Jaipur is India's pink jewel of history, architecture and sophisticated culture
Jaipur's forts, palaces and temples are some of the most exciting tourist attractions in India
If you love history and old buildings, you must visit Jaipur, the state capital of Rajasthan, in northwest India. Established in the late-1700s by the ruler of the Amber Kingdom, Sawai Jai Singh, Jaipur was India’s first planned city.
Also nicknamed the “Pink City” for the colour of much of its architecture, Jaipur completes India's “Golden Triangle” of must-see tourist destinations, along with Delhi and Agra.
The Amber Fort is well worth a visit during the spring or summer as its pastel-yellow architecture looks so striking in the greenness of the Aravalli Range valley it surveys. Built in 1592, about 11km from Jaipur, this Hindu- and Muslim-styled stronghold-palace complex is one of the region's important attractions. Visitors traditionally reach the hilltop complex on an elephant, and then see the structure's four distinct areas - each with its own quaint, leafy courtyard.
The fort's highlights include the spectacular hall, the Sheesh Mahal, which is covered in vivid inlaid panels and thousands of tiny glass mirrors, and Shila Devi Temple, which has exquisite silver doors that are a confection of repoussé (raised relief) work. There are two other majestic, age-old castles in this vicinity: Jaigarh, with red walls, grassy quads and world-record-sized cannon (Jaivana); and Nahargarh, which is celebrated for housing the fading splendour of the Madhavendra Bhawan palace.
One can imagine that this part of India was almost like a maharajas' playground in the past. Other opulent edifices include the early 18th-century, multistoreyed City Palace complex, which is still used as a royal residence; and the mirage-like Jal Mahal, which means “Water Palace” – a composite of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles in the middle of the aquamarine-calm of Man Sagar Lake.
