Jaipur- What to see in 4 days?
Jaipur-The Pink City
The capital and the largest city of Rajasthan is also popularly known as the ‘Pink City’. Jaipur was planned and built as per rules & regulations of the Vastu Shastra and the Shilpa Shastra. The buildings of the city were painted pink (a dusty light terracotta color) for the royal arrival of the Prince of Wales in 1853.
Jaipur is a major tourist destination in India forming a part of the Golden Triangle along with Delhi and Agra.
Famous tourist places of Jaipur:
City Palace,
Jantar Mantar,
Hawa Mahal,
Albert Hall Museum,
Jaipur Zoo
Amer Fort,
Nahargarh Fort,
Jaigarh Fort,
Jal Mahal,
Birla Mandir
Chokhi Dhani Village
Bhangarh Fort-A Haunted Fort
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed Jaipur the ‘Pink City of India’ among its World Heritage Sites. The city is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Amber Fort and Jantar Mantar. Hawa Mahal is a five-storey pyramidal shaped monument with 953 windows.
Sisodiya Rani Bagh and Kanak Vrindavan are the major parks in Jaipur. Raj Mandir is a notable cinema hall in Jaipur.
Day 1: Delhi to Jaipur and visit City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal
Jaipur has a lot of things to do for tourists including Palaces, historical places, Temples, Museums, Markets etc. So decide your own itinerary according to your wish. But have a look on my itinerary which is based on the convenience and optimizing maximum time.
City Palace
First go for a visit to City Palace which will take around 01 hour to complete it. The City Palace was established by the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. It is a unique and special complex of several courtyards, buildings, pavilions, gardens, and temples.
The most prominent and most visited structures in the complex are the Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, and the City Palace Museum.
Jantar Mantar
As soon as you exit from the City Palace, you may see a ticket counter of the Jantar Mantar, at right hand side. The Jantar Mantar is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II. It features the world’s largest stone sundial. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The instruments allow the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye.The observatory consists of nineteen instruments for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking location of major stars as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes and related ephemerides.
Jantar Mantar takes almost 01 hour to see the entire complex. If you want to understand and know about purpose of these instruments, shapes and designs then hire a tourist guide else these structures happens to be a showcase for you.
Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds or Palace of Breeze is a palace made with the red and pink sandstone. It is situated at the edge of the City Palace and extends to the women’s chambers.
It was designed by Lal Chand Ustad. Its unique five floors exterior is akin to the honeycomb of a beehive with its 953 small windows called Jharokhas decorated with intricate latticework.The original intent of the lattice design was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life and festivals celebrated in the street below without being seen.
It takes almost 1 hour to see the Hawa Mahal. Entry is from backside which is basically its front-side. If you want take a complete photo of the Hawa Mahal. Cross the road and go to roof or balcony of the opposite side building.
Shopping in Jaipur:
There is a proper market around the Hawa Mahal in the City Wall. Do some shopping in the evening or at your convenience.
Day 2: Amber Fort or Amer Fort, Anokhi Museum, Nahargarh fort, Jaigarh fort, Jal Mahal
Amber fort or Amer fort
The Amer Fort or Amber Fort is located 11 KM from Jaipur City. The Amer town has an area of 4 square Km. The Fort was constructed with red sandstone and marble. It consists of the Diwan-e-Aam or Hall of Public Audience, the Diwan-e-Khas, or Hall of Private Audience, the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over a water cascade within the palace. Amer Fort is a declared UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Fort is open from 08.30 AM to 05.30 PM. It will take around 2-3 hours to see the entire fort.
Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort is situated on the cliff called the CheelkaTeela (Hill of Eagles) of the Aravalli range.The fort is also known as Victory Fort. The fort features a cannon named “Jaivana”(Jaivana Cannon), which was manufactured in the fort precincts and was then the world’s largest cannon on wheels. Jaigarh Fort and Amer Fort are connected by subterranean passages and considered as one complex. So, its better to visit by this passages to Jaigarh Fort from Amer Fort. It will take around 2 hours to complete your visit.
Anokhi Museum
Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing (AMHP) is located in a magnificently restored haveli or mansion near the Amer Fort. The museum displays a varied selection of block printed textiles alongside images, tools and related objects. They provide an in-depth look into the complexity of this ancient tradition. Spend at least 1 hour to familiar yourself with the art of traditional hand printing along with the instruments used in this process along with preparation of different dyes.
Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills.The fort was originally named Sudarshangarh but is now known as Nahargarh, which means ‘abode of tigers’. Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh once provide a strong defense ring for the city.
The Nahargarh fort is open from 10 a.m. to 05.30 p.m. Spend at least 02 hours here. The Entry ticket is Rs.50/- for Indian nationals and Rs. 200/- for foreign tourists. Whereas, it costs Rs. 25/- foreign students and Rs.5/- for Indian students.
Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal or Water Palace is a palace in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake.It is an architectural showcase of the Rajput style of architecture.The palace, built-in red sandstone, is a five storied building, of which four floors remain underwater when the lake is full and the top floor is exposed.On the terrace of the palace, a garden was built with arched passages. Before going to Jal Mahal, please check whether it’s open or not?
Day 3: Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur Zoo, Birla Mandir, ChokhiDhani Village.
Albert Hall Museum
The Albert Hall Museum is the oldest museum of the state. The building is situated in Ram Niwas garden outside the city wall. It is 3.5 Km from the Hawa Mahal. It is also called the Government Central Museum.
The museum has a rich collection of artifacts including paintings, jewelry, carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures, and works in crystal. The collection includes coins from the Gupta, Kushan, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and British periods.An Egyptian mummy is the main attraction of this museum.You need at least 1-1.5 hours to see the entire museum.
Jaipur Zoo
Jaipur Zoo is located near to the Albert Hall Museum and Ram Nivas Garden. It is divided into two parts: one for mammals and other for birds and reptiles. Nearly 50 species of different birds and animals from all over the world can be seen here.
In year 1999, the ghariyal breeding farm is established which is fourth largest breeding farm in India. A museum was also constructed inside the zoo which exhibits the wildlife of Rajasthan. Spend 1-2 hours to view the entire zoo.
Birla Mandir (Temple) & Moti Dungri Temple
From Zoo or Albert Hall Museum head to Birla Mandir and Moti Dungri Temple/ Fort which is just 3 Km.
The Birla Mandir is made of white marble. There are four distinct parts of the temple: its sanctum, tower, main hall, and entrance.It is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu (Narayan).The temple is open daily with visiting hours between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM, as well as between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM.
Moti Dungri is a Hindu temple complex dedicated to lord Ganesha. The temple is situated at bottom of the Moti Dungri hill and the fort of Moti Dungri. The layout and structure of Moti Dungri is built in the Nagara style and is based on the
Chokhi Dhani Village
It is a well-known tourist attraction in Jaipur. The aim of the resort is to give tourists a full experience of Rajasthani culture. The entire resort’s theme is inspired by a village setting, with many cultural activities held here like Traditional Folk Dance,Puppet Show, Magic Show along with dining in traditional way at Chaupal, Kesar Kyari Barbeque restaurant – an outdoor restaurant, Aragosta Restaurant or Bindola Restaurant. Enjoy Camel ride here with some nominal fee. You can to some shopping at Kalagram, a social initiative with the aim of promoting local artisans who make handicrafts.
The Chokhi Dhani is around 20 KM from City Palace in Jaipur. It is open from 05 pm to 11 pm (all days of the week). The entry fee is around Rs. 700 to Rs. 1100 (adults); Rs. 400 to Rs. 700 (children). The entry fee is depends upon your choice of dinner. model of Scottish castle.
Day 4: Before returning to Delhi or your sweet Home, you can visit the famous haunted Bhangarh Fort.
Bhangarh Fort
The Bhangarh Fort is a 17th-century fort built by Bhagwant Das for his younger son Madho Singh I.It is located on the border of the SariskaBio Reserve near theGolaka Baas village in Alwar.The fort is situated at the foot of the hills on sloping terrain in the Aravali range of hills. The ruins of the king’s palace are located on the lower slope of the hills; trees surround the pond area and a natural stream falls into the pond within the premises of the palace.However, the fort and its precincts are well preserved.
There are two different stories about the curse on the fort and nearby areas. But, if you really want to know about the fort and its stories, you can visit the place. However, the entry in the Bhangarh Fort is forbidden before sunrise and after sunset i.e. from 06.00 PM to 06.00 AM. Some people have claimed that they have heard screams and shadows of ghosts, voices of crying women, sounds of bangles in the rooms, strange lights and unusual sounds of music & dance etc. So think before to visit or not.
