 Jaipur was named after its founder Sawai Jai Singh, a Kachhwaha King. The construction of the city started in 1727 AD and completed in 1731 AD. Vidhyadhar Bhattarcharya from Bengal was the architect of the city. It is the first planned city in India and built on the basis of principles laid down in the Shilpa Shastra, the ancient Indian treatise on architecture. The city was painted with pink color in 1853 AD by the then ruling king in the honor of the Prince of Wales, who visited Jaipur. Since then, it is known as the Pink City all over the world. While on tour to Jaipur, you will come across many historic yet interesting buildings.
The City Palace is the residence of the erstwhile royalty. The building is admixture of the features of the Rajasthani as well as Mughal architecture. The palace also houses a museum, which is a treasure trove of Rajasthani costumes and weapons, swords with handles and sheaths. The art gallery at the palace has an invaluable collection of miniature paintings, carpets and other items used by imperials and nobles. The highlight of the museum is the collection of rare astronomical works in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit collected by Sawai Jai Singh II.
The tour of Jantar Mantar is also interesting. Jantar Mantar was the brainchild of Sawai Jai Singh. The stone observatory is the largest of the five observatories constructed by Jai Singh in India. The complexity of the scientifically designed instruments is evidences of the medieval Indian astronomy. The most outstanding of all the instruments is the Ram Yantras, which was used to assess altitudes.
Without the visit Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds, the tour to Jaipur remains incomplete. Built in 1799 AD, Hawa Mahal is a five-storeyed building along the main street. It has partly octagonal and partly honeycombed windows made of red sandstone. The building served the purpose as a place to watch the royal processions and daily hustle-bustle of the city by the royal ladies while they themselves are not seen by the public.
The other interesting places to visit while on tour to Jaipur are Ram Niwas Bagh, Amber Palace, Govind Devji Temple and Sisodia Rani Garden.
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