The Jaipur Palace, with its magnificent buildings, gates, places of worship and sprawling courtyards, is a testimony to Mughal and Rajput architecture. Chandra Mahal, Sawai Jai Singh’s palace which is seven stories high, Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Aam and Mubarak Mahal are all places of interest within the vast palace premises, occupying about one seventh of Jaipur. The palace is still home to the erstwhile royal family. The palace is one of the must see locations in Jaipur.

This enormous fort was the royal abode of the Kachwahas from 1600 to 1727 and dates back to Maharaja Man Singh’s time. This palace complex is a mix of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. The fort is a beautiful pale yellow but that is not how it got its name. The town of Amber, where this fort is located, was named after the goddess Amba and hence its name. The main attraction inside the fort is the Sheesh Mahal, which has thousands and thousands of mirrored tiles on the walls and the ceiling. The fort or ‘palace’ has sprawling grounds and it does not have any signboards. Therefore, it is worth taking a guide or making use of an ‘audio guide’. It is a rather steep hike up to the fort from the town, so the best thing for a tourist to do is to hitch a ride on elephant-back to the top.

This fort was probably the strongest one among the three forts in this area, since it was never captured in battle. It is well known for having the world’s largest cannon – the ‘Jaivana’. According to history, this cannon was test fired only once and its cannonball flew a distance of 35 km despite using just half the designated amount of gunpowder. The ruins of the foundry where ‘Jaivan’ and many other cannons were made is also located within the fort’s grounds. However, two good reasons to visit the fort are the beautiful gardens located on the other side and the spectacular view of the hills around, which includes Amber Fort.

A few areas of the vast palace, spanning the outer and inner courtyards of Diwan Khanna, Mubarak Mahal, Sarvatobhadra and Pritam Niwas, have been transformed to house the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Public Museum. Armours, royal insignia, beautiful miniature paintings in Rajasthani and Mughal style, and exquisite carpets, robes, and manuscripts of yesteryears are all on display in this museum. When Sawai Madho Singh II left for a trip to England, large vessels were specially created for carrying water from the holy Ganges River to England. These vessels are also exhibited here.

Uniquely designed in the form of Lord Krishna’s crown, the many layers of the Hawa Mahal are interspersed with a whole lot of windows and intricately carved screens of stone, allowing a free flow of winds; and hence the name ‘Palace of Winds’. Built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, the poet-king, the palace is located in a busy area with a great view of the main market place as well as the horizon of Jaipur. The palace is also believed to be a dedication to Lord Krishna.

This fort is the smallest of the three and is noteworthy mainly for the excellent views of the sprawling city of Jaipur and Man Sagar Lake. The relatively compact Madhavendra Bhawan Palace is located inside this fort, although it is losing its former magnificence due to the graffiti on the walls and bird droppings. Some parts of the movie “Rang De Basanti” were shot here and to go to the place where the song “Pathshaala” was filmed, you can take an immediate left turn upon entering the fort.

This ancient astronomical observatory with instruments of stone and marble is used to track the movement of stars and planets. In 1718 Sawai Jai Singh built such observatories in Ujjain, Delhi, Mathura, Varanasi and Jaipur, of which the one is Jaipur is the largest functional unit with accurate predictions till date.

This public museum structured in Indo-Sarcenic style was built in honour of the Prince of Wales, when he visited Jaipur in the late 1800s. Albert Hall is located at the Ram Niwas Garden and houses a wide range of items like art pieces, carvings, and natural specimens that are characteristic of a bygone era. Highlights of the collection include an Egyptian mummy and a much-famed Persian carpet.

A Scottish style fort, Moti Doongri is located on a hilltop. There are two temples downhill – an old traditional style Ganesh Temple and the modern marble structure of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. Do visit these places for a view of different architecture styles.

Local tours are operated every day and include important destinations like Amber Fort and Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Jaigarh Fort, and City Palace. However, the fares for the tour do not include entrance fees and other charges applicable at these locations. Also, there are no halts other than the places covered by the tour. The Rajasthan Tourist Development Corporation (RTDC) along with the Tourist Information Bureau organizes these city tours. You can opt to join the tour from the Jaipur railway station or any other point along the route. More details can be had from the Tourist Information Bureau close to your hotel or at the railway station.

RTDC Sight Seeing - 2371648.

Tourist Reception Center - Tourist Hotel (Govt. Hostel), MI Road, Tel: 0141-2365256/2370180

Government of India Tourism Office
State Hotel, Khasa Kothi
Govt. Hostel Campus
Jaipur - 302 001
Tel: (0141) 372200 / 370181 / 361486
Fax:(0141) 372200

Rajasthan Tourism Office
Paryatan Bhawan
Govt. Hostel Campus
Jaipur - 302 001
Tel: 91-0141-365256 / 376362 / 370181 / 361486
Fax: 91-0141-376362

Jaipur Emergency Numbers
Police : 100
Fire : 101
Ambulance : 102
Crime Police : 1090

Other Important Numbers
Tourist Information - 1364
RTDC Sight Seeing - 2371648
Tourist Information Bureau (Rly Stn) - 2315714
Indian Airlines - 2721333, 2743500
Jet Airways - 2360763, 2551354
Sahara Airlines - 2546693, 2377637
Railway Enquiry - 131
Bus Enquiry - 2367043
Bus Reservations - 2205790
General Post Office -236874

Banks and Foreign Exchange
Bank of Rajasthan, Rambagh Palace (0730-2030 hrs)
Central Bank of India, Sansar Chandra Road
State Bank of India, Tilak Marg, C- Scheme
Thomas Cook (INDIA) Ltd. Jaipur Towers, M.I. Road

Hospitals in Jaipur
J.K. Mother & Child Health Institute, J.L. Nehru Marg.
Santokba Durlabhji Hosp.
S.M.S. Hopital enquiry & for Ambulance
Mahila Chikitsalaya, Sanganeri Gate
Zanana Hospital, Near Chandpole gate
Chemist Opposite S.M.S. Hospital and M.I. Road Passport Office: Opp. Municipal Corpn, Tonk Road.