I call it the fairytale to be discovered. Jaipur the city of sophisticated and beautiful architecture that not everyone knows about, the city which gives you the chance of being a prince or a princess!
I am a person who is very fond of architecture, as some of you may have guessed from my other reviews, and it amazes me how so long ago people created such fine pieces of work, every corner of the buildings filled with so much delicate detail and time. I adore Indian architecture the most out of all the different kinds in the world. The intricate features are so divine and the materials used so precious and pure. It makes me wonder how people of those days created such magnificent architectural wonders such as the temples, mosques and palaces. They didn’t have any advanced technologies to help them yet they produced terrific results. And today we have all the technologies and we produce-as a generalisation-such plain and dull buildings. There are lovely recent buildings out there I must admit that they’re nothing like yesterdays, I haven’t come across anything that can be compared to the palaces of India. Now, Jaipur is an outstanding example of historic architecture. The designer of the Palace of Winds -the Hawa Mahal- Lal Chand Usta dedicated the palace to Lord Krishna and Radha. Here a beautiful reflection on the Hawa Mahal itself:
’’vision of daring and dainty loveliness, of storeys of rosy masonry and delicate overhanging balconies and latticed windows. Soaring with tier after tier of fanciful architecture in a pyramidal form, a very mountain of airy and audacious beauty through the thousand pierced screen and gilded arches of which the Indian air blows cool over the roofs of the very highest house. Aladdin’s magician could have called into existence no more marvellous abode.” Sir Edwin Arnold
This place is like a fairytale with its enchanting forts and palaces. Other palaces include the Pink Palace, the Moon Palace-Chandra Mahal, and the City Palace. The forts are another aspect.
The Amber Fort is a well know tourist destination in Jaipur. It is here where you can view the blend of Hindu-Muslim style of building. The fort is made of red sandstone and white marble, and some of the walls dearly hold paintings of wars and battles. The walls also have mirrors and precious stones plastered into it.
The culture of this place is vibrant. Festivals such as The Elephant Festival in March on the eve of Holi, Gangaur festival which worships Goddess Gauri, Teej which takes place in monsoon signifies the dedication towards Goddess Parvati, are great to take part in or watch.
So that is some of the historical value of Jaipur. Here are some facts you may be interested in on the place.
The capital of the state Rajasthan is Jaipur and it was Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh (1693-1743) the second who founded this incomparable elite city. The population of this city is standing at 1.9 million! Gosh that’s like half of New Zealand!! The languages spoken in this culturally rich city are Rajasthani, Hindi and English.
The Pink City as it is known. Hmmmmmm what an interesting name. I wonder where it derived from? Well, let me tell you! Jaipur is known as the pink city because its buildings are pink. They were stained pink to create the impression of red sandstone from the Mughal cities such as Agra.
So overall Jaipur is a diversified city. It is a multi faceted city that holds many historical values, the most important of which is the gorgeous architecture. I can’t wait to discover this admirably laid out fairytale when I come to India. I sure won’t miss it!
Comments always welcome.