Visit Jaipur (The Pink City), India (UNESCO site)

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Jaipur, India is the largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and also its capital. The city was originally built inside fortification walls beginning in 1727 and was laid out in a grid pattern following the dictates of Shilpa Shastra (rules) of Hindu architecture. When Prince Albert of Wales visited Jaipur the city welcomed him with its buildings dressed entirely in hues of pink, thus earning the nickname “The Pink City”. Tourism is of significant importance to the economy of Jaipur. Among the unique opportunities available, tourists find that hitching a ride on an elephant to tour the Amber Fort (named for the goddess “Amba”, not the color) is memorable, not just for the experience of the ride but for the tens of thousands of mirrored tiles on the walls and ceilings of Sheesh Mahal. Another fortification, Jaigarh Fort has the reputation of never being conquered in battle and the site of the world’s largest cannon. Nahargarh Fort, the smallest of the three forts, affords spectacular views of Man Sagar Lake and houses Madhavendra Bhawan palace. Jal Mahal, or the “Water Palace” is another favored spot with its Rajut style architecture, located on its own island in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. City Palace is a massive palace complex comprising nearly 1/7th of Jaipur. It houses a number of palatial structures dispersed among its series of courtyards and sprawling gardens including Chandra Mahal (the home of the current Maharajah of Jaipur), the Mubarak Mahal with its textile museum and Diwan e-Khas, exhibiting the two largest silver vessels in the world. Hawa Mahal, also found within the City Palace grounds, was built to allow royal ladies the opportunity to observe daily life in the city below without being detected. Houses of worship are high on the lists of visitors to Jaipur. One of the most important Temples in the world for disciples of Lord Krishna, Govind Devji Temple, can be found in Jaipur in the City Palace district. Birla Temple is built almost entirely of white marble and commands attention as a result. Moti Doongari, the main center of religion for the people of Jaipur is built on a hill with an accompanying palace, dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Jain Mandar is considered a unique place of miracles and counts among its treasures a beautiful statue of the God Padamprabhu, sitting cross legged, made of pure white stone. Another favorite place to visit is Jantar Mantar, the largest of five astronomical observatories built in the 1700’s which consists of 14 major geometric devices for measuring time, tracking stars, predicting eclipses and other celestial pursuits. The Central Museum (also referred to as the Albert Museum) is a majestic building constructed by the British in 1876 and displays a large collection of paintings, weapons and armor suits among its exhibits. Just outside Jaipur is Galtaji Temple, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year hoping to rinse away their sins in the natural spring water tanks, maybe visit with the large tribe of monkeys that inhabit the grounds or to take advantage of the awesome view of the city and surrounding mountains. A visit to Jaipur, India belongs on the list of any dreamer hoping to see antique instruments of celestial studies, religious centers of great cultural significance and early vestiges of city planning. On 6 July 2019, UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed Jaipur the ‘Pink City of India’ among its World Heritage Sites.

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