The city of victory,
Jaipur, presides over the fascinating desert State of Rajasthan and the
city very nearly exemplifies the character of the state and its people:
surrounded by rugged hills, each crowned by a formidable fort, and
beautiful palaces, mansions and gardens dotted throughout its precincts.
Maharaja
Jai Singh II who moved the capital from Amber to the present site
founded the city in 1727 AD. Jai Singh's various talents are clearly
exhibited in the city. The designing of the city was entrusted to a
young Bengali architect, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, who laid the plans
according to the Hindu Treatise, the Shilp, Shastra. Jaipur was built in
the form of a rectangle divided into blocks with roads and avenues
running parallel to the sides. Then in 1863 AD, Jaipur dressed itself in
pink to welcome Prince Albert the consort of Queen Victoria. Since then
the city earned the epitaph 'The Pink City'.
The modern Jaipur,
however, has surpassed the earlier limits and now, nearly extends to the
very doors of the ancient capital of Amber. Besides its own numerous
places of interest, Jaipur forms an excellent base to explore the
enchanting surroundings: Ajmer and Pushkar, famous for the Dargah of
Khwaja Moin-Ud-Din Chisti and the Temple of Brahma; Shekhawati, the
region of fabulous frescoes and havelis; Bikaner and Jaisalmer, the
desert fastness whose color and architecture defies their harsh
surroundings; Jodhpur, the city of the impregnable fort; Sariska and
Bharatpur, homes of the wild denizens, and so much more.
