JAIPUR - The Pink City

Jaipur, the ‘Symphony in Pink’ is the land of superlatives, where breathing

beauty and rich art and culture blend superbly to make the ‘Pink Jewel’, a ‘Tourist’s Eden’. The ‘Pink City’ or the ‘City of Victory’ is a splendid showcase of rich Rajasthani culture and heritage, and is a huge open air museum where relics of the golden past, and aristocratic antiquity are carefully preserved. Jaipur, was the former capital of the Kachhawahas, and very nearly exemplifies the character of the State and its people. It nestles amidst the Aravalli ranges and the surrounded by rugged hills on three sides, each crowned by a formidable fort, while the city is studded with grand palaces, majestic mansions and gracefully landscaped garden and parks.

The antiquity of the city can be traced back to 1699, when Maharaja Jai Singh II, ascended the Amber throne. His flair for mathematics and astronomy was legendary and he was not only a great scholar but also a fine soldier, builder and a poet. Jai Singh decided to shift his capital from the rugged hills of Amber to the present site. Thus the foundation stone for the new capital of Amber state was laid on 18th November 1727 and the city was named Jaipur, after its founder Jai Singh.

Jai Singh’s various talents and tastes are well exhibited in this dream city, as he not only planned the new city but the execution of the plans were also coordinated by him. The designing of the city was entrusted upon a young and talented Bengali architect, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, who gave shape to the plans and ideas of Jai Singh. It is perhaps the first planned city of India and was laid with great precision on the city was not according to the plans of Jai Singh but in 1863, Jaipur dressed itself in Pink to welcome Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria and this is how the color became an integral part of the city and is today popularly referred as ‘The Pink City’.

Jaipur, the city of forts and palaces, epitomizes the spirit of Rajputana and preserves its rich history and culture, even though the city has grown into a modern metropolis and a throbbing commercial centre. The fusion antiquity and modernity, excellent planning, unique architecture and colorful lifestyle of the city can excite even the most seasoned tourist. The city is a visitor’ delight and provides much more than one can expect and caters to the needs form of tourism, ranging from historical, cultural, adventure, sports, entertainment, shopping, business, conventions and conferences. Jaipur, is also a renowned handicraft centre and its will not be wrong to portray the city is known for producing exquisite gold jewelry enameled or inlaid with precious or semi-precious stones, blue pottery, carvings on wood, stone and ivory, block print and tie & textiles, leather articles, hand made paper, miniature paintings etc. No doubt, Jaipur is ‘Shopper’s Paradise’.

The city today has emerged as one of the most sought after destinations on the tourist map of the world. It is an important constituent of India’s famous ‘Golden Triangle’, the other two being Delhi (300 km.) and Agra (200 km).

An Earthquake Resistant City : - Sawai Jai Singh was a great scholar, mathematician and astrologer. He studied Hindu mythology and various ancient texts and scriptures, which enabled him combine the modern scientific knowledge and ancient wisdom to make Jaipur a perfectly planned city. Foolproof precautions were undertaken against natural calamities and an earthquake resistant site for the new city was selected. Sawai Jai Singh acquired an atlas in 1725, from Nuremberg in Germany and also took help from European experts to ensure that Jaipur was a quake-resistant city. He ordered his Ustas (architects) to map the underground water systems of the area and selected a ridge as the focal point of the city, as these structures are considered to be earthquake resistant. Natural features were left undisturbed as these could cause stress, resulting in building collapses.

Even the stones used to build the buildings were acquired from the local Amargarh quarry as it was found to be of sufficient hardness. He made the foundation deep and put in a network of canals which could act as shock absorber.