Jaipur

For other uses, see Jaipur (disambiguation).

Jaipur Jaipur जयपुर
METROPOLITAN CITY
Nickname:  The Pink City
Government
• Mayor	Jyoti Khandelwal
Population  (2009)
• Total	3,210,570
Website	www.jaipur.nic.in

Jaipur (Hindi: जयपुर) (Template:Lang-ur) [ˈdʒʌeɪ.pʊər] ), also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. During the British rule in India, Jodhpur was the capital of the princely state of Marwar. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.5 million.

Jaipur is the first planned city of India, located in the semi-desert lands of Rajasthan. The city which once had been the capital of the royalty now is the capital city of Rajasthan. The very structure of Jaipur resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal families. At present, Jaipur is a major business centre with all requisites of a metropolitan city.

The city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex, (Hawa Mahal), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of the King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. The observatory, Jantar Mantar, is one of the World Heritage Sites. Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in Rajasthan and India.

History

Main article: History of Jaipur

Jaipur, Principal Street, c. 1875

Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who ruled from 1699–1744 and initially his capital was Amber, which lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. The King consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the layout of Jaipur. Finally under the architectural guidance of Vidyadar Bhattacharya, (initially an accounts-clerk in the Amber treasury and later promoted to the office of Chief Architect by the King) Jaipur came into existence on the classical basis of principles of Vastu Shastra and similar classical treatise.

After waging several battles with the Marathas, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II was keen on the security aspect of the city. Being a lover of Astronomy, Mathematics and Astrophysics, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him to design many other buildings including the Royal Palace in the center of the city.

The construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the science of Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks, of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to the public. Huge fortification walls were built along with seven strong gates.

For the time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1853, when the Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted pink to welcome him during the regime of Sawai Ram Singh. Today, avenues remain painted in pink, provide a distinctive appearance to the city. In the 19th century the city grew rapidly; by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The city's wide boulevards were paved and lit.

The city had several hospitals. Its chief industries were of metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls' school (1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers, particularly the Jain, Marwaris and the administrators Kayastha. Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur is the current Maharaja of Jaipur.

Geography and climate

Geography

Jal Mahal.

Jaipur is the headquarters of the Jaipur district which is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan. It is located at 26.92°N 75.82°E / 26.92; 75.82. It has an average elevation of 431 metres (1417 ft).

The major rivers passing through the Jaipur district are Banas and Banganga. Ground water resources to the extent of about 28.65 million cubic meter are available in the district. Although serious drought is rare, poor water management and exploitation of groundwater with extensive tube-well systems threatens agriculture in some areas.

Climate

Jaipur (Sanganer)
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     8     23 8     12     26 11     6     32 16     4     37 21     16     40 25     66     40 27     216     34 26     231     32 24     80     33 23     23     33 19     3     29 13     3     24 9 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: India Weather On Web
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.3     73 46     0.5     79 52     0.2     90 61     0.2     99 70     0.6     104 77     2.6     104 81     8.5     93 79     9.1     90 75     3.1     91 73     0.9     91 66     0.1     84 55     0.1     75 48 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Jaipur has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) receiving over 650 millimetres (26 in) of rainfall annually but most rains occur in the monsoon months between June and September. Temperatures remain relatively high throughout the year, with the summer months of April to early July having average daily temperatures of around 30 °C (86 °F). During the monsoon there are frequent, heavy rains and thunderstorms, but flooding is not common. The winter months of November to February are mild and pleasant, with average temperatures ranging from 15–18 °C (59–64 °F) and with little or no humidity. There are however occasional cold waves that lead to temperatures near freezing.

Panoramic view from the hills surrounding Jaipur

Climate data for Jaipur
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	30 (86)	32 (90)	40 (104)	43 (109)	45 (113)	43 (109)	45 (113)	39 (102)	39 (102)	38 (100)	37 (99)	32 (90)	45 (113)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	23 (73)	26 (79)	32 (90)	37 (99)	40 (104)	40 (104)	34 (93)	32 (90)	33 (91)	33 (91)	29 (84)	24 (75)	32 (89)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	8 (46)	11 (52)	16 (61)	21 (70)	25 (77)	27 (81)	26 (79)	24 (75)	23 (73)	19 (66)	13 (55)	9 (48)	19 (65)
Record low °C (°F)	1 (34)	0 (32)	5 (41)	12 (54)	17 (63)	21 (70)	16 (61)	20 (68)	19 (66)	10 (50)	6 (43)	3 (37)	0 (32)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	8 (0.3)	12 (0.5)	6 (0.2)	4 (0.2)	16 (0.6)	66 (2.6)	216 (8.5)	231 (9.1)	80 (3.1)	23 (0.9)	3 (0.1)	3 (0.1)	668 (26.2)
Source: BBC Weather

Fauna

Monkeys in Jaipur

In Jaipur there is a colony of 60 monkeys.

Architecture

The Ganesh Pol of Amber fort.Amber is now part of Jaipur Municipal Corporation

Jaipur is considered by many urbanites to be one of the best planned cities. In an era when most of the Rajputs were busy fighting with each other, Jaipur's kings diplomatically broadened their control sphere maintaining good relations with the Mughals.

The city was planned according to Indian Vastu Shastra (Vedic Planning for the comfort and prosperity of the citizens). The directions of each street and market are East to West and North to South. The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol. There are three gates facing East, West, and North and a Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces toward the ancestral capital of Amber, while many gates face South.

Although the present city has expanded from outside of its walls, the original planning was within the walls. The gates used to be closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. Almost all Northern Indian towns of that period presented a chaotic picture of narrow twisting lanes, a confusion of run-down forts, temples, palaces, and temporary shacks that bore no resemblance at all to the principles set out in Hindu architectural manuals which call for strict geometric planning. Thus, for Sawai Jai Singh II and the Bengali Guru Vidyadhar, the founding of Jaipur was also a ritual and a great opportunity to plan a whole town according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory.

The town of Jaipur is built in the form of a eight-part Mandala known as the 'Pithapada'. Nine signifies the nine planets of the ancient astrological zodiac. It is also known that Sawai Jai Singh II was a great astronomer and a town planner, and hence the 'Pithapada'. Also, the commercial shops are designed in multiples of nine (27), having one cross street for a planet.

Administration

Main articles: Jaipur Municipal Corporation and Jaipur district

The administration is handled here at the State , Division and District Level.

Jaipur being the capital of the state , this city has the Secretariat which has almost all the administrative officers looking into the functioning of the State Government.Apart from the Secretariat Jaipur has the police headquarters also .

Politics

File:Rajasthan vidhansabha.jpg

The Vidhan Sabha of Rajasthan in Jaipur

The recent(2008) general election showed tremendous swing toward the Indian National Congress (INC) with Ashok Gehlot emerging as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The INC had won only 2 of 14 parliament elections in the past. Currently Mahesh Joshi is the MP from Jaipur. Previously, Girdhari Lal Bhargava of BJP was the MP from Jaipur, who won for the first time in 1989 and has been elected six times since then.

Jaipur Districts has 19 constituencies for electing MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) of Rajasthan, namely Shahpura, Chaksu, Bassi, Bagru, Sanganer, Malviya Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, Kishanpole, Civil Lines, Vidhyadhar Nagar, Hawa Mahal, Jamva Ramgarh, Amber or Amer, Banipark, Dudu, Phulera, Chomu, Virat Nagar and Kotputli. Banipark is the largest among these constituencies. Rajasthan's stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has also has been elected the MLA of Jaipur for three times.

Jyoti Khandelwal is the new Mayor of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC). Totally, there are 70 seats for Vidhan Parishad in Jaipur District. Mr. B.L. Soni is the first Police Commissioner of Jaipur.

Infrastructure

File:Underconstruction World Trade Park Jaipur.JPG

World Trade Park in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

In the 2008 Conde Nast Traveller Readers Choice Survey, Jaipur was ranked the 7th best place to visit in Asia and in another poll it was ranked third among twelve major Indian cities.

Modern infrastructural facilities are developing fast, and in many cases surpass those of larger cities like Delhi and Kolkata. The city is expanding very quickly and has become a hot spot for development in Rajasthan. Jaipur International Airport is located at a satellite location of Sanganer and offer's flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Guwahati along with sporadic services to International locations such as Dubai.

Jaipur has a well maintained road network with multi-story flyovers and traffic lights with closed circuit cameras. Police control room (PCR) vans are being equipped with GPS to monitor locations and help maintain law and order.

Jaipur boasts of International Living standards with well planned colonies of grid like patterns (sectors and blocks) and parks well maintained by JDA (Jaipur Development Authority). The various Shopping malls and Multiplexes which offer a urban lifestyle to Jaipurites.

Sawai Mansingh Cricket stadium in Jaipur is a popular venue for many International matches and for Indian Premier League matches. Events like Jaipur Jewelry Show and Jaipur Literature Festival offer a common platform for people not only from India but from other countries also, giving Jaipur a cosmopolitan image.

Sawai Mansingh Hospital, SDMH (Durlabhji Hospital) and Fortis Hospital are among the most famed hospitals of Jaipur. Apart from these, there are more than 40 small and mid sized hospitals in the city.

Old city of Jaipur is highly congested, whereas suburbs of Jaipur provide wide roads with free flow of traffic. Tech Park has already became operational, built by Mahindra Group and is expected to complete by 2010.

Economy

Jaipur district is a centre for both traditional and modern industries. It is famous as largest exporter of Gold, Diamond and Stone Jewellery in Asia and only City finishing blue diamond or called Tanzanite in the world. . The main industrial products include: acetylene gas, ACSR (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced) cable, all-purpose flour (maida), atta flour, ball bearings, bottling of LPG, ceramics, pottery, cold roll strips, corrugated boxes, deoiled cakes, durries, dyeing and printing, edible oil, electronic items, engraving on brass items, ferrous and non-ferrous castings, gems and jewelry, general engineering and manufacturing, granite slabs and tiles, hand-made paper, handicraft items, halogen automobile headlamps, "hawai" chappals (sandals), household electrical appliances, HT steel strips, iodized salt, lamps, laminated springs for railways, marble statues, marble tiles & slabs, moulded plastic components for electronics, nitrochlorobenzene, oxygen gas, perfumes, pigments, plastic containers, P.P. multifilament yarn, PVC cables, PVC doors, PVC footwear, canvas shoes, Portland cement, ready made garments (clothing), re-roller products, semolina (suji), steel furniture, steel ingots, stone grits, synthetic leather, suits & shirts made of synthetic materials, tablets and capsules, two way radio and line, washing soap, wheat, woollen carpets, refined vegetable oil and vanaspati ghee heavy Steel fabrication, brass and lacquer work, enamel work, gems and jewellery, granite tiles, handlooms, marble statues, printed cloth and textiles, ready made garments, woollen and silk carpets.

Jaipur has been ranked 31 among the 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing cities. Genpact and Infosys have their BPO already established and running successfully. In fact Genpact has the fastest growing location in Jaipur. Real Estate business is flourishing well from last 2–3 years. Some of the companies already present here include MICO, Coca Cola, IBM, Ericsson and NEI populary known as NBC Bearings.

Jaipur also has Reserve bank of India and many other prominent international banks. India's largest integrated IT SEZ Mahindra World City is located in Jaipur. Master planned by Jurong Constructions Singapore it covers nearly 3,000 acres (12 km²) of land off Ajmer highway and has already attracted major companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, ISYS BPO Services, Truworth and Deutsche Bank. India's one of a kind World Trade Park is also under construction in Malaviya Nagar. It will be having luxury hotel, business halls, five screen multiplex, underwater restaurant and many showrooms of international brands. In coming years it will be the hub for modern business development in Jaipur.

Number of large and medium scale running units: 48 Number of small scale units: 19,544 Number of industrial areas: 19 (Bagru, Bassi, Bais Godam, Bindyaka, Dudu, Hirawala, Jetpura, Jhotwara, Kaladera, Kanakpura, Kartarpura, Malviya Nagar, Phulera, Renwal, Sanganer, Shahpura, Sitapura, Sudarshanpur and Vishwakarma). Jaipur is soon planned to have an International Convention Centre and a Golf course. A film city near Agra highway is also in the pipeline.

Tourism

• 
  Jantar Mantar attracts thousands of tourists every year.
• 
  Amber Fort
• 
  Tourism is important sector of the city's economy
• 
  The Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur
• 
  Albert hall
• 
  Hawa Mahal
• 
  Hawa Mahal
• 
  Lakshmi-Narayan Temple
• 
  The Jal Mahal
• Rambagh Palace
  Rambagh Palace
• The Vidhan Sabha of Rajasthan in Jaipur
  The Vidhan Sabha of Rajasthan in Jaipur
• 
  Maharaja Palace Jaipur

Jaipur is a very famous tourist and education destination in India. Lots of people flock to Jaipur to view the various forts and monuments in Jaipur which reflect its glorious past. Tourism is a significant part of Jaipur's economy. Some of the world's best hotels are located here. Jaipur is also going to be a city having metro train which will also increase the number of tourists per year. A major part of Jaipur's income is based upon tourism.

Forts & Monuments

Jaipur has a number of forts and monuments like Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Jal Mahal, Rambagh Palace, Central Museum, (Albert Hall Museum)

Temples

The landscape of Jaipur is doted with numerous temples. One can find temples in almost every street. It is because of the numerous temples, and religiosity among people that it is sometimes also known as Chhoti Kashi. Some of the famous temples in Jaipur include Govind Dev Ji Temple, Galtaji, Birla Temple (also known as Lakshmi Narayan Mandir), Garh Ganesh Temple, Shila Devi Temple in Amber, Chamtkareshwer Mahadev, Panchayati Hall,Radha Govind Ji Temple.

Gardens

The city is doted with beautiful gardens and parks. Prominent among them are Ram Niwas Garden, Sisodia Rani Garden and Palace, Vidyadhar Garden, Kanak Vrindavan, Central Park, Jawahar Circle Garden, Technology Park in Mansarover, Vidyadhar ka Bagh in Goner.

Other places of interest include Chand Baori (stepwell), Chokhi Dhani (a village resort), Kathputhli slum a Jaipur slum, Raj Mandir Cinema (a beautiful cinema hall).

Demographics

Template:IndiaCensusPop As of 2001 India census, Jaipur had a population of 2,324,319. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. In Jaipur, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Culture

Jawahar Kala Kendra, designed by Charles Correa, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Jaipur is a hotspot for culture. Cultural Centres like Jawahar Kala Kendra and Ravindra Manch have helped promote the unique culture of the state of Rajasthan. Albert Hall museum hosts several arts and antiquities. There are figurines depicting various forms of Rajasthani culture along various parts of the city. The city also decorated its flyovers with different interesting themes.

Arts and Crafts

The rulers of Jaipur patronized a number of arts and crafts. They invited skilled artisans, artists and craftsmen from India and abroad. The diferent communities settled in various parts of city and made Jaipur their home. As a result, Jaipur is a major hub for various kinds of arts and crafts. Some of the crafts include Bandhani; Block printing; Stone carving and Sculpture; Tarkashi; Zari, Gota, Kinari and Zardozi; Silver Jewellery; Gems, Kundan, Meenakari and Jewellery; Miniature paintings; Blue Pottery; Ivory carving; Shellac work; Leatherware, etc.

Performing Arts

Jaipur also has its own performing arts. The Jaipur Gharana of Kathak is a notable example. Others include Tamasha.

Cuisine

The city has a very delectable cuisine. Some of the local dishes have become world-famous names. Typical dishes include Dal Baati Churma, Missi Roti. Sweet dishes include Ghevar, Feeni, Chauguni ke laddu, Mohan Thal.

Festivals

A number of festivals are organized in the city at various time of the year. Some of them include Gangaur Festival, Jaipur Literature Festival, Kite festival, Teej festival, Shitla Mata Fair, Chaksu Fair, Elephant Fair.

Education

Recently, Jaipur has become a developed centre for education. The city is very peaceful and many north Indian families prefer to send their offspring to Jaipur for higher and technical education. Jaipur has more than 60 Engineering colleges, 40 Business management institutes, 15 Pharmacy Institutes, 4 hotel management Institutes, 3 Medical colleges and 6 Dental colleges. It also has 8 universities including the Rajasthan University. Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur is one of the best technical institutes in India. The city is also home to more than 250 schools affiliated with CBSE and ICSE.

Transport

Jaipur Kishangarh Express Way

Road

The city of Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is centrally located. National Highway No.8 links Delhi to Mumbai, National Highway No.12 links to Kota and National Highway No.11 links Bikaner to Agra, passing through Jaipur district with a total length of 366 km. The total length of different types of roads in the district was approximately 4,102 km in March 2000.RSRTC operates bus service to all the parts of Rajasthan and New delhi, Uttar pradesh, Haryana, Madhya pradesh.Bus service is operated from Sindhi camp, Jawahar nagar bus stand, Durgapura bus stand, Sodala bus stand.

Jaipur International Airport

City bus

City buses are operated by JAIPUR CITY TRANSPORT SERVICE LIMITED OF RSRTC under JNNURM.No of buses which are operated under city bus is 300.It includes Ultra modern buses like A/C Low floor, NON A/C Low floor, Semi low floor.There are 2 bus depots Vaishali nagar, sanganer.Bus service covers entire city.Jaipur BRTS which is a part of Bus rapid transport system serving the city has been launched successfully

Rail

Jaipur Railway station is the headquarters of the North Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It has direct trains on the broad gauge network to all major cities in Rajasthan and India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kota, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Pune, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Raipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna, Trivendrum etc. and metre gauge network to Sri Ganganagar, Churu and Sikar. One of India's most famous and luxurious trains The Palace on Wheels, also makes a scheduled stop in Jaipur.A very ambitious project Jaipur Metro Train is under construction and is going to start in the city by 2014.

Air

Jaipur International Airport is situated in its satellite town of Sanganer and offers sporadic service to Muscat, Sharjah, Bangkok and Dubai, London via Muscat, London via Sharjah, London via Delhi by Jet and AirIndia, and major European cities like Frankfurt, Paris, Zurich, Moscow by connection through Jet Airways or AirIndia. Jaipur also has well connected domestic air links with Jodhpur, Udaipur, Aurangabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bangalore, Mumbai, Surat, Bhopal, Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Jabalpur.

Sister cities

Jaipur has the following sister cities:

• Fremont, United States of America since 1993
• Calgary, Canada since 1973
• Lagos, Nigeria
• Paris, France

Further reading

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

• "Jaipur City (or Jainagar)". The Imperial Gazetteer of India. 1909. pp. 399–402.
• R.S. Khangarot, P.S. Nathawat Jaigarh- The Invincible Fort of Amber, RBSA Publishers, Jaipur (1990)
• Andreas Volwahsen, Cosmic Architecture in India: The Astronomical Monuments of Maharaja Jai Singh II, Prestel Mapin, Munich (2001)
• J Sarkar, A History of Jaipur, Orient Longman Limited, New Delhi (1984)

External links

• Jaipur District Administration site
• Department of Urban Development and Housing, Government of Rajasthan
• Official Website of Jaipur Development Authority
• Official Website of Jaipur Municipal Corporation
• Pink.City.Mag: A digital magazine about Pink City Jaipur.
• Template:Wikitravel