Jaipur is the capital of India’s Rajasthan State. It is better known as the Pink City for its trademark building color. Here are the ‘beautiful destinations’ we have been to.
HAWA MAHAL
Hawa Mahal is an iconic building in Jaipur. It was built primarily as a summer retreat for the royal family. Hawa Mahal means Palace of Winds as the windows served as sort of air conditioners. It also served as a place where the ladies of the royal household could watch outside life without being seen.
CITY PALACE
City Palace is located within the walled city of Jaipur. It was built in 18th century and is still home to the last ruling royal family. At present, the title is only a symbol as they are not recognised by the Indian law. To preserve the palace a portion was converted into museum. This will be covered by the composite ticket (regular ticket) that costs INR 500 (PHP 350) for foreign nationals.
Visitors are welcomed by Diwan-I-Khas with its ceiling that is beautifully sculpted and decorated with crystal chandeliers.
Also a must see in this hall are the two huge sterling silver vessels displayed. They hold the Guinness World Record as the world’s largest sterling silver vessels. Each vessel measures 1.6 m (5.2 ft) height, 340 kg (750 lb) weight, and 4000 L capacity. Both were made from 14,000 melted silver coins.
If you want to see an actual palace, the section where the royal family lives is also open to public. The royal grandeur ticket that costs INR 2500 (PHP 1,700) will get you there. This part of the palace is called Chandra Mahal.
As you pave your way to Chandra Mahal, you will walk through a courtyard called Pitam Niwas Chowk, which provides 4 access gates that symbolise the four seasons and the Hindu Gods.
At the ground floor, you will find the Durbaar Hall that displays old paintings and pictures of the Maharajas (Kings). There is one room where most of the palace’s precious items are kept – furnitures made of gold, silver jars, gifts from different royalties, you name it. The room is truly splendid! However, photography is not allowed in this part of the palace.
Was it worth it? Absolutely yes! The palace is a remembrance of the royal past, yet you would not feel like walking in a museum. It was the least touristy we did in India.
We skipped Jantar Mantar (Royal Observatory) which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Accordingly, it houses sixteen geometric devices designed to measure time, track celestial bodies and observe the orbits of the planets around the sun. It sounds interesting with cheap entrance fee of INR 300 (PHP 200).
AMBER FORT
Amber (pronounced as Amer) Fort was the earlier capital of Rajasthan. It is situated on a hill overlooking the Maota Lake. You can go up by foot or by elephant ride. The latter is available only during the morning for INR 1100 (PHP 750) per person or couple. As it was included in the tour, we took the chance although it may be treated as animal cruelty by some. Entrance fee to the palace is INR 500 (PHP 350). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the palace’s exterior is simple but inside you will be surprised of its beauty – the mixture of Hindu and Mughal styles. They say it is also beautiful in the evening with the light show. You may consider coming back to witness it, or you may opt to visit during night time.
It is worth mentioning that we passed by the Jal Mahal or Water Palace. By the name, it was built for the royal family to enjoy during the summer season. The palace is in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. But it has been closed from the public by the Indian Government.
To complete India’s Golden Triangle, we traveled back to Delhi where we flew to our next destination.
So this sums up our Golden Triangle adventure. India is a culturally rich beautiful country. I learned to eat Indian food during the trip. Do not worry as most restaurants adjusts the spicy level of the food to your preference. India may be exotic, but I am glad we went. Definitely, I will go back if given another chance. Most destinations we’ve been are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is truly worth the visit and experience. India is not an expensive destination, so consider putting it on your destination list.
Trip Overview
The Golden Triangle covers Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
Day 1: Flew into Delhi (slept in Delhi)
Day 2: Tour in Delhi (slept in Delhi)
Day 3: Drove to Agra + tour in Agra (slept in Agra)
Day 4: Drove to Jaipur + tour on the way (slept in Jaipur)
Day 5: Tour in Jaipur. Drove back to Delhi by night for our next country of destination.
I noticed that most visitors in India were in a tour. For first timers, I also recommend joining one, or signing up to a private tour like we did as it will make for a smoother experience. When I signed up with Feast India Tours, I sent them the tentative dates and I received the quoted itinerary in less than 24 hours. It was a customised private tour. If you are coming from the Philippines, you need to secure E-visa. Applying for E-visa is easy and straightforward. You can send me a message if you have questions.
With love,
Sugar
