TTL: Jaipur

Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, was the next stop for me. An early morning train took me from the Old Delhi (DLI) station to Jaipur (JP). I had been forewarned that Rajasthan would be hot. That too, in the summers and that it was the “Off Season” for a reason. Call it fate, call it luck, every single day I spent in the state, it was cloudy and overcast sky. I was happy.

Rajasthan, has an immensely rich cultural heritage, lots of forts and palaces to roam about, but the famous ones, are pictured here.

I begin with the City Palace. Centrally located within the city, this is the palace of the monarch. Its a nice place to take a tour around. Observe the intricately carved gates and the richly decorated archways. It puts you right in the middle of a rich, bygone era.

Nearby, are two more beautiful buildings, the Hawa Mahal, and the Jantar Mantar.
The Hawa Mahal is an impressive bit of architecture and from the top storey, offers a panoramic view of the Pink City. But, the most iconic and prettiest view of the building is not from within, rather from the adjoining street. Have a look.

The Jantar Mantar at Jaipur houses the biggest sundial of the planet. Here is a view of the observation deck viewed from the base.

The next place to visit, are two of the most famous forts, the Amer Fort and the Jaigarh Fort.
Before you take on these forts, its advisable to eat something and hydrate yourself properly. The climb is long and steep too. But the views, are totally worth it.

The last stop for the day was the Jal Mahal. The palace is located within the lake. As of June, 2015, visitors are not permitted to go to the palace.

With this, my Jaipur trip came to an end, and on the same night, I boarded a train to Jaisalmer, the golden city. Up next, stay tuned and follow me.

Cheers!!