Since childhood, I have been to the pink city a number of times but the kind of the experience I had in the recent trip was simply unmatchable.
As I had three days to stay in Jaipur, started my trip on the first day by visiting the monument that is the hallmark of the city Hawa Mahal of Jaipur.
Hawa Mahal – Jaipur
Hawa Mahal in gorgeous lighting. Photo by: The Wandering Angel.Beautiful wall with amazing windows but it is on a very busy road, too noisy to stand and see. Although it is not conserved properly but it is the iconic emblem of the pink city and worth a quick visit. After seeing the monument of Hawa Mahal, I went to see the famous observatory Jantar Mantar.
Jantar Mantar – Jaipur
The astronomical instruments are amazing and what are more amazing is how long ago this was constructed. It portrays the intellect of Sawai Raja Jai Singh who established it. It is known to give the most accurate calculations of time, position of sun & other stars and prediction about rain. A guided visit is a must to understand its functioning. Although the journey and visit was tedious I was eager to visit the famous village resort Chokhi Dhani.
Choki Dhani – Jaipur
A Rajasthan village theme restaurant, dotted with machans and platforms where different folk artist perform. Authentic Rajasthani traditional food was delicious there.
On the second day of the trip I got up early and started the day keeping in mind to visit the maximum attractions of the city. I dedicated this trip to the famous forts and most important Ranthambore national park.
Ranthambore National Park – Sawai Madhopur
It is one of the biggest and most renowned national park in Northern India. The park is located in the Sawai Madhopur, which is about 130 km from Jaipur. Being considered as one of the famous and former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, I saw so many beautiful animals along with Tiger also. First time in my life I saw many animals in the natural habitat. There were Tigers, Sambar deer, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jungle cats, Sloth bears, Black bucks, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara, Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Coomon Yellow Bats, Desert Cats, Five striped Palm Squirrels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rat and Indian Porcupines. That was a great fun and amazing experience. After having the awesome experience of Ranthambore I stayed in a hotel in Sawai Madhopur, rested there for that night, next day early in the morning started my journey again. I dedicated this day for forts and, I started my day by visiting the famous Amer fort.
Amer Fort – Jaipur
A beautifully made fort, it has a number of stunning palaces to fascinate visitors. It is very well maintained. The main essence of this fort is the elephant ride. Despite having my own vehicle, I chose to go to the fort on an elephant. After having a traditional Rajasthani lunch of Daal Baati & Churma. Later headed towards Nahargarh fort.
Nahargarh Fort
The view from the fort was spectacular. The movie shooting of “Rang de basanti” took place here. A place for nature lovers, very silent and tranquil place. The fort is at an extreme height. After enjoying the scenic beauty of Nahargarh, proceeded to see the famous fort, Jaigarh.
Jaigarh (Fort of Victory) – Jaipur
It is located on the top of a hill by the name of Cheel Ka Teela (Hill of Eagle). It showcase the artillery of Raja Jai Singh and also houses a number of antiques that belong to the royal family of Jaipur. The biggest cannon of the world, is exhibited here.
Jal Mahal – Jaipur
The Rajput style palace sits in the middle of Man Sagar lake and it was built and used as a summer residence of the Raja. This palace has such an amazing setting. The palace was flooded with tourist and lots of things to eat as well. Water was not clean, and place was littered with trash.
I spent the latter half of the day shopping in the famous market place of the city.
Although I stayed in Jaipur for four days still it seemed that I did not have enough of it. Overall I must say that my journey to Jaipur has been wonderful and offered a lot more experience to my life.
About the Author: This article is written by Arshdeep Singh, a student at WGSHA Manipal.
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