Jaipur
The state of Rajasthan has one of the richest histories of any part of India, particularly due to its deeply martial nature. Dozens of forts and scores of valorous stories colour the desert landscape here.
One of the erstwhile kingdoms of the region and the current state capital, is Jaipur. One can translate the name as the ‘City of Victory’, though the name comes from the founder Sawai Jai Singh II. The king built what was the first planned city of India, with streets at right angles and wide enough so that shadows of one side never fell on the other. The city also gained the moniker of the Pink City, for the light pink colour adorning many of the houses.
Even a leisurely stroll through this city throws up centuries-old palaces, unique local artefacts and a soul-filling profusion of music, folk tales and culture that characterize a great tourist destination. Places to definitely see here are the City Palace, part of which is still a royal residence, the Amber (or Amer) fort and palace which was the capital of Jai Singh’s clan previously, the Hawa Mahal in the heart of the old city and the World Heritage Site, Jantar Mantar.
