By The Editor
Featured Photograph by Rahul Chakraborty
With perfect shades of pink scattering across the land through the architecture rising above the humid sky and elevating this purposeful city – is the exact place that turns everyone into a wanderer. Jaipur – the landscape immersed with royal embroidery and the golden touch of warm sand over an area of 484.6 km per square is notably the capital city of India’s largest state, Rajasthan.
Forming the Golden Triangle along with Delhi and Agra, Jaipur is part of a trinity that majorly attracts people from all over the world.
This city is named after the Rajput ruler, Maharaja Jai Singh II, who founded it in 1727. And since many crucial landmarks are pink in tone, this city came to be called the ‘Pink City’ – which is also how you feel when you visit this place, a unique sight with comfort and elegance, that would leave you in awe.
01.
HAWA MAHAL
An elaborative and well-decorated palace built in 1799 by Maharaja Pratap Singh, Hawa Mahal is a beautiful merge of red and its subtle counterpart, pink sandstones. Hawa means air that describes how even the air cannot escape the gracious sight of this place. It may loosely translate to a breath of fresh air due to its unique embellishments around the Jharokhas, which stands for tiny windows in this palace are 953 in number and soothing for the ambiance of this majestic place.
02.
AMBER PALACE
A historical site illustrated in stone and carving a wonderful experience with light and sound, Amber Palace or Amer Fort, is a marvelous palace beautified with the sandstones with the pink and mellow shade of yellow sandstones along with the touch of white marble. It is segregated into several courtyards and temples. This place highlights the silver lining of architecture in Rajasthan.
03.
NAHARGARH PALACE
A scintillating fort built in 1734 by Maharaja Jai Singh II, Nahargarh Fort was constructed to strengthen the defense of the kingdom along with two other forts – Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort. Initially, the key role of this fort became to serve as a retreat for royal women with several quarters for them known as Zenana. This fort covers the very edge of the Aravalli Hills. Due to this elevated location, the view of the city from this spot is breathtaking.
04.
JAIGARH FORT
A fort that could never be conquered during the age of battle and gained the title of the Fort of Victory. The Jaigarh Fort is presumably the strongest fort out of the three that stand as the armor of this city. Today this fort safeguards the world’s largest cannon, ‘Jaivana’ built during the time of Maharaja Jai Singh II, and the detailed structure adds to the importance of this place and its history.
05.
CITY PALACE
Established in 1727 when Maharaja Jai Singh II moved to Jaipur from Amber, the City Palace was the site for cultural events and important ceremonies. This palace itself comprises other significant structures such as Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, the City Palace Museum, and Mubarak Mahal – various folds to the crown of this royal palace are worth visiting.
