Jaipur and Jodhpur are two of the must-see stops on any tour of Rajasthan, India, here is some basic information about these two magnificent cities.
Jaipur
- JaipurAlok Verma, India / Foter / CC BY-SA
The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur, is known as the Pink City because in 1876 Maharaja Ram Singh had the city painted pink, the traditional color of hospitality, to prepare for the illustrious visit of King Edward VII. Since then local law enforces the rosy color on city structures. Temperatures in Jaipur range between 45°C and 25°C in the summer and 22°C to 8°C in the winter.
Jaipur is located 260km from Delhi and most travelers begin their journey by arriving at the Delhi International Airport. Agra, Jaipur and Delhi form the Golden Triangle.
The most common way of seeing Jaipur is by tour or you can see the city independently using rickshaws, taxies or by public buses #5 and #2 which stop at the most famous sites.
The monuments, palaces and temples in Jaipur are numerous but here are the top three:
City Palace Complex was built in the Mughal and Rajut styles under Maharaja Jai Singh II. Within the Mubarak Mahal Palace of Welcome is now a museum with royal costumes. In the Maharani’s Palace is a display of historic weapons. Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Breeze is within the complex.
Jantar Mantar built in the 1700’s this UNESCO site is a complex astronomical observatory.
Amber Fort completed in 1727 was the Kachwahas royal palace, the massive structure includes the Sheesh Mahal covered with mirror tiles.
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Jodhpur
- JodhpurFlying Pharmacist / Foter / CC BY-SA
This city established in 1459 rises out of the Thar Desert dominated by the hill top fortress and surrounded by a bustling modern city. The weather in Jodhpur ranges between 42°C and 36°C in summer and 27°C to 15°C in winter. Because of the hot weather Jodhpur is known as Sun City. Once in the city you can get around by taxi, mini bus, car, auto rickshaw or the unique Tonga horse drawn carriages.
When in Jodhpur these are three of the main sites to see:
Mehrangarh Fort is Rajasthan’s largest fort, it was constructed over 500 years ago. The enormous 150 meter high hill top fortress complex includes temples, palaces, courtyards and gardens. The beautiful halls include Pearl Hall, Mirror Hall and Flower Hall.
Umaid Bhavan Palace India’s most recently built palace is still home to the Maharaja of Jodhpur as well as being partially a 5 star hotel and a museum.
Jaswent Thada is the beautiful royal marble cenotaph on the edge of a lake, the temple-looking monument has been likened to the Taj Mahal.
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