Landmarks of Jaipur, the Pink City

One of India’s most popular tourist destinations, Jaipur is named for the salmon hued paint on a majority of the old city’s buildings. This colourful city is synonymous with grand palaces surrounded by manicured gardens, handsome forts and monuments that are oft seen as landmarks not only for the city but also symbolic of India. Of the myriad things to see and experience, here’s a list of the top few:

Rambagh Palace – Known as the ‘Jewel of Jaipur’, Rambagh Palace is the former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Its boundless beauty has been restored and maintained, and now it is a heritage hotel, one of the most luxurious in the world. This structure has evolved quite a few times. The original building was made in 1835, as a house for the Queen’s handmaiden only to be converted into a hunting lodge and finally the palace. Ideally located, Rambagh Palace is mostly the starting spot chosen by Jaipur travel destination guides for a city tour.

Rambagh Palace

Only 3.5 kms from Rambagh Palace Hotel is the City Palace complex built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. The complex is one part museum in the Mubarak Mahal building housing artifacts, costumes and artwork pertaining to royal heritage. The major part of the palace, known as the Chandra Mahal is still used by the royal family. A visitor to the complex also gets to see the ornate peacock gate and the Diwaan-I-Khaas.

City Palace

Another essential on any visitor’s list is the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Jantar Mantar. This is an astronomical observatory made by the founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Jai Singh, who was a scholar and an avid astrologer. There are a total of five such observatories in India, but the one in Jaipur is the largest. Other than being home to the largest sundial in the world, the Jaipur observatory has 13 more large-scale tools and observatory points. These are used to measure time, keep a track of stars and predict eclipses and other astronomical happenings. This fantastic structure manages to draw not only astronomy enthusiasts but also a whole lot of regular tourists.

Jantar Mantar

Hawa Mahal - Probably Jaipur’s most famous monument, the Hawa Mahal Palace was built in 1798 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. Since its recent renovation, it is a beauty to behold. A part of the City Palace complex, this 5 storied crown shaped structure has a whopping 953 ornate lattice worked windows on its red and pink sandstone facade. Apart from the ventilation they provide in the hot Jaipur climes, these little windows were used by royal ladies to observe the goings on in the city without being seen themselves.

Hawa Mahal

Amber Fort – Perched on top of a hill with commanding views of the surrounding scenery, Jaipur’s Amber Fort beckons tourists to its grandeur. Estimated at upward of 5,000 visitors a day, Amber Fort is one of Jaipur’s most popular landmarks. Built in the 16th century, this magnificent structure is in surprisingly great condition. This formidable fort built by Raja Man Singh, was the original home of the Jaipur royals, and this is where they resided up until Jaipur was built. The fort is known for the artistic Hindu elements used in its construction. It is also connected via underground tunnel to the nearby Jaigarh Fort.

Amber Fort