Jaipur - The Pink City

Jaipur, the capital of ‘The Land of Kings- Rajasthan’, is the largest city of this state and is nestled amidst the hills. It is called the ‘Pink City’ as Maharaja Ram Singh painted it in pink, the color of hospitality, to welcome the foreign guests- Queen Victoria and Prince of Wales. But, I relate the color to romance and the royal love stories that the city celebrates.  Yes, Jaipur is much more than what you have witnessed in ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, ‘Jodha Akbar’ and ‘Bajirao Mastani’.
   

The moment I planned a 3-day solo trip to Jaipur, I knew it would be different as compared to my earlier trips to this place with the family. It had an intriguing concoction of adventure, joy and rejuvenation. I traveled via train, AC Double Decker Express, which took 4.5 hours to reach Jaipur from Delhi. Though I was a bit concerned about the safety, as this was just the second time I was taking a train journey alone, but everything went in my favor. Sigh!  

(I am a writer, not a photographer. Please bear with my amateur photography.)

I stayed at a friend’s place here and my itinerary was pre-planned. Though exploring the entire city in just three days was a challenge but I knew, as long as I am selective in the places that I visit, I can exploit the days well. So, I chose the places that I haven’t explored personally earlier.

Day 1

Bapu Bazar + Johari Bazar + Masala Chowk + Raja Park

Sanganeri Gate, entrance to the market

                                       

Bapu Bazar

Bapu Bazar is one of the popular flea markets of the city, rested between Sanganeri Gate and New Gate. It captivates attention due to its Rajasthani quintessential products- handicrafts, textiles, brass jewelry, lac bangles, mojari shoes and state souvenirs.

                                      

Johari Bazar

Johari Bazar, less than a kilometer away from Bapu Bazar, is where the jewelry is crafted and sold.  It is majorly known for Kundan and Thewa jewelry, but you can hop into shops to buy handmade silver ornaments, precious and semi-precious stones. The market remains open from 11 am till 8 in the evening.

Do visit Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar (LMB), which is known as the landmark modern sweet shop in Johari Bazar. It’s a huge restaurant and hotel, which never ceases to attract both the locals and tourists.  

Masala Chowk

Situated in Ram Niwas Garden, close to the popular tourist attraction, Albert Hall Museum, it is an open-air food court. Here, you’ll see a number of kiosks serving delectable dishes of Rajasthan. Try Samrat’s pyaaz kachori, which I found better than LMB’s.  This public square offers the street food at a single place.  

Albert Hall

Masala Chowk

Raja Park

Raja Park is one of the posh localities in Jaipur and a perfect stop for the lazy shoppers. Right from designer outfits, shoes, food and souvenirs, you can get it all here.  Take a stroll here in the evening to shop and try street food. 

Tried Dabeli, originally a dish from Gujarat but popular in Jaipur

Day 2

Hawa Mahal + City Palace + Warehouse Café  

Hawa Mahal

Also known as the ‘Palace of Winds’, Hawa Mahal showcases Rajputana architecture style and is a devotion of Sawai Pratap Singh to Lord Krishna. It has a five-storey exterior in a beehive structure (in form of Lord Krishna’s crown) and is adorned with intricate latticework. The palace has 953 small windows or the ‘jharokhas’, which allowed the royal women a freedom to watch royal processions on the streets. The puppet show here was the highlight of the day.  

(You can find Café Coffee Day outlet inside the palace.)

Glasswork

Jharokha

                                         

View of Nahargarh Fort from the top storey

City Palace

It was the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur, with some parts of it still being used by the Royal Family. It has beautiful gardens, courtyards and buildings with a unique layout. I opted for a standard tour over the royal tour which required at least 3 hours to explore. Time constraint!  But I would suggest you to invest time in taking the royal tour to witness the rich architecture of Sukh Niwas, Shobha Niwas and the Room of Mirrors (which I later saw in the pictures there).  

Photography inside the palace gallery was not allowed.

Diwan-i-khas, courtyard entrance

World's largest silver pot, made out of
14,000 melted silver coins, weighs 345 kgs

Rifle display

The Palace

Warehouse Café

Located at MG Road, Gandhi Nagar, my friend took me to this place, as it’s her favorite café. It serves the town’s best Italian, Lebanese and Mexican cuisines.  So, we ordered what she said is the café’s special- Italian sub + Half and Half Pizza (Roast Garlic and Warehouse Special) + Masala Coke and Oreo Shake overloaded (my choice). The concept of Half and Half Pizza here was new to me. You can choose any two varieties of pizzas and they’ll serve you half and half, making it full one pizza. The preparation was good but personally, I would give a hundred stars to the Oreo Shake. Slurp!!

Half and Half Pizza

Scrumptious Oreo Shake
(Overloaded)

Because thoughts can strike anytime, anywhere (Zoom in)
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Day 3

Dadawadi + Birla Mandir + Ganesh Mandir

Dadawadi

Jains have two sects- Digambaras (sky-clad) and Shvetambaras (white-clad).

Situated at Moti Dungri Road, Dadawadi is a popular Jain Shvetambara Temple. Being a Digamabara Jain, I was inquisitive to visit it. The temple has stunning architecture with fine carving on the pillars and colorfully-carved dome. It is known to have god figurines in precious gemstones. Blissful!  

Carved Dome

                                        

Sodalite 

Rose Quartz (Gulabi Sphatik)

                

Yellow Aventurine (Peela Margaj)

Green Aventurine (Hara Margaj)

                



Birla Mandir

It is located at Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, Tilak Nagar, with Moti Dungri Fort forming its beautiful backdrop. It is known as ‘Laxmi Narayan’ temple with the idols of Goddess Laxmi and God Narayana. The exterior of the temple is carved with beautiful sculptures based on the mythological themes.

Highlights-

-Figures from different religions including Christians, Buddha, Socrates etc. on the outside walls.

-A perfect view of Maharani Gayatri Devi’s (third Maharani Consort of Jaipur) Palace atop hill. It resembles a Scottish Castle.  

Photography inside the temple was not allowed.   

Timings- Morning - 6 AM to 12 noon, Evening - 3 PM to 9 PM

Maharani Gayatri Devi's Palace atop hill

Ganesh Mandir

This temple is known for its divine power of Lord Ganesha. Not only pilgrims, but other scholars and architects also visit here to savor the rich cultural heritage of the city. In a day, 7 darshanas of the deity are arranged here. Certainly, I was enchanted!

Timings- Morning – 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM, Evening – 4:30 PM to 9 PM

Newly-wed couple to seek blessings

The trip was fantastic. I returned back the day after via same train. Boarded at 6 AM, reached Delhi at 10:30 AM.

Another quote on way back (Zoom in)
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Quick Tips

- Buy composite ticket that gives you an access to all the main monuments in Jaipur.

- Avoid cabs in the local market, walk or take a rickshaw.

- Since Rajasthan has high levels of salt in its water, avoid shampooing your hair. It’ll leave your hair dry and in million knots.

- Avoid train food, if you are sensitive.
- Best time to visit- October to February
- Shop only what you find is unique and is not available in your city. You can go for Jaipuri rajais from Chaura Raasta market, Papads from 'Namkeen Ghar' shop in Johari Bazar and mirror-studded souvenirs for your friends and family back home. 


KHAMMA GHANI.

Posted By-
Natasha Jain