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Jaipur -
Jayapur
Jaipur जयपुर, also popularly known as the Pink City, is the
capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. During the British rule in
India, Jaipur was the capital of the princely state of Jaipur.
Founded on 18 November, 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the
ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 6
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.
This Metropolitan City sprawls over a magnificent area of 1766 km2
in its Metro Region where as 725 km2 in its Walled City. It is one
of the fastest growing cities of the world. Its estimated population
for 2011 is over 7 million. 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. Another noteworthy building is the
observatory, Jantar Mantar. Jaipur is a popular tourist destination
in Rajasthan and India.
Jaipur is located at 26°55′N 75°49′E / 26.92°N 75.82°E / 26.92;
75.82. It has an average elevation of 431 metres (1417 ft).
Jaipur is the headquarters of the Jaipur district which is situated
in the eastern part of Rajasthan.
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.
Jaipur has a semi-arid climate 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 in the 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.
How to go Jaipur
By plane
Jaipur Airport (JAI/VIJP) is situated in the satellite town of
Sanganer and offers sporadic (chartered) service to London and
Dublin. Flights to Singapore and Bangkok are available via Delhi.
Direct flights to Sharjah, Muscat and Dubai are also available.
Jaipur also has daily domestic air links with many Indian cities
such as Jodhpur, Udaipur, Aurangabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa,
Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Indore.
One plus point for those flying out of Delhi is that the Delhi
airport is close to the highway, so you could reach the airport
without entering the city.
By train
Indian Railways connects Jaipur from all over the country and is
one of the cheapest options. A number of daily trains connect Jaipur
to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Agra,Mumbai, Jodhpur, Kota, Alwar and Ajmer.
Daily connections are also available for Udaipur, Chittaurgarh,
Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Kolkata, Jammu, Pathankot, Ludhiana,
Kanpur, Roorkee, Haridwar, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur and Bhopal.
budgetary requirements. Long-distance trains arrive from many other
major cities including Lucknow, Allahabad, Benaras, Vadodara, Surat,
Nagpur, Bilaspur, Raipur, Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Chennai,
Bangalore, Mysore, Hyderabad, Goa, Mangalore, Kozhikode and Kochi.
However the most popular option from Delhi is the Shatabdi express
which departs New Delhi station at 6:05AM and reaches Jaipur at
10:50AM.
There are three major railway stations Jaipur Junction (main
station),Durgapura and Gandhinagar (Jaipur), which is not to be
confused with Gandhinagar in Gujarat state. All trains stop at
Jaipur Junction and a few trains stop at Durgapura and Gandhinagar
stations also.
By bus
There is an excellent bus service between Jaipur to Delhi by
Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation with buses approximately
every half an hour both sides. There are several types of buses
including Deluxe, AC and the superior AC Volvo buses. From Delhi you
can board the bus from Bikaner House on Pandara Road next to India
Gate. From Jaipur you can board the bus from Narayan Singh Circle or
the main Sindhi Camp bus stand. You can also book tickets up to 6
days in advance from both these places. These buses typically take 6
hours (by Volvo) or 6-7 hours by other deluxe buses. There are also
some private bus operators active in the city but you should avoid
them as most of them do not have permits and drive rashly. Also note
that if you plan to leave from Delhi airport, you can get off the
bus at Dhaula Kuan and get an autorickshaw or perhaps a taxi from
there. You do not need to enter congested Delhi.
Express buses to Ahmedabad and several cities and towns within
Rajasthan (such as Kota and Bundi) are also available.
By car
This is the most popular way of reaching from Delhi. The journey by
car from Delhi to Jaipur takes less than 4hrs. National Highway no.
8 connects Delhi to Jaipur via the industrial township of Gurgaon.
The road is excellent.
Get around Jaipur
By RTDC BUS
It is the best and cheaper way to visit the Jaipur Local Sights by
RTDC(Rajasthan Tourism Dept. Corp.) There are three type of tours :
(1)Full day Tour, (2) Half Day Tour and (3)Pink city by night Tour.
For Details : http://www.rtdc.in/ctt.htm
There will be one guide with each bus to give you brief info about
all sights.
Autorickshaw
By and large, autorickshaw is the best way around the city. In order
to hire an autorickshaw for a whole day (with a trip to Amber Fort)
costs 350 INR (August 2009). Prepaid autos are available at the
Jaipur railway station and the Sindhi Camp bus stand.
The rates have been revised to around Rs. 350-400, and the
autorikshaw walas will tell you to take the Slip from the Police
Booths, but you can also go directly without the Slip but don't
forget to Bargain over the price in that case, it could be much
cheaper. It'll be best if you start your Sight seeing by 10 in the
morning as all the major spots get closed by 4:30 and each spot
takes a lot of time especially the Forts.
In some cases, the AutoRickshaw drivers try to bring up with some
excuses that this happened or that happened so pay more, or any lame
story or excuse to get some more from you after the trip is over.
But strict to the original amount decided, Police in Jaipur is very
friendly, in case you feel the AutoRickshaw driver is trying to
misguide you or forcing you for some extra money then just refer the
police persons located at various spots. The cops are really
friendly and caring there. Also some autorickshaw drivers will tell
you to buy artifacts and gifts from some shops especially some
located on way to amber fort. Firmly refuse to stop there as these
shops operate on commission to the auto driver and fleece you. If
you've got to buy some souvenirs buy them in city's main shopping
areas like bapu bazzar. Also take some first hand information about
the eating and Shopping places as the drivers have their fixed
commissions at shops and eating outlets, so you might end up paying
more for and item or eating at an undesirable place.
By cycle-rickshaw
Cycle-rickshaws are cheaper, but the amount of time it takes quickly
makes the extra few rupees worth it. Walking in the bazaar is a
treat, although side streets are a bit less welcoming and offer a
sharper glimpse of poverty.
By taxi
The taxis in Jaipur are very convenient and comfortable. Most of the
vehicles are Maruti Omni Vans or Tata Indica cars, which are much
safer than Auto rickshaws, and the drivers are polite. If you are
alone or going to an unknown destination, you are strongly advised
to choose this option, even though the rates will be double that of
an autorickshaw. you must call for a taxi, as it is nearly
impossible to hail one unless you are at a major point like the
airport. When you call, you should negotiate a fare (or agree on
using the meter) and get the taxi's 'number'. The taxi will come
pick you up, and call you when they are close. Taxis generally have
yellow license plates with black letters. Some taxis are painted
with yellow & black color scheme on their body which helps to
uniquely identify from the private cars.
* Pinkcity Radio Taxi, +91 141 220-5000
* Shree Shyam Radio Taxi, +91 141 237-2222
* Jain Taxi Service, +91 141 229-2064
By car
Most travel agencies will provide cars for local hire. There are
many tour operators available which are approved by Tourism deptt.
and one can hire for a leisure tours.
Jaipur Hotels
Jaipur
Hotels by surrounding cities, local city and area:-
Kukas
***Jaipur
area ***
Chomu ***
Amer ***
Jaipur ***
Samode
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