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.
