Tuesday, February 10, 2009

THE PINK CITY

JAIPUR - FEBRUARY 2008

Jaipur, the first planned city in Rajasthan, was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who moved his capital from Amber. In 1853, when the Prince of Wales visited the city, it was painted pink to welcome him. Hence the nickname!



"NEW GATE - There are seven gates in Jaipur. I didn't arrive at Jaipur by the New Gate, but it seems the best way to approach the city, with the view ot Nahargarh Fort crowning the hill behind it!"






"GATES - Pink (or salmon)"

***

JANTAR MANTAR

Jantar Mantar (Magical Device), the largest stone observatory in the world, is one of the five astronomical observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh. Jantar Mantar took its form and structure between 1727 and 1733. Initially named as Yantra Mantra, which means instruments and formulae, it has changed to the new name. The observatory consists of fourteen geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses and to ascertain other astronomical events.



"SAMRAT YANTRA (The Supreme Instrument) - The Giant Sundial is the world's largest, standing at 27 meters. It consists of a massive triangle with a curved structure on both sides. The arc at the left shows the time from sunrise to midday while the arc at the right side shows the time from midday to sunset. The time is read by observing where the shadow is sharpest at the time"


"RAM YANTRA - An instrument used to indicate the altitude and the azimuth or declination of celestial bodies"


"CHAKRA YANTRA - It gives the angle of an object from the equator"


"NAHARGARH on the top of the hill"

***

STREETS

The city is remarkable for the width and regularity of its streets, which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad 34m-wide avenues.


"JAMA MASJID"


"NEAR BADI CHAUPAR - On the way to the palace of Winds"


"MAHARAJA'S HIGH SCHOOL"

***

HAWA MAHAL

The Palace of Winds, built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, was designed in the form of the crown of Krishna. Its original intention was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen.


"PALACE OF WINDS - It has five stories and is constructed of red and pink sandstone"


"WINDOWS - The side facing the street has 953 small windows, commonly known as «Jharokhas», allowing the breeze to circulate and keeping it cool"



"HAWA MAHAL - Early morning is considered the best time to visit, with the golden light of the Sun on its façade. It is said that «the pyramidal outline of the structure has one characteristic feature of architecture - symmetry, and, as in Jain temples, uses repetition of motifs to great enhancement of beauty». Probably so!"


"JAL MAHAL - Located amidst the Mansagar Lake and near Nahargarh hills, the Jal Mahal Palace is noted for its intricate architecture. Built in 1799 as a pleasure spot - it seems to have been used for the royal duck shooting parties - the palace is now under renovation. Its first floors are under water and only the top is visible outside. There is a wonderful view from Nahargarh Fort"

***

Dana from "Chic Banana» was so kind to pass this award to me.


Thanks Dana

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi everybody! Jaipur is an amazing city, and the colours of Rajasthan are world famous. The Pink City isn’t probably pink/pink, but it has an unmistakable and unforgettable look. Hope you enjoy, and look forward to reading your comments!

alok said...

Jaipur is a colorful place indeed, and thanks for sharing those nice pics. I am fond of the delicious Rajasthani food, have you tried any there?

You have a wonderful week ahead :)

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Wonderful pics! I'm very happy to see Jaipur through your lens! Loved the pictures of the Hawa Mahal and the Jal Mahal the most! Stunning! Do also visit Choki Dani if time permits!

Voegtli said...

It is a lovely sight. And the pink is really soothing for the eyes.

I am not sure, but I think Toulouse is/was also called a pink city.

alicesg said...

Wow the city is full of surprises. Lots of interesting street scene. I love the beautiful palace. There are so many windows and they are so beautifully crafted.

hpy said...

Pink - or salmon - is a very special colour. Not my favourite, but on these buildings I can understand it.

Olivier said...

je croyais que la ville rose c'était Toulouse, mais il y a concurrence. J'adore le "PALACE OF WINDS" on dirait une immense orgue, magnifique

Venksh said...

Gil wow wat superb picture's... i liked the Jal Mahal picx, Jaipur's fort r really amazing, Hope u had visited all of them,
Gil guess wat i saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was good liked it very much but i still want Slumdog to win the Oscar.
I know u would like Megarajan's blog n pictures thankx for u visit to his page...

kven
http://kollywoodmoviereview.blogspot.com/

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

hawa majal is so beautiful - like a debutante's cake!

Indrani said...

Good shots, Gil! Could you go inside the Hawa Mahal and feel the good ventilation for which it is so famous? My Jaipur trip is incomplete, I have to make one more trip and this time include Agra too! Your previous post too is beautiful.
(Frankly, I now dread what are you going to show next!)

Cutie said...

I love the Palace of Winds. It's so beautiful. What an amazing architecture...

P.N. Subramanian said...

A very colorful presentation of a colorful city through your colorful photographs. The Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal look great. I wonder as to how you could get the Hawa Mahal at that angle.Thank you Gil.

Daniela Valdez said...

I'm glad you liked it!!!

What an awesome pink place!

Daniela Valdez said...

I'm glad you liked it!!!

What an awesome pink place!

Miss Kim said...

Love tat giant sundial-- never seen anything like it!!!

indicaspecies said...

Gil, your shots of the Hawa Mahal are stunning. Thanks for sharing these lovely pictures.

Did you go up to Jaigarh and the Nahargarh Forts too?

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

The Palace of Winds is amazing! What intricate designs and interesting architecture. I am enjoying your trip to Indi very much!

Lakshmi said...

I can see that you have enjoyed your trip to India..must have been very different from your earlier trips

Maria Verivaki said...

the palace of winds reminds me of a very ornate hotel i saw in a posh area of london near the british museum (the russel). looks beautiful

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Jaipur is an intersting place wow look at all the colours, this colours are also used in Holland, but they look for (weather) some reason brown and dark , Great show GIL!

Happy weekwishes from JoAnn/Holland

Anonymous said...

hawa mahal was just a massive but fantastic structure wow...

Wendy said...

Jaipur is one of my favorite places in India. Thanks for bringing back fond memories.

Shionge said...

Wow!!! I love the Palace of Wind - so charming :D

Anonymous said...

The palace is lovely! I've been wanting to see that. I'm sure it'll blow my mind away! ;)

Anonymous said...

Astonishing colours and buildings.

PeterParis said...

Just fabulous!!! The Jantar Mantar seems really to be something! Difficult to imagine that it dates from early 17th! ... and all these mahals! Painting it all in pink to receive the Prince of Wales! Different times!

Tinsie said...

Very pink indeed. Very impressive!

ßrigida ∫chmidt © Copyright said...

Hi Trotter! Jaipur is quite a nice city compared to other places in India. I wonder though if you had stomach ache going to different places in India and eating their local food, 'cause that's the most common complain I heard from my friends (although I still wanted to go to Taj Mahal next year).

I am looking foward to traveling to India. Did you buy some local clothes?

Joy said...

I loved the Palace of Winds! A wonderful tour of the city.

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving comments. Come back tomorrow!


joy
A Pinay In England
Your Love Coach
I, Woman

Chuckeroon said...

Books on India now form part of my "core" library so you've scored a hit with this series, Trotter.

Baron's Life said...

There is so much history, culture and tales in these pictures. I particularly like the shots of the Streets, The Hawa Mahal and the Palace of Winds.
Well done my friend

Ron said...

Wow, those are some unbelievable pictures. I think these are the best ones so far of India. I am liking the reflection into the water of the Hawa Mahal, incredible. That picture is just wonderful to say the least.

Also, the windows are very impressive. I love this blog.

To answer your question about the fires in Melbourne. I think the commentator means Melbourne, Australia, not Florida.

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

These are beautiful pictures, it is indeed a pink city. It's almost Friday!!!!

Azer Mantessa said...

whoaaa ... pink is a sexy color to me. i get the sexy feeling watching the pictures too.

nice buildings ... i mean nice sexy buildings and structures!

Nikon said...

Shionge stole my line: I Love the Palace of The Winds!
The opening shot is great, too - with the hilltop in the background.

Gattina said...

What a beautiful and amazing architecture ! I especially admire the Palace of Winds !

Dina said...

Now I've seen all your India posts and still can't believe it--it is a whole other world! Amazing.
Thanks for your good coverage of so many aspects of India.

kuanyin333 said...

Mahalo for inviting us to your exciting world of beautiful colors and architecture.

Mariposa said...

interesting colour and designs =)

Marie said...

C'est très beau et très différent. Je me demande s'il est possible pour une femme d'aller visiter l'Inde toute seule.....

Anonymous said...

Splendid images, Gil!
The Gates are attractive, the Palace of Winds is really astonishing, and I find very interesting the Giant Sundial (as you know, I'm making a collection of sundials photos!).
Have a fine weekend!

Anonymous said...

Indeed a great post. Enjoyed reading through :) When had you been there?

angela said...

I always come away from your blog having learned something..today it was the sundial and instrument for measuring angles.
I love the look of the city and can imagine that in the heat the colour would be much more comfortable on the eyes. That first shot really seems to sum up the attraction of India: the crowds, the traffic and these priceless architectural gems all cohabiting.

Marie-Noyale said...

The architecture of the Jantar Matar looks so modern compare to the rest..
Love to imagine a multitude of women faces behind the windows of the Palace of winds!!!

adelynne said...

hawa mahal is just breathtaking. that just doesn't exist in malaysia. and i love that they did it so that royal ladies can observe without being seen! that's just too cool. the last photo is also so beautiful, because it looks so misty and dreamy. love it. :)

99 said...

What an amazing place the Palace of Winds!
And your comments and descriptions are great as usual. Thanks for sharing them with us.
And thanks for passing by mi blog too.
Have a great weekend!

My Unfinished Life said...

nice pics.....i havent been to jantar mantar in jaipur...but keep visiting the one in delhi...

NormanTheDoxie said...

Spectacular photo of Jal Mahal!

Neva said...

Tried to watch the music video by Azer Mantessa...love his stuff...but I could not get it to load. I will try later...what a nice thing \for Azer to have done...I love the one he did about Peter....

Anonymous said...

Hi Folks! Thanks once again for your visits and comments. Great pleasure to me... I’m even thinking on an Award to provide you with, but my imagination hasn’t shown so creative... ;) As for the «lurkers» or «delurkers», a Lemon award is always available!! ;))
The City Palace in Jaipur is certainly one of the beautiful places Incredible India has to show and I’m glad you loved to see it!

Alok,
I always try local food when I get to new places and Rajasthan was no exception. Yummy!!

Rakesh,
Couldn’t make the Choki Dani; actually new nothing about it last year when I was in Jaipur. Maybe one next time...

Pete,
It’s true; Toulouse is also named «pink city», but Jaipur is probably pinker... ;)

Alice SG,
The palaces are absolutely stunning, but the façade of the Palace of Winds is unbeatable; an absolute masterpiece!!

Hélène,
It might not be a lovely colour, but everything is better than yellow... ;))

Olivier,
Belle image, celle de l’orgue pour le «Palais des Vents»! Toulouse a de la concurrence très forte, c’est le moins qu’on puisse dire… ;)

Kven,
Tried to see the most of Jaipur’s fabulous palaces and they’re quite stunning!
Lastly I saw Allen’s “Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona”. Amazing!!

Jen,
Not like the Lake Palace in Udaipur, but beautiful anyhow… ;))

Indrani,
The winds at the Hawa Mahal are amazing… Jaipur, Agra and, one day, the rest of Rajasthan: Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer… ;))

Cutie,
You’re certainly a girl with very good taste!!

P.N.Subramanian,
The city is quite colourful, though a bit on the same pattern… ;) But lovely indeed…
That was caught from the lower right hand side of the façade!

Dana,
Always a pleasure to land in your site!!

Kim,
Nor did I, until I got there... ;))

Celine,
Nahargarh, yes, though it was difficult to negotiate it instead of a visit to some shopping excursion! Jaigarh, just saw it from Amber... ;)

Pat,
Glad you’re enjoying the trip to India! It’s truly incredible, as they are advertising on TV now...

Lakshmi,
A quite different experience, but an outstanding one anyhow... ;))

Maria,
The Russel is quite nice and actually remembers a bit the Palace of Winds; but posh is the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge and also with brick colours... ;))

JoAnn,
I’m not so sure the colours are the same in Holland, but you’re certainly right: they don’t look the same!! ;))

Travelphilippines,
Welcome back!

Wendy,
Perfectly understandable!!!
Now, one place you haven’t been to? ;))

Shionge,
It’s a success that Hawa Mahal!!!

Kyh,
Easy solution: just start packing... ;))

Ingrid,
I was also truly impressed!

Peter,
The astronomical site is amazing; and the sundials, including the giant one, are just incredible! As to the reception for the Prince, take it as something similar to organizing the Olympic Games: a brand new “clean” city for the visitors of the 21st century – the emulous of the Prince... ;))

Tinsie,
Pink or salmon, you choose... ;)

Bridge,
So you know other places in India? Which one do you like best?
I always try local food (even in Hawaii, where I found some Portuguese Chefs... ;)), and India was no exception. I liked it very much, but I like most kind of cuisines...
The Taj is a must!! Some clothes, but I’m not a great shopper!! ;)

Joy,
I was there... ;)

Chucker,
I can imagine your library full of books on India, after the experience you had there... ;))

Baron,
Thanks! The Hawa Mahal and the Palace of Winds are the same... ;) Just a question of translation...

Ron,
You mean the reflection of the Jal Mahal... With so many Mahal (Palaces) no wonder it becomes a bit confusing, to say the least...
Sure, he was meaning Melbourne, Australia, that’s why I mentioned Dawn Fraser... ;)

Rhonda,
Now, I notice I don’t remember seeing so much pink in your paintings; surely much more yellow... ;)

Azer,
Which colour isn’t sexy? What buildings aren’t? The Gherkin?... ;))

Paul,
Shionge is a sharp girl; and fast... ;) It’s a great view of the Fort on the top of the hill!

Gattina,
With your good taste, I wouldn’t have any doubt on your trend towards the Palace of Winds; an outstanding building!!

Dina,
Glad to see you back!
There is still a lot more to come, including the most famous building India has to show nowadays... Keep in touch... ;)

Kuanyin,
Mahalo for your visits and nice comments. Much appreciated!

Mariposa,
The colours of Rajasthan are world famous!!

Marie,
Tu me poses une belle question; je ne sais pas te répondre, mais Celine de «Fugue» pourra peut-être aider….

Pietro,
There are several sundials at the Jantar Mantar, but the giant one is astonishing…;))

Bedse Caves,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment here. Hope to see you back often! I was there in February 2008, just one year ago…

Angela,
We are always learning, but you’re too kind!! I think you summed it up quite properly; it’s an amazing experience, anyhow!

Marie-Noyale,
It’s a 18th century complex and the sundials are amazing! As for the Palace of Winds I can also imagine the comments they would make on the walkers… ;)

Addy,
You have so many beauties in Malaysia, but you can’t have it all... ;) Leave the Hawa Mahal for the Jaipur people… ;))
I also like the amazing Jal Mahal; it came quite well in the picture, I think!

99,
Always a pleasure to land at your blog!! I was sure you would love the Hawa Mahal!!

Sooting Star,
I had no time to check the one in Delhi, but everybody tells me the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the best… ;)

Lisa,
I also love that one!

Neva,
The first one on Sunsets was working the second had some trouble; but I tried later and managed to see the video; hope you managed to catch it some other time; Azer is an Artist!

Louise said...

I think if I were coming upon this city,I might think I were in a dream. Your photos are that beautiful and surreal.

Anonymous said...

Louise,
Jaipur is actually a surprising city and this was just a short visit! Imagine a long one... ;)

A Lady's Life said...

really love the palace of winds and the sun dial does it still work?

Trotter said...

Lady,
The Palace of Winds is outstanding. The sundial works perfectly; it tells the time to an accuracy of about two seconds in Jaipur local time...