Jaipur has been the
capital of erstwhile Jaipur estate since
its inception in 1727 AD. It was founded
by Sawai Jai Singh II, thereby the name.
It is probably the first planned city
of India.
In 1876, Jaipur dressed itself pink to
welcom Prince Albert and Queen Elizabeth
II, and thus the name “Pink City”
stuck to it. Now the capital of the desert
state of Rajasthan, it has the rightful
blend of rich heritage monuments, palaces
and lakes and gardens with the modern
buildings and shopping arcades.
Jaipur is top of the
list for international and domestic tourists.
In tourist traffic it is next only to
Agra. Because the city has something to
welcome all types of tourists - Heritage,
Adventure, Wildlife, Pilgrimage, etc.
It interests the rich, the business traveller,
the budgetwalas and the backpackers. And
the city is able to provide for all of
them - in hordes, year after year.
Jaipur falls in a rich
mineral belt of marble, precious and semi
precious stones, which makes it a unique
marketplace for both raw and finished
products. Jewellery of precious and semi-precious
stones is a strong attraction for tourists.
Jaipur is also home to gold and silver
jewellery made in the “Kundan”
and “Meenakari” traditions,
which are now world famous.