City tour
What a colorful city ! The past and the present are living together.
The old palaces have been reawakened, after being abandoned in a long sleep, to become fairy tale hotels, like the Rambagh Palace, which makes you feel like a Maharajah. There is the reality of poverty for some and incredible wealth for others. What I have to say is that although the people are poor they are always happy when you talk with them, their beliefs comfort them.
People seem very lively and happy. Big families going around together. Lots of children having fun. Tuc tuc’s all over running and honking around the streets, where everybody tries to pass at the same time through the gates of the pink city. Chaos!
Start your visit of Jaipur with the City Palace.
The young Jai Singh the second arrived on the throne at 11 years old. After performing well in war, he cultivated the arts and sciences and in 1727 started the construction of his model city and palace. The City Palace is the largest of the five he constructed. When you visit the palace you can see beautiful paintings, carpets, fabrics and weapons. Buying a special ticket enables you to visit some of the private parts, especially the rooms on the upper floors of the palace.
At the top of the Palace you can find the boutique of Parul Shekhawat, (telephone +91 829 0775481, email ruarsales@gmail.com). They sell copies or inspired pieces based on the Majarani’s jewels, beautiful shawls, dresses, items for men and for women, at reasonable prices considering the quality.
The current Maharaja of Jaipur still provides home in his palace to some artisans that are the descendants of the ones that painted for one of his forebears in the Palace of Jaipur. Years ago when we visited the Palace, our guide asked us if we want to buy some of the paintings of these artists and I still have them at home, beautiful ones. They are exquisitely detailed, very decorative and not expensive. It is a nice present to take home and is light. You can add an exotic touch to your house.
Close to the City Palace museum exit there is a very good shop, that has a nice assortment of things, that have reasonable prices. There is also a covered area where artisans display and sell their very good quality merchandise. Prince Charles bought things there and you can see his picture with Camilla.
In Jaipur you can find the Aashka luxury lifestyle boutique (address: Kanota Bagh, Narain Singh circle, Jaipur). It has beautiful things for the house, dresses and other things, at good prices and very tasteful.
The Maharaja and his family still live in a private section of the Palace. He was 18 in 2018 and has 2 sisters. This area is obviously not accessible for the tourists. The family generates an income from renting out their property.
Near the palace you can visit the Jantar Mantar, which means magical instrument. Here there is a collection of fascinating and precise astronomical instruments. The site was built by Maharaja Jai Singh between 1727 and 1734. For those interested in scientific and astrnomical matters it is well worth a visit.
In the main street of Jaipur you will find the Wind Palace. In the past the ladies sat in the windows so as to watch what was going on in the street. They could not be seen behind the screens.
Visit the Albert Hall museum, whose construction started in 1876 in the gardens of Ram Niwas. It is a striking construction. There is a excellent collection of the miniature paintings, for which Jaipur is famous.
A few minutes drive from Jaipur is the Amber Palace, which you should visit. As you drive towards it you can see this striking palace on the hill.
Take a ride up to the Amber Palace on an elephant. You arrive by car at the base of the Amber Palace from where you can have a ride to the entrance of the palace on an elephant. There are at least 30 animals going up and down. They can carry 2 persons. Years ago when I was there on another trip they used to carry 4 people. Nowadays they protect the animals: they can make up to 5 trips a day, up and down.
It is a very nice and exotic experience, although you go up in a long line, one animal after the other, it is fun, but I cannot say that is a comfortable way to get to the palace, better by car! Ja…ja The cost is reasonable: 1,100 rupees per elephant (about US$15), for 2 people. The elephants do not move quickly, so we slowly made our way to the top. One animal nearly touching the previous one. My brother was on another elephant and lost his reading glasses although he did not realise it until he saw the next elephant driver wearing them. His elephant had picked them up with his trunk!
The palace was built from 1592 and is situated on a hill, surrounded by other hills on which were built two outer walls. The inner one is largely complete and some 16km long. The palace is well worth a visit and has good examples of Hindu architecture, with some Muslim influence. Of particular note are the rooms at the top of the palace decorated with thousands of small mirrors.
Behind the Amber Palace you can find a cistern, Step Well, with an intriguing geometric pattern of steps descending into it. The cistern used to provide water to the city.
Driving back to Jaipur you will pass a lake, which has beautiful palace in the middle. This is currently closed and subject to bankruptcy proceedings.
Another place, not far from Jaipur, well worth a visit is the Galtaji Temple, also known as the Monkey Temple. Once you arrive you will see why it has this name. I have never seen so many monkeys in one place.
The temples are situated in a narrow valley between two steep escarpments and have an almost surreal atmosphere.
There are dozens of crazy monkeys, of all sizes. They are everywhere, grooming themselves, eating, fighting and having sex. Be careful the monkeys don’t jump on you! They could hurt you with their nails or you could get lice in your hair. Some locals brought them a lot of food whilst we were there. They particularly loved the grapes, also bread and bananas . That’s why when we bought peanuts to give them, they were not interested! They were full!
When I was in India 30 years ago, standing under a tree, a monkey jumped on my head! When you don’t expect it, is not nice! It also happened to me with a lemur in Madagascar. I shouted a lot!
Shopping
The shopping area is extended and crowded. Visit the bazaars. They have infinity of interesting things to buy for all the tastes: many shoes, fabrics and bracelets. Note the beautifully embroidered shawls that will make of you look great on a summer evening (look like a Maharani!). They cost around 600 rupees. Don’t forget to discuss prices!
Most of the shops sell block paint prints, that are very nice and not expensive, especially the bed covers – single and 2mx2m (2,200 rupees – about US$33) – table cloth, dresses and shirts.
The art of stamping fabrics with wood was widely done in the XVIII century. It has been re-instituted and they are reusing different vegetable tints. The craftsmen prepare blocks of teak in traditional and modern designs.
For hand block prints, quality fabrics and textiles, salwar kameez suits, dress material and sarees I recommend G.C. International (address: 19, opp. Sirah Dyodi Gate, Hawamahal Bazar, Jaipur; email gcinternationaljpr@gmail.com; tel +91 141 2607330).
For lovely fabrics with Indian designs go to Vijay fashion (address: 155, Bapu Bazar; email memsaabpprints@gmail.com; tel. +91 141 2568483).
You will find very interesting, well-made cord sandals for only 350 rupees ( about US$5) at Deepack Foot Wear (address: shop 112-A, Bapu Bazaar, near Sanganeri Gate, Jaipur; email ritesh_karamchandani@yahoo.com; tel +91 810 7287157)
I would also recommend the tailor Juneja Sons, who makes excellent suits and woolen coats. In particular he has very nice Indian style waistcoats for men, in different colors, that are very elegant. They only cost 1,000 rupees ( about US$15) and are very chic. It is a very nice present for men! The shop has a big variety of sizes too! The blazers are very well cut and the fabric very good, and cost 2,800 rupees (about US$30 Usa). He can make you a suit for the next day, which he will deliver to your hotel. (address: 105 Bapu Bazar, Jaipur; tel +91 141 2574196). My brother and husbanito had dark blue, Indian style, knee length jackets made that looked so elegant. We were having dinner in the hotel and the tailor arrived with the 2 jackets, which they immediately started wearing. Everybody in the restaurant said that they look fantastic in the coats.
You can find very nice jewels in the Johari bazaar, many precious and semi-precious stones. Walk through Gopal Ji Ka bazaar and also go through Haldion Ka Rasta. Walk under the porticos and take your time to see what the shops have. Thanks to the tourists a lot of the old traditions have been saved.
In the main street don’t miss the auction of precious and semi-precious stones. A great experience! I had a lot of fun! Walking with the tour guide I asked him why so many men were gathered in one place. He told me that it was an auction of precious and semi-precious stones. I wanted to buy a stone and moved close to them. One of them asked me what I was looking for. As I answered they started pushing each other to show me their merchandise. A short man seemed to be everywhere at the same time, opening a number of white papers full of stones. The prices he mentioned were very cheap. The stones were a mixture: some lapis lazuli, and others not important. After a few minutes chaos started to reign, thus I decided to beat a retreat to the car. We returned to the same spot in the car and parked in front of the men. I sat in the back seat, while the driver and the guide got the stones through the window and passed them to me in the back. It was a lot of fun.
Is also possible to find jewels with beautiful art in enamel on the back. It is a beautiful work and makes a piece unique, since it can be used on both sides. You have 2 in one! The work is called Meenakari and was a typical art from the courts of the Maharajah. Most of the time the work is hidden on the back of pieces and covered with big precious or semi-precious stones.
For gems and rough gold and Silver go to G and J Gems and jewels (email ahadgemsjewels@gmail.com; tel +91 856 1947748).
If you would like to have a nice, inexpensive, piece you can visit the costume jewelry shops for brides in the Chandni Chowk market in Old Delhi. Here you will find a very big variety of them.
Hotels
If you are unable to stay at the incredible Rambagh Palace, you should visit it. The hotel is one of the most beautiful and well managed hotels that I have stayed in anywhere in the world. It was constructed by the Maharaja Ram Singh II as a hunting lodge and transformed into a pleasure palace by Madho Singh II, with beautiful English gardens. Today it is a beautiful luxury hotel that is run by the fantastic Taj group, although the property belongs to the Maharaja.
You can visit the gardens and see the Lalique fountain. There is a very nice train restaurant (a train that has been converted into a restaurant). There are two pools, one inside and one outside, both very good. Visit and have a drink in the Polo bar or a dinner in one of the excellent restaurants.
We noted that the waiters in one of the restaurants had a wonderful uniform. I asked one of them about it. After a few minutes he returned with 9m of colourful fabric and proceeded to construct a turban on the head of my husband. He gave it to him as a present afterwards. He looked amazing wearing it. The next day I asked for a turban to be made for me. A person come to our room and did for us a second one. He had to use my husband’s head to do it since he could not use mine due to my long hair!
Today the men when they get married use beautiful turbans. Indian weddings are incredible! The outfits are splendid! I went to a party of one in Kolkata with my friend Raj, who made the beautiful jewels for the bride! I wore a saree converted in a long shawl, that was an enormous success at the party. People thought that it was very nice to use a saree in this way.
Another historic hotel in Jaipur is the Raj Palace, in fact this is much older than the Rambagh Palace. It is a beautiful building with some lovely rooms. The hotel service is a bit hit and miss and not what you would expect for the prices ghat the hotel charges. The food is very good. However, if the Rambagh Palace is beyond your budget and you would like to stay in a hotel with some history then this is well worth a try.
Our excellent guide in Jaipur was Mr Narendra Chitawa. He is an extremely knowledgeable and interesting guide. A sort of human encyclopaedia. We learnt a lot from him not only about Jaipur, but about Indian culture in general. I would highly recommend him, His email is nizi60@ymail.com