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. |