We came across the spectacular monument-City Palace. Depicting the history of the city with honor, the palace boasts of its marvelous architecture.

Lies in the centre of Pichola Lake, Lake Palace is another beautiful monument of Udaipur. Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir are also lying nearby. We also came across some old monuments like Bagore ki Haveli and Maharana Pratap Memorial.These buildings still showcase the local culture and tradition. The exquisite glass and mirror work done on the interiors is amazing.

Pushkar Festival

On our afternoon trip, we explored the Monsoon Palace. It rewarded us with amazing views of the lakes and hills. In the evening, we witnessed the Rajasthani folk dance and music that made us drawn deep in its authenticity.

The day started with Pushkar visit. Though it is a small city yet is has its own charm and appeal. This city offers a more serene escapade to visitors as compared to any other tourist destination in Rajasthan. We got to know the famous Pushkar festival, when we visited the Pushkar Lake. It is said that huge livestock like cows, goats and sheep are sold in the fair.

Neha insisted us to visit Brahma Temple; we both agreed and moved ahead. Counted among the most significant Brahma temples, it has the shrine of presiding deity of Lord Brahma. Built in the 14^th century AD, this temple is dedicated to Lord Brahma.

Thinking of our next destination, we landed in the dream world.

Next day, we headed to Jaipur, the Pink City of India. It is the largest city of Rajasthan. It houses some magnificent forts and palaces which add to the place. Started from City Palace about which we had already heard a lot, we moved ahead inside the palace. Standing apart with its exemplary architecture, the palace complex covers a huge area. As we started walking ahead, we come across a series of gardens, buildings and courtyards.

Located near the boundary of the city palace, Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) is a worth visiting place. Khusboo was so excited to see this place that she could not help herself clicking some photographs. Named after Palace of Winds, this mahal boasts of its more than 950 huge windows. It was especially built in such a way to allow the royal women the views of the market areas.

Nahargarh Fort was another fort, which became a part of our exploration. Located on the aravali hills ridge, the fort was built by Jai Singh. This magnificent fort presents an enticing sight at night.

Chokhi Dhani

The most memorable thing of our Jaipur visit was Chokhi Dhani where we spend some time exploring the beauty of the place. Capturing the spirit of desert land, it ensures a perfect traditional Rajasthani experience. We enjoyed our food at this village resort. We relished authentic Rajasthani Food, which obviously had a lot of calories. Even I am very particular about my food though I could not help myself from enjoying the food with much ghee.

In the evening, there were some cultural programmes, which filled our heart with fun and enjoyment. The traditional performances and the puppet show just took away my heart.

With delightful memories, we left back for Delhi.

Lies in the centre of

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Jaipur City

The day when I embarked on Jaipur tour with my sister Ekta and a friend, Deepti was like a new day for me. We all three managed to take 3 days leave from our offices and got ready for a change. We took a bus from Delhi and reached there within six hours. The moment I entered the glorious city of Jaipur, my joy knew no bounds. The city is renowned for its Rajput heritage and culture.

Jaipur has numerous palaces that are renowned across the world for their architectural grandeur. The architecture beauty of these palaces showcases the perfect amalgamation of Rajputana and Mughal style. We stayed in a good hotel, which was equipped with all the modern amenities.

To see the buildings painted in pink color is an amazing experience in itself. Our exploration of the city started with a visit to Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds). Built in the year 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, it is the most striking palace of the city. Its five-stories, hanging cornices, arched roofs, 953 tiny windows and pyramid-shaped structure make it a worth-visiting site.

Hawa Mahal

The City Palace is among the most predominant landmarks of Jaipur. I won’t be wrong if I call it as a perfect illustration of architecture. The palace also exhibits museum which has a rich collection of royal costumes and Rajput weapons. Though we felt tired walking in the huge palace, yet the charm to see the other parts of the palace did not allow us to stop and we moved on. We explored the beautiful Art Gallery, Mukut Mahal, Chhavi Niwas and Shri Govind Dev Temple of the palace.

The old Amer fort was our next destination. It was truly a delight to watch the fort. We got to see a big wall of ancient times and the stunning Sheesh Mahal (the hall of mirrors), Sukh Niwas and Ganesh Pole. Ekta insisted us to go for an elephant ride. Taking a ride while sitting on elephant’s back was just wonderful and a great experience.

Another fort which we visited was, Nahargarh Fort. Perched high on the Aravali hills, the fort overlooks the city. It offers charming views that can be best seen at the time of sunset.

Sheesh Mahal Suite Samode Haveli Jaipur

Being a shopping freak, I could not help myself from shopping in Jaipur. Based on our experience, I can say that one must visit the lively bazaars of Jaipur. You can find here popular shopping items like brass ware, textiles, kundan, quilts and much more. I bought some jewellery and textiles.

At last, we decided to visit Samode as we had some time in our hand. Located at a distance of 42 km from Jaipur, it is a great place to see. During this, the famous Samode Palace became the part of our exploration.

Our tour was over and I was ready to get back to my hectic work routine but this time there was a big smile on my face.

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City Palace Jaipur

Having read about Rajasthan in several books and heard a lot about the grandeur of Forts and Palaces of Rajasthan, I too wanted to experience an oasis. My wish got fulfilled when I set forth to get a wonderful trip to the princely state of Rajasthan. This time, a group of my colleagues accompanied me on the trip.

The forts and palaces of Rajasthan have been living testimony of this heroic ground. The state is admired for wonderful destination cities like Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner and Chittorgarh. Embellished with rich architectural heritage, the forts and palaces of Rajasthan have made it achieve glory in the nation as renowned tourist spot. The forts of the place showcase distinct blend of Hindu as well as Mughal architectural styles. Expressive of the bygone era, these monuments are acknowledged for the great Rajasthan history.

A mark of rich traditions and culture, the monuments in the Rajasthan are one of the best ways to experience the royalty of this princely state.

Starting our journey from Delhi, we reached Mandawa in Rajasthan. After taking rest, we all were excited to experience the forts and palaces of Rajasthan, so we arrived at Bikaner.

Bikaner Fort
Bikaner fort is also referred to as the Junagarh Fort. Built by Raja Rai Singh. The fort comprises 37 bastions that are nicely complimented with different palaces, pavilions, towers and temples.

There is also an exquisitely carved Chandra Mahal. Adorned with mirrors and art works, it creates a beautiful scene. We also went to a museum inside this fort and came across a wide collection of ancient manuscripts, gems, carpets and royal weaponry.

Khimsar Fort
This 16^th century old grand fort is a unique example of traditional Rajasthani architecture. This yellow coloured fort is now transformed into a heritage hotel. It offers a world-class accommodation with modern amenities for a royal experience.

Jaisalmer Fort
Built in 1156 A.D., the Jaisalmer fort is renowned as the second oldest fort in Rajasthan after Chittaurgarh. The interior is decorated in typical Rajput style. The bastions, ramparts and the long-stretching walls of the fort dazzle amazingly during dawn and at dusk.

Mehrangarh Fort
As we entered in this wonderful fort in Jodhpur, we were stunned to see the marvels of architecture.

This majestic fort is among the finest forts of the royal land known for its imposing structure over 125 meters above rocky cliffs. It is sprawled over an area of 5 sq. km. For an easy access, there are seven gates.

City Palace
Situated in Udaipur, the City Palace is a heritage building. It showcases the finest elements of ancient Rajput culture and the arts. We entered through the ‘Elephant Gate’, which is popularly referred as the ‘Hathi Pol’. The architecture of this palace displays aesthetic beauty of the exquisite artwork.

Other Attractions of Udaipur, which we visited, include Jagmandir Palace, Saheliyon-Ki-Bari, Jagdish Temple and Folk Art Museum.

Chittorgarh Fort
On our Udaipur excursion, we reached Chittorgarh. We visited The Chittaurgarh Fort which is among the famous forts of Rajasthan. Located on a 180 meter high hill in the Chittor District, this fort boasts of the finest glimpses of architectural wonder. This fort has a majestic construction that just captivated our attention.

Amber Fort
Situated in Jaipur, Amber fort is a majestic and stately fort. Built by Raja Man and completed by Sawai Jai Singh, this fort is made in while marble and red sand stone. The fort houses a famous temple Jai Mandir which has Sheesh Mahal. When we entered in the mahal, we saw a beautiful hall of mirrors which are artistically set and illumine the hall amazingly.

Hawa Mahal
This architectural marvel is situated in Jaipur. Renowned for its five-storied pyramid-shaped facades, this palace has 953 small windows. These windows are referred as ‘Jharokha’ and adorned with tiny lattice work.

The tour experience of Rajasthan still fills my heart with delightful memories.

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On a way to Udiapur with my family we have taken 5 hours break in Jaipur so that we can explore the major attractions of India’s Pink City.  Jaipur is called Pink City of India because of several pink stucco buildings that lie in the periphery of this city. This Capital City of Rajasthan is well connected with India’s major cities via rail, road and airways.  I along with niece and cousins started our Udaipur journey from Delhi in Tempo Traveler.

We began our drive in early morning and reached Jaipur by 2 pm. This 6 hour journey was pleasurable because we got ample of time to gossip and many things to share because we all are meeting after the time span of 2 years. Throughout the ride we shared our past memories and pulled each other legs. Before embarking our Jaipur excursion we took traditional Rajasthani food in our lunch at roadside restaurant. The taste was so good that it is still lingering on my taste bud. After satisfying our appetite we went to see the Hawa Mahal which is the icon of this place. This is one of the most famous attractions of this place which is visited by almost every tourist who comes here.

Hawa Mahal is the man made marvel which is also known as ‘Palace of Winds’ or ‘Palace of the Breeze’. This is a pyramid-shaped five storied facade made up of red and pink sandstone. We were amazed by the beauty of 953 small windows popularly known as ‘Jharokhas’ which are decorated with tiny lattice work. One of our cousins who worked in Tourism industry briefed us about the whole structure along with its historical and cultural significance. She told us that it was built for the women of the Royal Families to watch various activities taking place on the streets. It is the wonderful Rajputana structure which was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799.

After seeing this Rajasthan wonder we headed for Amber fort which is magnificent building and among the finest example of man made imaginations crafted out of stone carving and adorned with beautiful decorations.

The magnetic constructions of white marble, red sandstone and delicate decorations make Amber fort a grandiose structure which lures scores of tourists to this place. Apart from this the Maotha Lake in foreground adds extra glamour to this structure which touches the heart of every visitor and we were among them. Again our cousin briefed about this heart gripping palace. The construction of this fort was commenced in 1592 during the reign of Raja Man Singh I but it was finally completed during the period of Raja Jai Singh I. Intricate carvings, minute mirror work and mosaic work throughout the complex utters the glory of Rajputana royalty and legacy who made this grand structure.

The major attraction of this fort is Diwan-e-Aam or the ‘Hall of Public Audience’ which is the forty pillared marquee built for Maharaja to meet the general public. Though there are many attractions inside the fort but Jai Mandir ‘Hall of Victory’ famous for stunning ceiling adorned with mirror work and an inlaid panel captivated our attentions for long time. The elephant ride is the best way to explore the diverse beauty of this fort. But due to lack of time we couldn’t enjoy the royal ride of gentle giant.

The visit to these two royal structures pleased our eyes and rejuvenated our mind but exhausted our stamina. So we dropped our plan to visit any more attractions of this historical city. On insist from cousins we went to Jauhari Bazaar which is among the best places of Jaipur to purchase tie-and-dye items. Here, we purchased some semi-precious stones, handcrafted footwear, costumes and handicrafts as a souvenir of this place.

After that we again embarked our journey to Udaipur in the same tempo traveler. On the way we stopped for dinner at roadside restaurant where we tasted some of the best Rajasthani food which again filled our appetite but not satisfied our taste.

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I had read in books that these windows were constructed to facilitate the queens and princess of the royal family of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh to watch the processions taking place in the streets below without being seen themselves.

Other such arresting establishments which I visited in Jaipur were:

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

It is the brainchild of the intelligent Maharaja Jai Singh who built it during the period between 1727 to 1733. One must see this largest stone observatory in the world. It houses a great collection of architectural astronomical instruments, which are used for measuring altitude, time, movement of the stars and planets and several other astronomical events. It is one of the National Monuments of India.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Standing tall as the pride of Jaipur,
Amber Fort offers amazing views of
the beautiful Maota Lake. Maharaja Man Singh constructed this fort by combining the Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. The most exciting mode of reaching the fort is an elephant ride which is quite common here. The captivating chambers like Sheesh Mahal, Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Aam and Ganesh Pol will surely leave you spell bound.

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