Forts and Palaces of Jaipur

Jaipur heralded as the 'Pink city', is a famous tourist destination of India. With its endless array of tourist spots that are the surviving relics of Rajputana reign, Jaipur holds the top position in every traveler's itinerary.

Founded by Jai Singh II in 1727 A.D of Kachchwa clan, Jaipur is a very young city in compare to others. This Rajput king was the most illustrious and an avant garde ruler of all. He has built some extraordinary architectural masterpieces which are the perfect testimonies of glorious royal past of Jaipur.

Apart from him, several other Rajputana rulers has also created some impressive forts and opulent palaces at various corners of the city. Some of the attractive forts of Rajasthan are built at the outskirt of Jaipur city such as

Amber Fort: Positioned at a distance of 11km from Jaipur city on Delhi-Jaipur road, Amber fort was built atop a hill. This grandiose fort was once the capital of Minas. It was used by the Rajputana rulers for both both residential as well as defense purpose. Amber fort also houses some beautiful monuments like Jai Mandir, Kali temple, Sheesh Mahal, Sukh Niwas, Zenana, the women apartments, and Ganesh Pol.

Jaigarh Fort: Another beautiful fort of Jaipur city is Jaigarh fort, the fort of conquest. Constructed in 1726 A.D, Jaigarh fort was built by Raja Sawai Jai Singh. Due to its military structure, Jaigarh fort is regarded as one of the three strongest forts of India. Apart from its architectural design, Jaigarh fort is also famous for the World's largest canon on wheel, Jaivan. Having resemblance to Amber fort in structure, Jaigarh fort also provides an excellent view of Jaipur city and Amber Fort from the Diwa Burj watchtower. Few years back in mid 1983, Jaigarh fort was opened for public viewing as it houses several striking palaces, gardens, its granary, an armory that has a dazzling collection of arms and weapons and its temples.

Nahargarh Fort: Built in 1734 and extended in 1868, Nahaargarh fort is just 8km away from Jaipur. It was built by Sawai Raja Jai Singh. During the reign of Raja Jai Singh, Nahargarh fort serves as a guard to Jaipur city, due to which it is rightly called the Tiger Fort. Constructed at the top of the Nahargarh hill, this fort was a famous retreat for the royal family of Jaipur. Due to its high altitude , Nahargarh fort provides a panoramic view of the Man Sagar lake and the city below. In the 19th century, Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II has added some more buildings to this massive fort. One of the most visited building of the fort is Madhavendra Bhawan, which has the nine apartments of Raja Ram Singh.

Beside these forts, Jaipur has some more splendid palaces that are also the main attractions of Jaipur. Some of the important palaces of the city are

City Palace: City palace, the prime attraction of Jaipur is a living palace as well as museum. Its architectural design is the fine blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal architectural designs. Positioned at the heart of old city of Jaipur, City palace is a huge monument. It occupies nearly one seventh of the city and houses some courtyards, gardens and buildings. Some of the prime attraction within City palace are Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Jai Niwas Garden, Sri Gobind Dev Temple, Diwan-i-am,(the Hall of public audience), Diwan-i-khas ( the Hall of private audience) and the museum. This museum is a repository of finest collection of arms, and armoury in India. There are two entrances to City Palace. The main entrance is approached through Virendra Pol and one through Udai Pol near Jaleb Chowk.

Hawa Mahal: The most striking landmark of Jaipur is Hawa Mahal. It is also a part of City Palace complex. Hawa Mahal which literally means Palace of Winds, is located at the heart of the city. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawaj Pratap Singh, Hawa Mahal is a five storey honey combed structure palace. It is one of the finest example Rajput artistry and was constructed to enable the ladies of the court to witness the colorful processions or day to day activities of the main street of the buzzing old city. Entrance to this fabulous palace is from the rear side. There's a small archaeological museum inside the palace.

Rambagh Palace: Rambagh Palace, another famous palace of Jaipur was a former residence of royal family. Till 1957, it served as the royal residence. But later on, it was converted into a luxurious heritage hotel. Set in 19 hectares of land, Rambagh palace is now a part of the esteemed Taj Group hotel. The rooms of this palace are decorated with Rajasthani artifacts and paintings. Exotic array of antiques and Chinese furniture also enhances the beauty of this palace. These are the personal collection of Maharajah.

Forts and Palaces Of Jaipur
To know more aboput forts and palaces of Jaipur, click on to www.travellinginindia.com/rajasthan/forts-palaces-of-rajasthan.html