Jaipur, named after Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amer, is the largest city in Rajasthan. Widely popular as a tourist destination, Jaipur is a part of the Golden Triangle&ndashDelhi-Agra-Jaipur. The city is synonymous with beautiful palaces, forts, museums and colourful Rajasthani traditional handicrafts and textile. If you are in the city for the first time, here are 6 must-visit places that will give you a more-than-satisfactory Jaipur experience.
Hawa Mahal
You can always start with a visit to Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds. The palace is located in Badi Choupad and looks like a honeycomb from afar. Built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, this fine specimen of Rajput architecture has an astounding number of small windows, also called jharokhas&ndash953 in total In the bygone days, the mahal's womenfolks used these tiny windows to observe daily life out in the street below. That and also these windows were great for ventilation during hot summer days.
Bapu Bazaar
Walk a short distance from Hawa Mahal to go to Bapu Bazaar. A trip to Jaipur is incomplete if you are not buying mojris from this market. These gorgeous camel leather footwears are everywhere and very light on the pocket too (remember to bargain). Mojris aside, you can also shop for traditional Rajasthani handcrafted items of marble, sandstone, colourful clothes, souvenirs, jewellery, perfumes etc. The place is a riot of colours.
Amer Fort
This one's located 11 km away from Jaipur city. Located on a hill, the zig-zag pattern of the road leading up to the fort is a sight to behold. The fort, built by Raja Man Singh, also serves as his palace. The fort overlooks Moata Lake. On your way to Amer Fort, you can also pay a visit to Panna Meena ke Kund, an eight-storey stepwell from the 16th century. The symmetry of the stairs is stunning and one can't help but marvel at the architecture. This stepwell was used to store rain water during monsoon.
Nahargarh Fort
Overlooking the city of Jaipur, this fort, built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, stands tall and impressive. The corridors of this fort have some delicate frescoes and arches (good phot-ops). The roof of the fort looks spectacular with its domes and spires. But what's most attractive is the aerial view of Jaipur city.
Jal Mahal
This palace is right in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. Another fine example of Rajput architecture, the palace, thought not open to visitors, can be viewed from the edge of the lake. The red sandstone palace is originally a five-storied structure, out of which four remains submerged.
City Palace
City Palace is a palace complex constituting of Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal. The royals still reside there due to which only some parts of the palace complex is open to visitors. Chandra Mahal, the most prominent building in the complex, is a seven-storied structure but only the ground floor is open to visitors which also happen to have a museum. The museum has a display of items belonging to the royal family. The art and architecture of the palace is spectacular.
