The largest state in India, Rajasthan, known as “the land of kings”, is a place of incredible diversity. With historical cities, spectacular monuments, stunning natural beauty, magnificent wildlife and a vibrant and colourful culture, one could explore this enormous area for weeks without even beginning to get bored. The main attractions are the cities of Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and the state capital Jaipur, but the more rural areas are also lovely.
Jaipur is a vibrant, ancient city surrounded by huge fortified walls. It has bustling bazaars, opulent palaces, fascinating temples, huge Rajput forts and magnificent gardens. Colourful and captivating, it is no mystery that travellers find Jaipur irresistible. Jaipur is one point of India's famous 'golden triangle', including Delhi (260 km away) and Agra (240 km).
Jaipur is the largest city and capital of Rajasthan and is named after its founder, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who was a great warrior and astronomer and a keen mathematician. After consulting widely with architects and others, he began to build the city in 1727 according to the principles of the ancient Indian architectural manual the Shilpa Shastra. With its regular grid of wide streets, even today Jaipur remains one of India’s best-planned cities. Jaipur was painted pink, (a colour traditionally associated with hospitality), in 1876 by Maharaja Ram Singh to welcome the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, to the city. It became known colloquially as the Pink City and by law, buildings in the old town must still be painted 'Jaipur Pink'.
Highlights include the City Palace, the Hawa Mahal ('Palace of Winds'), the Nahargarh and Amber Forts, and the astronomical observatory Jantar Mantar. The labyrinthine bazaars with their wealth of beautiful handicrafts are well worth a visit, and we feel this is a destination not to be missed on an India Honeymoon.
