous for the Jaipur Literature Festival, the world's largest free literature festival attended by authors, litterateurs and literature lovers from across the country.

Architecture
The city was planned in 1727 by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya according to Indian Vastu Shastra. It has three gates facing east, west and north. The eastern gate is called Suraj Pol (Sun Gate), the western gate is called Chand Pol (Moon Gate) and the northern gate faces the ancestral capital Amber. The architecture of the city was heavily influenced by the 17th-century architectural renaissance during Mughal rule in North India. The city was divided into nine sections, two of which contained state buildings and palaces, while the remaining seven were allotted to the public. Massive ramparts were built, with seven fortified gates. The city is unusual among pre-modern Indian cities in terms of the regularity of its streets and the division of the city into six zones by 34 m (111 ft) wide broad streets. The urban quarters are further divided by a network of gridded streets. Five-quarters wrap around a central palace quarter to the east, south and west, while the sixth quarter is immediately to the east. The Palace Quarter is surrounded by the Hawa Mahal palace complex, formal gardens and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city.

Food

Typical dishes include dal baati churma, missi roti, gatta ki sabzi, garlic chutney, ker sangri, makke ki ghat, bajre ki ghat, bajre ki roti and red meat. Jaipur is also known for its sweets including ghevar, feeni, mawa kachori, gajak, meethi thuli, chauguni ke laddu and moong thal.