Jaipur - The Capital City of Rajasthan

General Information:
State : Rajasthan
Location : It's located approximately 260 kilometers (160 miles) south west of Delhi.
Population : There are around 5 million residents
Area : 200.4 km² (77 sq mi)

The pink city of Rajasthan was built in 18th century by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II. He ruled Jaipur from 1699 to 1744. His desire to move from then residence “Amber Fort” to such a location which is more spacious and is well equipped with better facilities resulted in the construction of Pink City. The construction of the earliest planned city in India started in 1797 and was built on the basis of Shilp Shashtra (the Indian Architecture). The construction process took 4 years to finish all the palaces and buildings. Jaipur then became the first planned city of India. The end result was a well executed design laid by Raja Sawai Jai Singh. The city’s basic structure was a rectangle with nine blocks. Out of these nine blocks two were for the State Building and the palaces. The remaining seven blocks were allotted to general public. It was first painted in pink color in 1853 in order to welcome the first visit of Prince of Wales and was re-painted in 1876 during his second visit. For security reasons the city was surrounded by huge wall that had seven gates. It was only through these gates that anybody could enter else there was no other entrance.

Climate :
Jaipur has a hot climatic conditions. The weather is generally hot and dry. In summers i.e. April to June, the temperature may rise up to 40 degree Celsius which is equal to 104 degree Fahrenheit and may exceed it. July & August are the monsoon months, but the temperature rarely falls below 30 degree Celsius i.e. 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best time to visit Jaipur is during winter i.e. from November until March. The average temperature in winter is about 25 degree Celsius i.e. 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The nights can be extremely cold as the temperature may fall below 5 degree Celsius i.e. 41 degrees Fahrenheit (mainly in January).

How to reach Jaipur?
Being a major tourist hub, Jaipur is very well connected to all the major parts of the country. There are frequent Air, bus and rail services available to reach Jaipur. The cheapest way to reach Jaipur is by Train.

By Air:
Jaipur Airport (JAI/VIJP) is situated in Sanganer, Jaipur. Direct flights from Sharjah, Dubai, Dublin, Muscat and London land here. The flights coming from Singapore and Bangkok reach here via Delhi. The airport is well connected with almost all the major cities of India and has frequent service.

By Train:
The cheapest way to reach Jaipur is through train. Jaipur has a good network of trains connecting majority of cities and states of India. One can find daily trains heading towards Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Indore, Kanpur, Allahabad, Jammu etc. Train is the most convenient and comfortable option of traveling in India. There are mainly three railway stations in Jaipur, the Jaipur Junction, Gandhinagar (jaipur) and Durgapura. Most of the trains depart from Jaipur Junction as it is the main station and the other two stations receive fewer trains as compared to the main station.

If you are looking for a luxurious travel then also the best option is traveling by Train. These luxurious trains will take you around Rajasthan and you’ll be given the Royal treatment. These trains have a royal class service, food and other amenities. Once you are in these heritage trains you feel like that the journey should not come to an end and it should continue for life long.

These luxurious trains are:

• Palace on wheels - The best train in India, Palace on wheels takes you on a tour across seven tourist destinations. This journey takes 8 days to complete and the journey starts on Wednesday.

• Heritage on wheels - This train takes to a 4 days journey to Jaipur, Talchhapur and Bikaner.

• Royal Orient train - The train takes you on a seven day tour across Rajasthan.

By Road:

• Buy Bus:
  The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation network connects Jaipur to all the major cities of India. There are some private buses also, that operate between the major cities and Jaipur.

• By car :
  This is the most popular way of reaching from Delhi. The journey by car from Delhi to Jaipur takes less than 4hrs. NH 8 connects Delhi to Jaipur via the industrial township of Gurgaon. The road is excellent.

Local Transport in Jaipur:

• Autorickshaw : Prepaid Auto rickshaws are available at the Jaipur Railway station and at the Main Bus Stand as well. These Auto Rikshaws can also be heired on per day basis or to reach from one place to another. Don’t forget to get a tariff card in order to pay the auto-rickshaw bill.

• Cycle-rickshaw :Cycle-rickshaws are cheaper as compared to auto-rickshaw but the time taken is more than twice.

• By taxi : Traveling by taxies in Jaipur is a convenient and comfortable option. You can easily get a Tata Indica or a Maruti Omni on heir. The taxies are much safer than the auto-rickshaws. Taxis generally have yellow license plates with black letters. Some taxis are painted with yellow & black color scheme on their body which helps to uniquely identify from the private cars. Now days the Radio cab services are also started in the city, where you just needs to give a call and tell them about where you are. The driver will reach and will drop you wherever you’ll ask him to. Following are few telephone no. that might help you.

• Pinkcity Radio Taxi, +91 141 220-5000
• Shree Shyam Radio Taxi, +91 141 237-2222
• Jain Taxi Service, +91 141 229-2064

Where to stay:
There are number of options available when it comes to a stay in the Royal city of Jaipur. The accommodation depends on your pocket. There are Luxurious Hotels, Heritage Hotels, Palace Hotels, Budget hotels, lodges etc. What ever you want Jaipur has an option for it.
Visit the following websites for more information about the Hotels in Jaipur
www.dazzlingindia.com
www.jaipurhub.com

Heritage Hotels in Jaipur:
The Raj Palace
Raj Palace is a Grand heritage hotel and the member of Small Luxury Hotels of the world. They were voted as the "World's Leading heritage hotel" by The World Travel awards 2007.
Address & Contact Info:
Jorawer Singh Gate
Amer Road
Jaipur 302002
Tel : + 91-141-2634077 / +91-141-2634078
Fax : +91-141-2630489 / +91-141-2373119
Email : rajpalac@sancharnet.in, gkvhotel@sancharnet.in
website: www.rajpalace.com

Luxury Hotels in Jaipur:
Hotel Clarks Amer The Pink City beckons you with its colorful traditions. When you check into Clarks Amer Jaipur the tranquility, the ambience, the culinary delights add to a wonderful experience.
Address & Contact Info:
U.P. Hotels Limited,
Jawaharlal Nehru Marg,
Jaipur 302 018. India.
Tel. : (+91-141) 2550616-19, 2550702 - 06
Fax :(+91-141) 2550013, 2550319
Mobile: 93515 55617, 93515 55610
E-Mail: email@clarksamer.com, resv@clarksamer.com
Website: www.hotelclarks.com

Budget Hotels in Jaipur:
Hotel Arya Niwas
Situated in Jaipur, Rajasthan,Hotel Arya Niwas offers quality, budget hotel and travel options. A family managed hotel with open spaces, gardens and emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene.
Address & Contact Info:
Behind Amber Towers
Sansar Chandra Road,
JAIPUR - 302001
Phone : +91 (141) 2372456, +91 (141) 2371773,+91 (141) 5106010
Fax : +91 (141) 2361871
E-mail :info@aryaniwas.com, aryahotel@sancharnet.in
Website: www.aryaniwas.com

What to see in Jaipur:
Jaipur is a place full of cultural, architectural and historical heritages. It is the witness of the historical sagas that took place here. The monuments and buildings are still alive and well preserved. The tourists who love history, for them Jaipur is a jackpot. This jackpot has various forts, palaces, historical monuments, ancient temples, rich artifacts and colorful people. You can catch the glimpse of the bye gone era. A trip to Jaipur is a journey back in time.
The major attractions of Jaipur include:

• Forts & Palaces

Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, City Palace, Chandra Mahal, Diwan-e-Aam and Jal Mahal

• Temples

Birla Temple or Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Govind Devji Temple, Moti Doongri Temple, Galtaji, Akshardham Temple (at Vaishali Nagar), Jain Temple

• Monuments

Ram Niwas Garden, Central Museum (or Albert Hall Museum)

• Gardens

Zoological Garden, Sisodia Rani Palace and Garden, Vidyadhar Garden, Central Park (Entrance near Statue Circle), Kanak Vrindavan,

• Off-beat destinations

Chokhi Dhani and Chand Baori stepwell
For more information on Choki Dhani read Chokhi Dhani- Experience Rajasthan across India and for more information on Chand Baori Stepwell read Deepest step well in the world - Chand Baori

What to eat in Jaipur:
Rajasthani Cuisine influenced by the Rajput inhabitants as well as the desert aspect of this region has remained unchanged over the centuries. The ingredients most used in Rajasthani Recipes have been chosen, more out of hard geographical compulsion than out of fetish for the taste. With scarce water resources and few fresh vegetable growing in the region, the people devised dishes that required the minimum use of water and that would last days in the hot weather without the need to be reheated. To know more about Rajasthani Cuisine read 10 Rajasthani Dishes to best sample Rajasthani Cuisine

Places to eat :

• Chokhi Dhani & Apno Gaon

• Natraj

• Loharu

• Four Seasons

• Chitra Cafeteria

• Anokhi café

• Niros

• Surya Mahal

Some Safety tips:

• You’ll be approached by many people to buy Gems. Beware of such people as you might be cheated. If you want to purchase gems, buy them from an authentic Gem shop.

• The moment you get down on a railway station, you’ll be surrounds by many auto-rickshaw drivers and will insist you to go to a hotel of their choice and in return they charge commission from the hotel. In other to avoid this, heir an auto-rickshaw from the prepaid counter near railway station or Bus stand.

• Take some first hand information about the eating and Shopping places as the drivers have their fixed commissions at shops and eating outlets, so you might end up paying more for and item or eating at an undesirable place.

• The city is too hot so drink plenty of water and avoid staying out in the direct sun for too long.