Jaipur
Just before lunch and right next door to the palace, we stopped to check out the observatory. The Jantar Mantar is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur, Rajasthan. The monument was completed in 1734. It features the world’s largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World...
Our next stop was Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. The museum is spread out over a series of courtyards. It was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as part of his ambitious city project, and his successors continued to ornament and add to the elegant buildings up until the 20th century. The palace has always been much more than the grand residence of a...
Once we were both at the top, we spent a good couple hours with our guide visiting many buildings and rooms around the fort. The Amer Fort, situated in Amber, 11 kilometers from Jaipur, is one of the most famous forts of Rajasthan. Amer, originally, was the capital of the state before Jaipur. It is an old fort, built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh. This fort is also very...
Our second stop of the day was Amber Fort. The fort is situated on the top of hill so there were two ways to get there: by car or by elephant. The elephant option was presented to us when we booked this trip. As with other countries that have elephant rides, it’s difficult to know that the animals are treated well when not in private. I chose to skip the...
Our first day in Jaipur was a full one. Our first stop was Badi Chaupar, a famous shopping square located just meters from the Hawa Mahal Palace. This square is always crowded with shoppers, who come for the crafts made by local masters, antiques, clothes and Jaipuri print dress material. We stopped only to get a photo of this building as it’s quiet iconic in...
About an hour outside Jaipur we stopped at this step well. The Chand Baori is among the largest, if not the largest, of the step wells scattered around India. It is also perhaps the most visually spectacular: Chand Baori is a deep four-sided structure with an immense temple on one face. Some 3,500 Escher-esqe terraced steps march down the other three sides 13 stories...
After breakfast, we left Agra at 9am and headed for Jaipur, which would be a 6 hour drive, including a couple stops along the way. The first stop was Fatehpur Sikri, a World Heritage site. At this point it was just us and our driver but just outside Fatehpur, we picked up our guide for this monument. We spent over an hour walking the complex. This magnificent...