India motorcycle tour around the ancient forts of Rajasthan

With an Indian motorcycle tour you get some serious history too. Rajasthan – The Kingdom of ancient Maharaja’s and giant forts as big as a city.

We finally get the bikes loaded with luggage, looks like the Wolfman Saddlebags will work with out racks

Som picked up a nail…..50 bht and the waxy string repair all done in 3 minutes

Up into the Himalayas & a glimpse of the Shimla train headed the same way

A real accomplishment all those years ago getting this train up the mountain

Slowly but surely getting there

So the mission first was to find snow as near to Shimla as we could, then head south to Rajasthan. Luck was on our side, we only had to go 15km north of Shimla & it was pretty snowy around Kufri

Abouit 40km north of Kufri, the road is closed, all the passes are now blocked by snow until March/ April, the only way to Leh is to fly there

Snow topped mountains to the north

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Kufri area not so bad

Mission accomplished, time to head back down to Shimla, this place looked like it has seen some snow storm damage

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Plenty of hotels in Shimla, high season, many were full

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An hour of light left, time for a quick look around Shimla

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The governing retreat for the British in colonial times, to hide from the brutal Delhi summer heat, the British influence can be seen everywhere

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Snow capped mountains in the distance to the north

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Shimla is infested with monkeys, this guy biting through a Pepsi bottle for its contents

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A very cool mountain town for sure

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Blood red sunset reflecting off the shop houses

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Bloody freezing, cant wait to head south now that we found thge snow

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Shimla street food

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Dusk and the start of the Himalayan mountains in the backdrop

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Hopefully this will be our only freezing night of the trip

From Shimla, the quickest way south to Rajasthan, is to take the highway back south to Delhi, then a ring road around Delhi, then south on the highway to Agra. There, peel off and head west and you get in Rajasthan.

This didnt look much fun, so we thought we’d try something a little different.

Absolutely, bloody freezing driving through the fog, it actually felt significantly colder than Shimla. Some hot tea to try bring the hands back to life

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4km to Kaithal, lets hope there’s a hotel with hot water

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Great earrings on this guy at our lunch restaurant

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This one too

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Was a bit wary of the road side restaurants at first, so far no toilet problems and everything seems very clean. Food consists of a cream and butter based gravies/ sauces, mostly veterinarian. Lots of paneer/ cottage cheese dishes. On the road, no nan bread, chipati bread is everywhere which is quick to make

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Easy to get salads everywhere

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Warming in the afternoon sun like lizards

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I thought these were nomads, but disappointingly turned out to be road workers!!

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Into Rajasthan Province, its immediatly warmer and the feel of the desert starts with sand roadside

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Camels are now everywhere replacing the cows as hauling machines which were further north

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Roads are now pretty nasty in places, especially around the high traffic villages

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His tongue was making me queezy

Ok hotel for the night in Kaithal, next day west towards Jhunjhunu, we’re now entering the the world of ancient palaces

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Our own palace for the night in Jhunjhunu

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Needed some extra blankets, still chilly

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Beautiful setting, great place for our introduction to Rajashtan

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Mandawa – This has been one of my favorite stops so far. An ancient trading town on the old silk road, oozing with history

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The City of Mandawa^[1] was made a thikana in the mid of 18th century by theBhojraj Ji Kasubsub clan of Shekhawat Rajputs. About the origin of this town there have been earlier references to Mandu Jat as founder of the Mandawa village. He first established a dhani (hamlet) and dug a well here, which was completed on savan badi 5 samvat 1797 (1740 AD) (source – Shekhawati Bodh, Mandawa special issue, July 2005)

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Fabulous forts and Royal homes

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Here a pictorial story of a wedding ceremony on one of the buildings

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Magnificent detail

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Some of the palaces are still lived in by the nobles’ descendants who seem rather strapped for cash and have let the building deteriorate badly. They try sell artifacts inside, it’s all very similar to some of the places in Yunnan, China

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One of the palaces has been converted into the Mandawa Hotel, it’s beautiful

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Promotion

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Street food – Caramelized fruit and yogurt

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The tailor

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Mandawa

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I will spend a few days there again for sure

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Headed westwards for Bikaner for the night, now getting real desert-like

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Apart from here

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Tea stop and the usual Chaos

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Tanks on their way back from the Pakistan border

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Camel purchase prices range from 15,000 Bht to 60,000 Bht equiv. A lot of training is needed which is part of the intrinsic cost

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Into Bikaner & 1,000 KM’s on the KTM’s, time for an oil change

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An Enfield undergoing surgery

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Bikes everywhere

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Here we go

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No glitter thank God

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This looked unusual

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Bikaner Hotel was a bit worn but good value

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0900am start and time for a quick photo at the Bikaner Fort

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Cha-stop and the 390 is getting some curious looks

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Clay drinking water jugs

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Chayawalla

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Dusty tea stops

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Sacred cows roam freely everywhere

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The KTM’s are doing us proud

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It seems more and more of Som’s luggage is finding it way into the blue bag…every day lengthening the straps

Getting some KM’s under our belts now, headed for Jaisalmer, looking back at the road signs

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Our first camel shepard

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The Rajasthan cattle festival is in Jaisalmer, Feb. 1,2 & 3, 2015 FYI, its supposed to be pretty good. A camel will cost you anywhere between 15,000 – 60,000 Bht. price depends on level of training the camel has received and its breeding

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Pretty tame considering they handnt been trained

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& the desert starts as we head west towards the Pakistan border

For remote touring the Royal Enfield is pretty hard to argue against.

– super simple

– can be repaired anywhere

– strong

– will run on any octane fuel

– kick start back up

– parts easily sourced anywhere in India

– super cheap to buy

A very long ride from Bikaner, westwards to Jaisalmer, now to find a hotel at super high season rates (bend over)

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Late in the day by the time we get settled, our first breathtaking views of the Jaisalmer Fort

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The intricacies were beautiful

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Most of these forts are shut at night, great to find this one stays open

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Vendors all along the tiny alley ways in the fort

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Really good quality Indian food in Jaisalmer

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Up early & westwards out into the desert towards the Pakistan border

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Wild camel to the right side of the road

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About 30km west of Jaisalmer, the desert dunes start and there’s camels and tent camps

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Pretty easy to arrange a ride

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Looks like it might be the first 390 into the desert

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The jeeps they use for desert tours

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On the way eastwards back to Jaisalmer, a stop at one of the ethnic villages

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Suzlon wind turbines popping up everywhere

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Ancient temple in the desert on the way back

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& another beauty

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Beautiful restoration

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If you’re on the rag you cant go in

Back to Jaisalmer, a bike rental shop catches my eye. You can rent an exploring bike here pretty easily

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A chance to have a look around the Jaisalmer Fort in daylight

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The 1000 year old fort named after the Bhati ruler Jaisal, has sand stone walls 2-3 meters thick and is 5km is circumference, its like a mini city. It took 7 years to complete and then there were numerous additions. There’s an inner and outer wall that run parallel with a 2-4 meter gap, which was used for the movement of soldiers around the forts walls.

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Its military advantage is pretty obvious

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Some of the internal buildings look like movie sets

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Back to the hotel in the afternoon sun

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Jaisalmer Fort in the background

Rest day in Jaisalmer, time to saddle up and head south eastwards to Jodhpur, a quick lake stop on the way

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Lunch – Chapaties and Dahl are the easy to eat staple everywhwere

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Approaching Jodhpur & the first glimpse of its breath taking fort

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& huge wall

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What a beauty

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The Mehrangarth Fort

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Mehrangarh the Fort of Jodhpur crowns a rocky hill that rises 400 feet above the surrounding plain, and appears both to command and to meld with the landscape. One of the largest forts in Rajasthan, it contains some of the finest palaces and preserves in its museum many priceless relics of Indian courtly life.
For over five centuries Mehrangarh has been the headquarters of the senior branch of Rajput clan known as the Rathores. According to their bards, the ruling dynasty of this clan had at an earlier period controlled Kanauj (in what is known as Uttar Pradesh). Like other prominent medieval Rajput rulers – including the famous Prithviraj Chauhan – they were defeated by the invaders from Afghanistan at the end of the 12th century. This catastrophe led to the disruption and migration of the early Rajput clans that they led. The Rathores came to Pali, in Marwar, in what is now central Rajasthan. It is claimed that they were to settle there to protect Brahmin villages against cattle-rustling local tribes. The story may seem somewhat fanciful, but the protection of the priestly caste in one of the traditional roles assigned to the Rajputs. Their task in Pali was the basis of their expanding power in the region.
Rao Chunda (r. 1384-1428), the twelfth Rathore to rule in Marwar, established his capital at Mandore, which he had acquired as a part of a dowry. Two generations later, Rao Jodha (r. 1438-89) began to build a fort at a new site six miles to the south, on an isolated rock with a higher elevation and better natural defences. Jodhpur, the town that sprang up at its base, was named after him. The fort was named Mehrangarh, meaning ‘fort of the sun’ – a reference to the clan’s mythical descent from the sun god Surya. Over 500 yards long, its wall rises in places to a height of 120 feet and is 70 feet thick.
For Rao Jodha’s successors, these defences were essential, though not always adequate. The centuries following the fort’s foundation were marked by rivalries between the Rajput clans and by other external threats. A dominant influence over the region was asserted first by the Delhi Sultanate and later by the Mughals. As they built their empire in India, the Mughals sought to subdue Rajput states like Marwar and its neighbours in Rajasthan, but they did not wish to eradicate them. To most established Indian rulers they preferred to offer terms of subsidiary alliance: serve the empire, they said, and you can retain control over your ancestral lands. Four successive generations of rulers in Marwar, between 1581 and 1678, accepted this challenge and became loyal allies and in effect feudatory chiefs of the empire. But for decades both before and after this phase, the understanding with the Mughals broke down, the city and fort of Jodhpur were overrun, and the Rathores were reduced to guerrilla-style resistance in their own kingdom. It did not make matters easier that their relations with the bordering Rajput states such as Jaipur and Bikaner also tended to be volatile.

History – Mehrangarh Museum Trust

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Truly splendid

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Nicely preserved

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A temple devoted to the Maharajah nearby

Rode up to the Jee Ri hotel, good location near the old city market and great views from the roof

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If you want to treat yourself, try the Pal Hotel right near the old market, rooms start at 5,500 Rupees a night (2,200 Bht)

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It was the Pal family home 300 years ago, a real classy place, oozed old style

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Great roof top bar

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& what a view for dining, beat that!!

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Highly recommended

Jodhpur

According to Rathore tradition, the clan traces its origins back to the Hindu god, Rama, hero of the epic Ramayana, and thence to the sun. So the Rathore’s belong to the Suryavansha (solar race) branch of the Kshatriyas, the warrior caste of Hindus. Later, breaking into historical reality, in 470 A.D. Nayal Pal conquered the kingdom of Kanauj, near modern Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The Rathor capital for seven centuries, Kanauj fell in 1193 to the Afghan invader’s led by Muhammad Ghori.
The fleeing ruler, Jai Chand was drowned in the Ganga. But his son Siyaji, had better luck. An expedient marriage alliance between the Rathore Sihaji and the sister of a local prince enabled the Rathors to consolidate themselves in this region. In fact, they prospered to such a degree that they managed to oust the Pratiharas of Mandor, nine km to the north of present day Jodhpur.He later set himself up as an independent ruler around the wealthy trading centre of Pali, just south of Jodhpur. His descendants flourished, battled often, won often, and in 1381 Rao Chanda ousted the Parihars from Mandor which then became the Rathore seat of government.Rathore fortunes then turned for better. Rao Chanda’s son and heir, Rainmal, won praise for his capture of Ajmer and was then entrusted with the care of his orphaned nephew, destined to inherit the Mewar throne of Chittor. Rainmal may well have had his eyes on this fine, hilltop fort. But court intrigue and treachery stopped him. In 1438 he was doped with opium, and finally shot dead. This triggered bitter feuds, ending with Mewar and Marwar becoming separate states.Rathore legend continues in various versions. One is that Jodha, one of Rainmal’s 24 sons, fled Chittor and finally, 15 years later, recaptured Mandor in 1453. Five years later he was acknowledged as ruler. A holy man sensibly advised him to move his capital to hilltop safety.

http://jodhpur.nic.in/dp.html#history

The old market & famous clock tower in Jodhpur

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Chaos and bustle

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Police

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A great bustling city, we liked Jodhpur immensely

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Needed a mid stop point before Udairpur, Ghanerao seemed like a good idea.

All going well, not too cold, probably 19c

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A Jain/ Hindu ceremony along the way

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At first we thought a coffin was in there, but not

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ATGATT (all the gear all the time) for India – this one is often the most important

Found the old, aristocratic family palace, which has been converted into a hotel – fantastic place

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Oozing character

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Not knowing what to expect, this was the entrance to our converted room – even beautiful marble slab floors

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The room — perfect

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400 years old and funky rooms, highly recommended

Early start & headed for the big smoke, Udaipur. We had enough time for quick visit to the Ranakpur Jain Temple

Quite a cracker

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Built in the 15th century and took 50 years to build

Old market in Radakpur town, flower sellers

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Monkeys are everywhere in Rajasthan

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The old road to Udaipur is a really fun ride

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Hardly any traffic a plenty of sweeping turns through the beautiful hills

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Lets hope this isnt headed this way, looks pretty angry

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Looks like we might be ok

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Kumbhalgarh Fort is on the way and worth a stop. From here, looks like something out of a horror movie

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We didnt know this before hand but the Kumbhalgarh Fort is the second longest wall in the world after The Great Wall of China

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Built on a hilltop 1100 metres above sea level, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 36 kilometres, it is the second longest wall in the world.^[1] The frontal walls are fifteen feet thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. There are over 360 temples within the fort, 300 ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. From the palace top, it is possible to see kilometers into the Aravalli Range. The sand dunes of the Thar desert can be seen from the fort walls.
According to legend, in 1443, the Maharana of Kumbhalgarh, Rana Kumbha, was initially repeatedly unsuccessful in attempts to build the fort wall. A spiritual preceptor was consulted about the construction problems and advised the ruler that a voluntary human sacrifice would solve whatever was causing the impediment. The spiritual advisor advised building a temple where the head should fall and building the wall and the fort where the rest of his body lay. As can be expected, for some time no one volunteered, but one day, a pilgrim (some versions suggest a soldier, and some, that the spiritual preceptor and the pilgrim were one and the same) volunteered and was ritually decapitated. Today the main gate of the fortress, Hanuman Pol, contains a shrine and a temple to commemorate the great sacrifice.
According to popular folklore, Maharana Kumbha used to burn massive lamps that consumed fifty kilograms of gheeand a hundred kilograms of cotton to provide light for the farmers who worked during the nights in the valley.
Its wall is the second largest wall in Asia, and the world.

Kumbhalgarh – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Udaipur in relation to the Fort above

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Started to get foggy and really chilly as we approached Udaipur

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Roads through the villages were worn out

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Outside the villages beautiful

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Into Udaipur – this might be quite a show?

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Udiapur is a huge, beautiful city on a big lake with oodles of old historic building that keep the tourists coming. Population is around 600,000. The Indian sections of the James Bond 007 movie Octopussy were filmed here, several restaurants show this movie every evening.

Hotels are plentiful and cheap, many are converted noble homes and palaces. We paid 2,200 rupees (1,100 Bht) for this gigantic room in high season in s uperb location with secure parking for the bikes. Right on the lake.

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There is loads to see in Udaipur, we only had one night. This is somewhere id like to spend a few days….. a few of what’s to see:

City Palace, UdaipurMain article: City Palace, Udaipur

Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of the “Jag Niwas” (the Lake Palace Hotel). They also have views of Jag Mandir on one side and the city of Udaipur on the other. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate – the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. There is a Suraj Gokhda, where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), gets its name from the mosaics in glass decorating its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas. There are numerous other palaces such as Dilkhush mahal, Sheesh mahal, Moti mahal and Krishna vilas – in memory of a princess of striking beauty who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princes. Now the palace contains many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils and attracts thousands of visitors every day. Celebration mall (Highest rated mall of Rajasthan) that is India’s first and only Heritage mall, is now serving as a tourist attraction destination.
The former guesthouse of the city palace, Shiv Niwas Palace and the Fateh Prakash Palace have been converted into heritage hotels.

Lake PalaceMain article: Lake Palace
The Lake Palace was built in 1743-1746. It is made of marble and is situated on Jag Niwas island in Lake Pichola. It was originally built as a royal summer palace, but is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the “Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces” banner.

Jag MandirMain article: Jag Mandir
Jag Mandir is another island in Lake Pichola which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father. There is a restaurant run by the HRH group of hotels.

Monsoon PalaceMain article: Monsoon Palace
Monsoon Palace also known as Sajjan Garh Palace The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all of the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.

Jagdish TempleThe Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651 A.D. It is an example of Indo – Aryan architecture. This temple is a great example of architecture and art. The area is the main tourist place in the city. You can also find some special kind of things like rajasthani dress, paintings etc.

Fateh Sagar LakeMain article: Fateh Sagar Lake
Fateh Sagar Lake is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh after much destruction was caused by heavy rains. In 1993-1994, the water vanished from the lake, but in 2005-2006, the lake regained its water.

Lake PicholaMain article: Lake Pichola
Lake Pichola has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4 km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of the lake the Lake Palace stands, which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. The lake remains fairly shallow even during heavy rains, and gets dry easily in times of severe drought.

Saheliyon-ki-BariMain article: Saheliyon-ki-Bari
Sahelion ki Bari was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fatah Sagar Lake have lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant-shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose.

Gulab Bagh and ZooMain article: Gulab Bagh and Zoo
A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh is situated near the palace on the east side of Lake Pichhola. A library in the garden has a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Some of the part of the Satyarth Prakash have been written in this library. Styarth Prakash stup is situated in Gulab Bagh. Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, Chinkara gazelle, birds, and many wild animals. Children can enjoy mini train, track of which covers the main part of the garden and the zoo.

Bharatiya Lok Kala MandalA museum of folk arts. It also hosts puppet shows in its auditorium.
Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti MagriAtop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fatah Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero

Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse “Chetak”.^[8]

Bagore-ki-HaveliThis is an old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. The haveli now stages Rajasthani traditional dance and music.

Ahar MuseumMain article: Ahar Cenotaphs
Located about 2 km east of Udaipur is a cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphsof Maharanas cremated there. One cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery, as well as some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC, and a tenth-century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.
ShilpgramA crafts village located northwest of Udaipur, Shilpgram hosts an annual crafts fair which is one of the biggest in India; people from different states in the country have stalls showcasing their art and crafts work.^[9]

Udaipur Solar ObservatoryMain article: Udaipur Solar Observatory
Asia’s only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory, is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatah Sagar.

There is a fantastic restaurant on the banks of the Pichola Lake with one of the most romantic views

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How about that for ambiance?

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Great service and great food – a 10/10

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The Lake Palace was built in 1743-1746. It is made of marble and is situated on Jag Niwas island in Lake Pichola. It was originally built as a royal summer palace, but is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the “Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces” banner.

The Udai Hotel in Udaipur, one of the top hotels in the city, Rooms start at around 6,000 rupees a night

Time to push on for Pushkar, a quick look around the beautiful city of Udaipur on the way out, one of the ancient temples below

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Entrance to the Udaipur Royal palace

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Real high security around all of the places of interest. Several times we were asked for ID

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Huge green chillies “tempurered”

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More beautiful temples on the road to Pushkar

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Lunch

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Chipatti making

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Fresh palak paneer – spinach & cream/ milk with cubes of cottage cheese

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Delicious!

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Masala tea from home made clay cups

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Approaching Pushkar another awesome temple

Pushkar

Lots of great value hotels and great eating. Pushkar makes a nice break from being off the beaten path for a day or so, we really liked it. It’s also one of the oldest cities in India, some Indians say the city is 10,000 years old. Even good pizza here.

The date of its actual founding is not known, but legend associates Brahma with its creation.^{[citation needed]}
According to legend, Brahma was in search of a place for Mahayagna and he found this place suitable. After a long time, Brahma came to known that a demon, Vajranash, was killing people here so the Lord intoned a mantra on a lotus flower and killed the demon. During this process the parts of flower fell on three places which were later known as Jyaistha, Madhya and Kanistha Pushkar. After this Brahma performed a yagna to protect this place from demons. The consort of Brahma, Saraswati, were needed to offer Ahuti for the yagna but she was not there that time so Gayatri, a Gurjar girl, was married to brahma and performned yagna. This act made first wife of Brahma, Saraswati, angry and she cursed Brahma saying that he would be worshiped in Pushkar only.^[3]^[4]
The Mahabharata says that while laying down a programme for Maharaja Yudhishthara’s travel, “Maharaja after entering the Jungles of Sind and crossing the small rivers on the way should bathe in Pushkara”. And, as per Vaman Purana,Prahlada on his pilgrimage to holy places visited Pushkarayana.^{[citation needed]}
A Gurjara Pratihara ruler of Mandore, Nahadarava, restored this tirtha in the seventh century. He got the place cleared and the lake restored by making an embankment on the side of the river Luni. He rebuilt old palaces and built twelve dharmashalas (resting places) and ghats on three sides of the lake.^{[citation needed]}
According to Rajputana Gazetteer Pushkar was held by Chechi Gurjars until about 700 years ago.Later Some shrines were occupied by Kanphati Jogis.^[5]
There are still priests from the Gurjar community in Pushkar temple, known as Bhopas.^[6]
The sage Parasara is said to have been born here. His descendants, called Parasara Brahamanas, are found in Pushkar and the surrounding area. The famous temple of Jeenmata has been cared for by Parasara Brahmans for the last 1,000 years.

It is also the venue of the annual Pushkar Camel Fair.^{[citation needed]} In 1901, the town was part of the Rajputana Agency had a population of 3,831.^[7]

Pushkar – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has a reputation of attracting ganga-smoking Isrealies and we did see plenty of them while we were there. Hotels almost beg for you to stay as they are so plentiful, all great value and well run. WIFI worked well here unlike most other places.

We scored this room real cheap in a huge hotel

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The place really has the feel of an old trading town, busy and noise everywhere, of course great old temples

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The holy Pushkar lake is spectaular with the bathing Hindi’s

Pushkar Lake – The prime attraction of Pushkar is the Pushkar Lake which is considered sacred like the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. Pushkar has become a place of Hindu pilgrimage because of this holy lake. Legend has it that this lake was consecrated to Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe when a lotus dropped from his hand into the vale and a lake emerged in that place.

Into the huge city of Jiapur and the main road in takes you right passed the pink stoned, Hawa Mahal Palace that was constructed in 1799 AD. Legend has it, that it was constructed for the women of the Royal household, so that they could people watch, without being viewed themselves.

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its Jiapur’s number 1 attraction, very unique

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A snake charmer sitting outside. look closely you can see the cobra’s head

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A monstrous Royal Palace in Jiapur

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Jaipur is the famous city and capital of Rajasthan. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city has been named. Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India because of the colour used exclusively in the walled city.
The city was built on the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the science of Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks. Two of which contained the state buildings and palaces, while the remaining seven were allotted to the public. Huge fortification walls were built, along with seven strong gates. The directions of each street and market are east to West and North to South. The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol. There are three gates facing East, West, and a Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces toward the ancestral capital of Amber.
The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is rich in history and culture. Here the past comes alive in magnificent forts and palaces. The bustling bazaars of Jaipur, famous for jewellery, fabric and shoes, possess a timeless quality and are surely a treasure-trove for the shoppers. This fascinating city with its romantic charm takes you to an epoch of royalty and tradition.

District Administration Jaipur, District Computerisation Jaipur, District Profile Jaipur

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