Travel Guide

HERE THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN JAIPUR ARE:

1. CITY PLACES 

           The City Palace is one of the best tourist places to visit in Rajasthan. It is a palace complex in Jaipur that houses the famous Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal. The Chandra Mahal is one of the most popular tourist places in Rajasthan. It was once the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur and was built between 1729 and 1732. The construction of the palace was started by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Amber and later on, additions were made to the structure by successive rulers till the 20th century.

The main entry gates into the City Palace complex are the Virendra Pol, the Udai Pol and the Tripolia Gate. Commoners and tourists can enter the City Palace only through the Virendra Pol and the Udai Pol. The most famous tourist spots within the palace complex are the Chandra Mahal and the Mubarak Mahal.

2. Amber Fort and Palace

The Amber Fort, more generally known as the Amer Fort, is one of the most popular and is situated at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. The Amber Fort and Palace are some of the most popular tourist places in Rajasthan and attract crowds by the score from both within and outside the country.

Overlooking the Maota Lake, the fort is best known for its artistic representation of Hindu elements. The fort is built with red sandstone and marble and consists of the Diwan-e-Aam or the Hall of Public Audience, the Diwan-e-Khaas or the Hall of Private Audience, the Sheesh Mahal and the Sukh Niwas. Remarkably, the Sukh Niwas has a very indigenous form of air-conditioning wherein artificial winds are blown over a water cascade to cool the surroundings.

The Amer Palace served as the royal residence of Rajput Maharajas and their families. At the entrance of the Amber Fort, there is a temple dedicated to Sila Devi, who is a goddess of the Chaitanya Cult.

3. Jantar Mantar Observatory

The Jantar Mantar Observatory in Jaipur is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments. The Jantar Mantar was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who served as a commander to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is architecturally based on the one that is present in New Delhi. Both of them were built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The king constructed five such structures in different places including Delhi, Ujjain and Mathura. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the best preserved among all these structures and has been included in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The Jantar Mantar attracts a number of astronomers, students of Vedic astronomy and tourists from all over the world. Local astronomers still use it to predict the weather for local farmers. The Jantar Mantar can be called the single most representative work of Vedic astronomy.

The Jantar Mantar houses a giant sun dial called the Samrat Yantra and other astronomical instruments such as the Nadivalya Yantra, the Jai Prakash Yantra and the Laghu Samrat Yantra.

4. Birla Mandir

The Birla Mandir, also referred to as the Laxmi Narayan Temple, is a Hindu temple which is situated in Jaipur. The temple is situated at the foothill of Moti Dungari Hill and is one of the several Birla temples situated in different parts of the country. The Birla Mandir is one of the most popular tourist places in Rajasthan and attracts a large number of tourists from all over the country and the world.

The temple was built by the Birla Group of Industries in 1988 and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his consort Goddess Laxmi. Built in white marble, the temple is an absolute delight to behold. The images of Laxmi and Narayan have been made out of a single piece of marble and are extremely beautiful to look at. The images of different deities of the Hindu religion are depicted inside the temple. The images of renowned philosophers and figures of other religions are also depicted in this temple. These include the images of Socrates, Christ, Buddha and other religious icons.

5. Kumbhalgarh Fort

The Kumbhalgarh Fort is situated in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. The fort is best known as the birthplace of one of the greatest warriors of India, Maharana Pratap. The fort was built during the course of the 15th century, and further additions were made to it in the 19th century.

The fort is now open to the public and is lit up in decorative lights every evening for a few minutes. The Kumbhalgarh Fort is the next most important fort in Mewar after the Chittorgarh Fort. The fort was built by Rana Kumbha and his dynasty, which belonged to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs. The entrance of the fort is through the Aret Pol or Gate. There are other entry gates such as the Halla Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ram Pol and Vijay Pol. The Hanuman Pol is important as it enshrines an image of Lord Hanuman which was brought to the fort from Mandavpur by Rana Kumbha. The Kumbhalgarh is a must-visit destination among the tourist places to visit in Rajasthan.

6. Lake Pichola

Lake Pichola is one of the most popular tourist places in Rajasthan. It is an artificial lake which has been named after the Picholi village and was created in 1362 AD. It is one of the several contiguous lakes in Udaipur, which were primarily developed to meet the irrigation and drinking requirements of the local people. 

There are four islands on the lake and palaces have been developed on these lakes to provide a better view of the expanse of the lake. The four islands and the palaces built on them are:

Jag Niwas – the Lake Palace is built on this island.

Jag Mandir – the Jag Mandir is built on this island.

Mohan Mandir – a palace was built on this island and it was used by the king for watching the annual Gangaur festival celebrations.

Arsi Vilas – the Arsi Vilas is a small island which has an ammunition depot and a small palace. This palace was used by the kings to view the sunsets.

7. Fateh Prakash Palace

The Fateh Prakash Palace is a great choice for visitors. It was built in the early 20th century and is named after Maharana Fateh Prakash, who was the king during the construction of the palace. The palace was used as a venue by the kings in earlier days and has now been converted into a hotel. The palace is still owned by the Mewar Royal Family of Udaipur.

The Fateh Prakash Palace has won five tourism awards in the ‘Heritage Grand’ category and is one of the two authentic palace hotels in the Udaipur City Palace Complex. The palace’s counterpart is called the Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel which is quite popular with tourists visiting Udaipur.

The most appealing feature of the Fateh Prakash Palace is the old world charm it has retained, which makes it stand apart in a crowd of imitation palace hotels which is becoming a new trend in Udaipur.

8. Jain Temple, Ranakpur

The Jain Temple at Ranakpur is believed to be the most spectacular of all Jain temples in India. The temple is dedicated to Adinatha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism. The temple is built of light-coloured marble and has distinctive domes, shikharas, cupolas and turrets. More than 1444 marble pillars support the temple and exhibit fabulous carvings. All pillars are unique in terms of design and carving. It is believed that it is impossible to count all the pillars.

The most remarkable feature about the temple is that it has a beautiful carving made out of a single rock of marble. The heads of about 108 snakes with innumerable tails have been carved into the stone. The temple has four faces and is a chaumukha. The four faces symbolise the Tirthankara’s conquest of the four directions. The Jain Temple is a must-visit destination among tourist places to visit in Rajasthan.

9. Haldi Ghati

Haldi Ghati is a very popular tourist place in Rajasthan. It is a mountain pass in the Aravalli Range and connects the Rajsamand and the Pali districts. The pass gets its name due to its yellow coloured soil, which has been compared to the colour of turmeric.

Haldi Ghati has great historical significance as it had stood witness to the war between one of India’s greatest warriors Maharana Pratap and Raja Man Singh of Amber, who was a general to Mughal Emperor Akbar. Today, a bronze statue of Maharana Pratap on his favourite horse Chetak has been installed at the Haldi Ghati by the Government of India. The region is also famous for its charity rose product and the mud art of Molela.

10.Jodhpur Flying Fox

If you are an adventure lover, do visit the Flying Fox while in Jodhpur. The Flying Fox organises an exciting aerial tour around the Mehrangarh Fort. The Flying Fox is the answer to your craving for adventure amidst all the heritage and history hunting. You can enjoy zipping in the air on zip lines above the Mehrangarh Fort. The Flying Fox zip line tours are available from June to May and the tour duration is 1.5 hours for a full group of 12 members.

Depending on how ambitious you are, you can choose from a range of zip lines measuring 70 m to 300 m. The zip line not only quenches your thirst for some adrenaline rush but also enables you to get a beautiful view of the Mehrangarh Fort and its surroundings like never before. For an adventure lover, the Jodhpur Flying Fox is a must-visit among Rajasthan tourist destinations

11.Pushkar Camel Fair

The Pushkar Camel Fair is one of the main attractions of Ajmer. This five-day annual cattle and livestock fair attracts a large number of tourists from all over the country and the world. Apart from the trade of camels and livestock, a number of interesting competitions such as Matka Fod, Longest Moustache and Bridal Competition are held here.

The Pushkar Camel Fair is one of the largest camel fairs in the world. As per the Imperial Gazetteer of India, as many as 1,00,000 pilgrims participated in the fair in the 1900s. To attract more tourists, the state tourism department has also introduced a friendly cricket match between the local club members and random tourists.

However, the main attraction of the Pushkar Camel Fair is the competition of camels. Camels are decked in jewellery and rallied to the grounds. The camels participate in a number of competitions such as camel dance, tug of war, camel races, and many others. These activities, in particular, are extremely popular with tourists. The Pushkar Camel Fair is undoubtedly one the most unique and must-visit.

12. Keoladeo National Park

The Keoladeo National Park, also known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, was formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. The park plays host to a large number of migratory birds during the winters. An estimated number of 230 species of birds have made the Keoladeo National Park their home.

The park was declared as a protected zone in 1971 and has also been included in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The Keoladeo National Park is man-made and was earlier used as a hunting ground for waterfowls. Today, the reserve protects the town of Bharatpur from floods, provides grazing ground for cattle and is home to a number of wild animals and birds.

The Keoladeo National Park is one of the richest bird sanctuaries in the world and hence attracts a large number of wildlife enthusiasts, ornithologists and tourists from all over the world.

13.Desert National Park

The Desert National Park is one of the largest national parks in the country and is the best example of the desert ecosystem. It is a must among the tourist places to visit in Rajasthan. The major landform consists of rocks, salt lake bottoms and fixed dunes.

The Desert National Park abounds in birdlife which consists of a number of migratory and resident birds. Birds such as eagles, kestrels, falcons, Spotted Eagles, Tawny Eagles, Short Toed Eagles, etc. are found in the Desert National Park. The endangered Great Indian Bustard is also found in the Desert National Park.

The best time to visit the Desert National Park is during the months of November and December. The park also has an impressive collection of fossils of plants and animals.  Some fossils of dinosaurs at the national park are about six million years old. Jeep Safaris are available at the national park to take tourists on an exploration trip.

14.Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary

The Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1980. The wildlife sanctuary sprawls on a plateau and measures 19 km in length and 6 km in width.

The Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary abounds in flora and fauna and is home to about 112 plant families, 250 species of birds and a large number of wild animals such as hedgehogs, porcupines, Indian hares, mongoose, pangolin, bears, wild boars, langurs, and many others. The sanctuary provides an ideal habitat to sloth bears too.

15. Nakki Lake

Nakki Lake is situated in Mount Abu. The lake derives its name from a legend that it was dug out using nails, which is called Nakh in Hindi and Sanskrit. The Nakki Lake is believed to be very sacred and is a popular pilgrimage and tourist destination.

According to legend, the lake was dug by gods to stay protected from the Bashkali demon. Another legend suggests that it was dug out by a sculptor called Rasiya Balam to win the king’s daughter’s hand in marriage. However, the king refused to give his daughter in marriage to Rasiya Balam. A temple dedicated to Rasiya Balam and the Kunwari Kanya, the king’s daughter, is situated just behind the Dilwara temple.

Another important tourist attraction in the region is the Toad Rock. The rock resembles a toad that is about to leap into the water and hence the name.