And this time... To the Pink City...

December 2019... My first solo trip... It began with my research paper getting accepted for an

Destination Jaipur

international conference at Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. And the first thing that I did was to plan for travelling Jaipur in that short time frame. A quick discussion with some of my friends who had been there, and a rough plan is ready about which places to visit there. Jaipur is well connected with the rest of India through railways, buses and flights.

December 19, 2019... Noon time, I land at Jaipur and off to MNIT. The conference is to start from 20th and I have the entire afternoon to wander. A light lunch and off to the old city of Jaipur where there are a number of places to visit. Most of the places over here open at 9 am and closes at 5 pm everyday. There are entrance fees for each place and they are indeed a bit high for the common person. However, there's a lot of concession for students. So, if you are a student, do not forget carrying your student ID card. 

My first stop is Hawa Mahal. It is located at Bada Choupad inside the Pink City. Built in 1799 by 

Courtyard inside the Hawa Mahal

Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the structure is made of red and pink sandstone. The well-known structure of Hawa Mahal is actually the back of the palace overlooking the busy streets. I go inside the palace to view its inner beauty. As I turn round the corner of Bada Choupad, I get to the entrance of 

Hawa Mahal from the front courtyard

Hawa Mahal. I am welcomed by an open courtyard with fountains in the middle and a picturesque view of the Mahal. It's a four storey building with multiple lawns and exquisite architecture. I go up each storey through a sliding narrow staircase, come out in the open and remain spell

Crest of the Hawa Mahal

bounded enjoying the beauties all around. One storey after another and I finally reach the crest of the Mahal. From here a large part of the pink city can be viewed on one side and the distant mountains and forts on the other side. The cool breeze on a winter afternoon at this height makes me relaxed and rejuvenated for more to discover. Down from the top, there is a museum of old sculptures and artifacts in the ground floor. A brief visit to the museum and it's time to move on to the next place.

View from the Hawa Mahal top

My next stop is the Jantar Mantar. Built in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, it features the

Jantar Mantar complex with the
City Palace at backdrop

world's largest stone sundial from where you can almost correctly estimate the time using the shadow due to sunlight. There are a 

Red-wattled Lapwings

number of mathematical and astronomical structures throughout the compound and I shall recommend all to take a guide for better understanding of each instrument. There are also multiple videos in YouTube which maybe consulted before visiting this place. I made the mistake of not enriching me beforehand and every instrument seemed the same to me!! With things getting boring, I engaged myself taking photos of a pair of Red-wattled Lapwings which were strolling inside the Jantar Mantar campus. A brief stint with those beautiful birds and I'm out of the campus for my next destination.

Sun dial at Jantar Mantar

City Palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. The palace has a number of majestic

Sculptured gate of City Palace with
Clock Tower behind

gates with beautiful engraves and handiwork. The Clock Tower  overlooks the main gate of the palace. The front elevation of the

Mubarak Mahal

palace is the Mubarak Mahal and houses a museum now. Clothes, artillery and weapons used by the Rajput kings are exhibited here for the public. While looking at the exhibited items, look up the ceilings as well to enjoy the beautiful chandeliers. Opposite to the front elevation is a gate with sculptured elephants on both sides. Entering through this gate, I reach a

Sarvato Bhadra courtyard

Gangajali

courtyard which houses the Sarvato Bhadra (Diwan-e-Khas).  The Sarvato Bhadra exhibits two huge sterling silver vessels named Gangajalis. These are the largest silver objects in the world as per the Guinness Book of World Records. Each of these vessels were made from 14000 Jhar Shahi (Jaipur coins) silver coins. Each of them weighs around 345 kgs and has a capacity of 4091 liters. From the Sarvato Bhadra courtyard, it's time

Chandra Mahal

to move to the innermost part of the palace. The inner courtyard is the Pritam Niwas Chowk which provides access to the Chandra Mahal. There are four gates to the Chowk representing the four seasons and four gods. Into the chowk and there stands in front is the majestic Chandra Mahal. It is the palace of the Maharajas and is of seven-floored. Going further inside is prohibited and from here it's time to return.

Peacock sculptures at gates of Pritam Niwas Chowk

It's late for that afternoon as it is already past 5 pm. I walk up the streets thinking what to do as I'm not interested in going back to hostel so fast. I stand viewing the beauty of Hawa Mahal from

Albert Hall Museum in the evening

the outside and just at that time I find the lights turning on. I keep on waiting there for it to be dark and the view is simply magical. I stand in awe looking at the Hawa Mahal amidst darkness with all lights focusing on it. This, I feel, is a must view for 

Lakshmi Narayan Temple

anyone visiting Jaipur. Next stop is Albert Hall Museum which is decked up in colourful lights from the outside. The colours are always changing and the same combination of colours won't be found for a long time. I move to my next destination, the Birla Temple (Lakshmi Narayan Temple).  Built

Moti Dungri Ganesh

in 1988, it is solely constructed of white marble and dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu. The temple is open on all days from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. While I 

Moti Dungri Fort with Shiva temple

enter the compound of the temple,  I find a hill at the back. On top of the hill there's a fort (known as Moti Dungri Fort) and a temple all decked up in light. Came to know from the locals that the temple belongs to Lord Shiva and is opened for people only on MahaShivaratri. Lakhs of people stand in queue patiently to worship the deity on that particular day. Near to Birla Temple, there are two more temples if you want to visit. One among them is the Moti Dungri Ganesh temple and the other being Hanuman temple. That's all for that day and I return to MNIT Jaipur. A beautiful afternoon and evening come to an end.

Hawa Mahal all decked up in lights

December 23, 2019... The last three days are gone in attending the conference and I have one day

Amer Fort with Jaigarh Fort at the back

 extra before I catch my flight on 24th. I have planned to visit the three forts of Jaipur along with the Jal Mahal. I reserve an auto for the entire trip, which I later found to have backfired. I would suggest to reserve an OLA rental as a cheaper and much better option. My first stop is at Amer Fort. Located around 11 km away from

Walk to Amer Fort

Jaipur, it is one of the principal attractions for tourists. The fort is on the top of a hill and you need to go up. Options include jeep ride or elephant ride or walking. I preferred walking up. The walk up to the fort is beautiful is different from the path that elephants and jeeps take. However, there are some portions of elephant corridor  common with the walking path and you need to be very careful at

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those places. Once inside the fort, I am in awe looking at the majesty all around. From the first courtyard, I climb up a few stairs and reach the second courtyard to find the Diwan-e-Aam or Public Audience Hall. From this courtyard I get a beautiful view of the hills all around and fort walls atop

Sheesh Mahal with the Mughal Gardens 

each of those hills. From the second courtyard, I enter the third courtyard through a beautifully sculptured gate named as Ganesh Pol. The third courtyard used to be the private quarter for the Maharaja and his family. This courtyard has two buildings facing each other, separated by a garden. The building to the left after entering through the gate is Sheesh Mahal. It is exquisitely embellished with glass panels on the walls and ceiling. In front of the Sheesh Mahal is the Mughal Gardens and

Rajasthani folk musician near Amer Fort

on the other side of the garden is the Sukh Niwas. There's a fourth courtyard where the royal family women used to live and from there a clear view of the Jaigarh Fort can be achieved. There are a number of similar shaped rooms in the fourth courtyard which are all connected through similarly looking doors. A word of advice... Try to remain in groups or else there is a high probability that you may get lost. Amer Fort visit complete, and it's time to climb down. On the road I get to find many people playing beautiful tunes in ravanahatha.

View of the first courtyard of Amer Fort from the second courtyard

I hop inside my reserved auto and next destination is Nahargarh Fort. This fort is on the top of a hill and there's a steep ride through the road. Only three-wheelers and four-wheelers are allowed there.

Entrance to Nahargarh Fort

There is nothing much to see in this fort.  Two cannons guard the entrance to the fort. Inside, the fort is divided into multiple

Interior of Nahargarh Fort.

blocks. The ground floor of each of these blocks has been converted to museum. I climb up the stairs at one of these blocks and find myself on the top of a common roof. From the roof, the entire Jaipur city can be seen downhill. There is a stepped pond on the front yard of the fort with its lush green water. I spend some more time walking through the fort walls and enjoying the peace and tranquility all around.

View from roof of Nahargarh Fort

Next destination is Jaigarh Fort which is around 7 km away from Nahargarh Fort. On the way lies a

View of Jal Mahal 

viewpoint from where a scenic sight of the Jal Mahal and the Jaipur city can be obtained. The Jaigarh Fort was built in 1726 by Sawai Jai Singh II to protect the Amer Fort. The fort is highly

Jaivan Cannon

fortified with thick walls of red sandstone and pans over a length of 3 km and width of 1 km. The Jaigarh fort is famous for the Jaivan Cannon. This cannon is believed to be the largest in the world. It has a length of 31 feet 3 inches, weight of 50 tonnes, front carriage height of 9 feet and a rear carriage height of 4.5 feet. Over 100 kg

Walls of Jaigarh Fort

of gunpowder was required to fire 50 kg cannonball through the Jaivan. The Jaivan is beautifully decorated with auspicious symbols and sculptures of elephants and peacocks. A lotus motif frames the mouth of the barrel and floral motifs and patterns decorate the entire length, ending with a pair of birds at the back. From the Jaigarh fort, through the thick walls, a beautiful view of the Amer Fort down under is obtained. I also came to know that there is a walking road from Amer Fort to Jaigarh Fort, which I missed this time.

View of Amer Fort from Jaigarh Fort

The final destination is Jal Mahal. It is built in the middle of Mann Sagar Lake. The palace built in

Jal Mahal

red sandstone is a five storeyed building with the lower four floors remaining under water. Tourists are prohibited from entering the Jal Mahal now. All that is allowed is to view the palace from the banks of the lake. There is an open market on the banks where you can get different Rajasthani ornaments and artifacts for home decoration. In the winter season, this lake is flocked with migratory birds, an apt location for birdwatchers and photographers. I was lucky to sight some pelicans, common egrets, pond herons, great common cormorants and spot billed ducks in that short time.

Pelican and cormorants basking in the sun in Mann Sagar Lake

Curtains down for the Jaipur trip and I'm back to my hometown the next day. A short, compact and enjoyable trip comes to an end.

Important information worth sharing:

• Travelling inside the city can be through public transport or through OLA bike, OLA auto and OLA cab.
• Travelling outside the city, specially to the forts, should be done by OLA rental. Reserving a cab for 6-8 hours will be well enough.
• Market is there in the old city of Jaipur near Hawa Mahal.

That's all folks... See you soon in another blog... Another story... Another picturesque place...