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The capital of Rajasthan,
Jaipur is not only the gateway to the state, it is also the most natural place to begin
discovery of Rajasthan’s multifaceted attractions. For visitors unfamiliar with
its history, a little explanation may be necessary, since it will aid their
understanding of one of the most fascinating cities of
India
.
As a city, Jaipur is
fairly young, less than three centuries old. It was laid out by Maharajas Sawai Jai
Singh II of the Kachchawaha dynasty from
Amber which, less than 10 km away, was the former capital of the state. Markets and
residential areas of the state. Markets and residential areas have bridged this gap so
that, for all practical purposes, Jaipur includes Amber within its sway.
Like most Rajput kings,
the Kachchawahas claim descent from the noble line of Shri Rama, the prince-hero whose
exploits are the subject of the great Hindu epic, the Rama-yana. If one were to zip
through history to arrive in the 10th century, it would bring us face to face with Dhola
Rai whose throne at Narwar (close to
Gwalior
, in Madhya Pradesh) was usurped by uncle. However, the royal prince was welcomed as a
bridegroom into the feudal principality of Dausa, close to Amber, and he soon made
himself at home, even claiming the right to rule. His son, who accepted the hospitality
of the Mina tribesmen of Amber, betrayed it similarly and established the foundations of
a dynasty that was to become renowned for its power and wealth. In more recent times,
the Jaipuris, as they were called, came to represent the glamorous face of princely
India
, and were the cynosure of the media in Western society.
Having won themselves
their kingdom, the Kachchawahs strengthened their stronghold through strategic
matrimonial alliances with the Mughals who ruled over much of
India
from their forts at
Delhi
and
Agra
. Though their faiths were different, it established a sense of kinship between the more
powerful Mughals and the valiant Kkachchawaahs, and laid the foundation for a similar
relationship with other Rajput states.
The Mughals still occupied
Delhi when Jai Singh, hardly a man yet when he was anointed maharaja of Amber, was taken
to meet Emperor Aurangzeb who, as a conservative Muslim, had spent little time
befriending his Hindu neighbours. Grasping Jai Singh’s hands in his own, Aurangzeb
asked him: “How do you expect to be
powerful with your hands tied thus”? Jai Singh was quick-witted, and replied: “ Just
as a bridegroom takes his bride’s hands following their betrothal, in a sacred vow to
protect her, so you, Sire, have held my hands. What do I fear now that the Mughal
himself has taken my hands in his?” Aurangzeb was pleased and immediately granted the
young prince the hereditary title of ‘Sawai’ placing the Kachchawaha family a
‘quarter’ above the other Rajput families.
But the Mughal was ageing.
He had no strong successors. Towards the east, the British were eroding the existing
power structure from their capital in
Calcutta
. The north, however, after several centuries of invasions and rife, was quiet. Jai
Singh seized the opportunity to pamper himself with a new capital. Moving out of the
hilltop Amber, he descended to the plains below, and planned a modern capital with a
Bengali architect, Vidyadhar. Whose instinct for planning he trusted implicitly.
Jaipur has been laid
according to the conventional nine-grid pattern that astrologers believe to be lucky,
and which has been recommended in the ancient Indian treatise on architecture. Each grid
consists of a square, and these have been planned so that, at the heart of city is the
City
Palace
. Spread around it, in rows, are public buildings, the residences of noblemen, the
living and trading quarters of merchants and artisans.
Straight, wide roads run
through the city, while a high, crenellated wall that forms its defense is pierced with
seven gateways that serve as entry points. Today, these walls may be more difficult to
spot since they city has grown far beyond its original plan, but they are still there,
proof that though Jaipur saw no great siege, it was more than adequately prepared for
it.
Vidyadhar was a strict
planner and even the drawings for private residences and trading establishments had to
be submitted to his stringent gaze, and meet with his approval. This is the reason for
the striking similarity in the facades of the
buildings in even the bazzars of the old city, though it is a myth that he was also
responsible for uniform colours, labelled Indian pink. This has given Jaipur its
euphemistic name,
Pink
City
. However, the reason for the autumnal colours on the facades of all old city buildings
wad forthcoming trip by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in 1876 for whom the
capital was being decorated. It was decided to paint the entire city white for the
occasion, but eventually the pink was chosen because it came closest to the colour of
sandstone which many of the buildings were made. To date, the tradition of painting the
buildings pink has continued, though with the highlights picked out in white.
Having outgrown the
original nine grids, Jaipur has spread in all directions, but its market areas are still
characterised by street and areas where work of a certain kind is found. For example,
there is a separate street for marble-workers, and another textiles, or for jewellery.
Jaipur’s architectural
planning may have been ancient, but its execution was definitely modern. Best
represented by the
City
Palace
complex, it brought together all that was excellent in Rajput and Mughal architecture,
creating a new tradition that found wide currency over much of north
India
. As in the Mughal tradition, the durbar or court areas became much more open,
characterised by a series of arched pavilions held on delicately crafted pillars.
Ornamentation had always been a part of the state’s architectural heritage, now it
became much more opulent. The private wings of the family also extended their
entertainment areas. Since defence was no longer a primary concern, lager, more
ornamental windows were built to overlook the streets or courtyards outside these wings.
Gardens were no longer planned within the internal courtyards only, but were added to
the external vista, and water, a basic feature of Mughal palaces and gardens, was
utilised in a similar fashion, in canals and fountains.
Some of these experiments
had begun at Amber itself, in the palaces that were its more recent additions. A major
distinguishing feature of the Mughal palaces was the use of marble and pietra durainlay.
Amber and Jaipur used marble more judiciously, but were able to achieve the same effect
on polished wall surfaces using a mixture of lime and eggshell, in a style that was
referred to as araish. Rather than stone inlay, it preferred the delicate art of
painting, especially religious and historical sequences, the depiction of which is
forbidden in Islamic art. The concept of the Sheesh Mahal or ‘Palace of Mirrors’,
however, was equally favoured in both architectural traditions: it consists of small,
even sized mirrors used to embellish all surfaces so that, when a match is lit in the
darkened room, its flame bounces off then giving millions of reflections.
Such ostentation, however,
was usually limited, and good taste was evident in the manner in which the walls were
painted, or the pierced windows placed. Amber represents the early phases of Kachchawaha
architecture. The foundations of the fort Man Singh. Seen from the outside, the
fortifications are impressive. Coming upon it when entering or exiting Jaipur, it makes
one gasp, but it must have sent a chill up the spine of its foes. A steep ramp leads to
Jai Pol, the Gate of
Victory, named after Jai Singh I. Today, elephants carry tourists up the ramp, but it is
not difficult to imagine pennant carrying armies setting off on horseback along this
majestic path.
The architecture within
spans several centuries and, even after the establishment of Jaipur, the royal family
would come here for ceremonial occasions and to pray at the Kali shrine. The image
enshrined within the temple is that of Shila Mataa, the Goddess of War, carried here by
Maharaja Man Singh all the way from Jessore in
Bengal
. Visitors today can also see the Diwan-I- Am or Hall of Public Audience, a sight denied
even to Emperor Akbar at the height of his glory. Legend has it that reports came to
Akbar of Man Singh’s splendid durbar hall as a Mughal feudatory, Amber did not have
the permission to hold public audiences, but Akber, it appears, was more entranced by
Amber’s reported “ tier upon tier of beautiful buildings”. Two emissaries were
despatched to find out if the durbar hall was as beautiful as its description but Man
Singh, fearful that the Mughal would covet it, had the hall covered with stucco plaster,
concealing its decorations for centuries together.
Amber had reason to be
concerned since its history had seen skirmishes with other Rajput kingdoms, and had at
various times faced the armies of the sultans of Gujarat, the Marathas, and the Mughals.
No wonder it architecture, like that of other Rajput palaces, consists of narrow
passages and staircases that can be defended by a single swordsman, ridged ramps to
allow the cavalry to move within the fortifications, high walls that cannot be easily
scaled, and windows at only the highest levels. While the exterior is forbidding, the
interiors are lavished with decoration since the royals, and especially the women, spent
almost all their time within the fortified palaces.
In Jaipur, the facades
seem to have become as ornate as the interiors and sometimes, as in the case of the Hawa
Mahal, even more so. The Hawa Mahal, part of the
City
Palace
complex, is a familiar landmark, and is ties of pierced windows overlooking the street
below. In fact, the façade pretty much characterises what for, on the inside, the
building is no more than a series of corridors with windows overlooking the street. Its
purpose was simply to allow the royal women a view of ceremonial processions while
seated behind the small windows, allowing them to looking out without themselves being
seen.
Jaipur has much to offer
visitors – everything from pageants and festivals to extraordinarily clad people, a
wealth of handicrafts, a royal legacy of palaces, and sightseeing – that will occupy
their time. However, should the visitors simply choose to walk around the streets of the
old city instead, they will not regret it. All of Jaipur is an architectural gem, and no
scheduled sight- seeing can even hope to do justice to this rare city.
Sightseeing
in Jaipur
Suggested
Itineraries 
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