!!!Jaipur

by Stas Sedov and
Dmitry Moiseenko,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

6 November 2015

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Rajasthan is the largest Indian state by area located in the northwest
part of the country. The state capital Jaipur is one of the most popular
destinations in India. Everything is quite unusual here, beginning with
its history and ending with the list of local sights.

[{Image src='01_Amer Fort.jpg' caption='Amer Fort' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

At the end of the Mughal Empire reign in 1727, Maharaja Jai Singh II
decided to move the capital of his principality named Dhundhar to a new
place. The initial capital of that time Dausa could not cope with the
increase in population and growing scarcity of water. Jai Singh II chose
a place about fifty kilometers away from Dausa at the altitude of 431
meters above sea level with the access to two rivers. This is the way
Jaipur was founded.

[{Image src='02_Amer Fort.jpg' caption='Amer Fort' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='371'}]

Dhundhar does not exist anymore, now its territory belongs to the state
of Rajasthan, but Jaipur still functions as the capital. Having the
population of 6.5 million people, it is the tenth largest city by
population in India.

For the construction of the buildings which, by the way, have remained
till nowadays, pink colored stones were used. That's how Jaipur was
nicknamed ‘the Pink City'. Chaotic urban planning, which is so common
for ancient cities, is not the feature of Jaipur. The historical centre
is divided into six districts with wide streets. This is a unique
example of the urban planning performed according to the canons of
ancient Indian architecture.

[{Image src='03_Amer Fort, Ganesh Gate.jpg' caption='Amer Fort, Ganesh Gate' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='321'}]

The main sights of Jaipur are situated within the fortifying walls of
the city. One of them is Ram Niwas garden. In the middle of 19th century
it was allotted the territory of 310,000 sq.meters, but by now it has
decreased by two thirds. Currently the territory of the garden is
occupied by the Albert Hall Museum (the oldest in the state), cafes, a
bird park and picnic spots.

[{Image src='04_Jaipur, India.jpg' caption='Jaipur, India' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='482'}]

The former residence of Jai Singh II, which can boast of its huge
dimensions, is also of exceptional historical importance. It is a huge
palace complex occupying the seventh part of the Old Town. One part of
the palace is a museum, the other — is a home for the last Indian royal
family heirs.

This palace complex also includes Hawa Mahal — a five-storey monument in
the form of the Krishna crown, constructed in pink and red coloured
stone. It is the main tourist attraction of Jaipur and one of the most
famous monuments of Rajput architecture. The name can be translated as
the ‘Palace of Winds': the exterior is pierced with 953 small windows
providing the building with fresh air. Hidden by the high facade of the
building, royal ladies could observe everyday life of the streets
without being seen.

[{Image src='05_Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds).jpg' caption='Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds)' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='531'}]

Not far from here one more ancient construction of Jaipur is situated:
the Jantar Mantar monument, created by the founder of the city. Maharaja
Jai Singh II was known not only as a politician, but as a scientist as
well. He was interested in maths, architecture and astronomy. During the
years of his reign (1699-1743), Jai Singh II built five observatories
throughout India, and the one built in Jaipur is the largest and the
best-preserved of them all. The devices of the observatory are also of
huge dimensions: the sundial of Jantar Mantar is considered to be the
largest in the world with the diameter of 27 meters.

[{Image src='06_Jantar Mantar.jpg' caption='Jantar Mantar' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='927'}]

In 1948 the Jantar Mantar monument was declared as a National monument,
and in 2010 it was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site as an
‘expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the
court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period'.

And it is not the full list of the interesting places one can enjoy in
Jaipur and its suburbs. There are many gardens, temples, fortresses and
monuments as well. The best view of the city is available from the top
of its highest tower Sargasuli built in 1749 (also known as Isar Lat).
But as soon as you don't have an opportunity to climb this tower, you
can get acquainted with Jaipur with the help of our panoramas.

[{Image src='07_Amer Fort.jpg' caption='Amer Fort' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='528'}]

\\ \\
[13 Panoramas of Jaipur|Geography/Asia/India/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Jaipur]










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