Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajasthan is known as the Pink City because of the colour of the stone exclusively used for the construction of all the old structures.
The pink color has its own history. In 1876, the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria visited India on a tour. Since pink denotes the colour of hospitality, Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the whole city pink to welcome the guests. The tradition has been faithfully followed by the residents who are now, by law, compelled to maintain the pink colour. A great example is the The Hawa Mahal or “Palace of Winds” so named because it was essentially a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivities while unseen from the outside. Constructed of red and pink sandstone, the palace sits on the edge of the City Palace, and extends to the zenana, or women’s chambers.
We will settle into our comfortable Jaipur accommodation set in a peaceful garden with the occasional roaming peacock and chickens while we explore some fair trade organisations, maybe enjoy a hands-on block printing workshop, enjoy the history of Jaipur and indulge in some good shopping and dining.
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
Some of the sites which may be included in the our tour or in free time sightseeing:
From Jaipur we head to our next destination, the City of Lakes, Bhopal >>>
