Rajasthan is a splendid region. Did you know 3 of the 37 UNESCO sites listed in India belong to Rajasthan??!!! Technically though there are 3, actually there are 8 places of which 6 are listed together. I'm yet to see these places myself, hope I can make it there soon.
Jantar Mantar: If you have a decent knowledge in Maths or Astronomy, this place is truly baffling. Just one of its several aspects is the world's largest sundial that tells the time with an accuracy of 2 secs!!!!! There are a total of 19 celestial instruments that were constructed in 1724-35 CE by Maharaja Jai Singh to calculate the various astronomical happenings.
There are 5 Jantar Mantars in India and the largest one is in Jaipur, which is listed under UNESCO. I've been to the one in New Delhi, and yet to head to Jaipur. There are monumental instruments here, one that tell you when's noon across 4 different times of the world, one that measures distance & diameter of sun, one that measures distances of other celestial bodies and so so many more!
There are 5 Jantar Mantars in India and the largest one is in Jaipur, which is listed under UNESCO. I've been to the one in New Delhi, and yet to head to Jaipur. There are monumental instruments here, one that tell you when's noon across 4 different times of the world, one that measures distance & diameter of sun, one that measures distances of other celestial bodies and so so many more!
Amber & Ranthambore Fort: A total of 6 hill forts of Rajasthan are listed together and Amber Fort is the one located within Jaipur. Another 1 of the 6, Ranthambore Fort can be done as a daytrip (150km) from Jaipur.
Pic Courtesy: Firoze Edassery via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Pic Courtesy: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Pic Courtesy: Manojmeena via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Keoladeo National Park: Though this is technically not in Jaipur and is in the Jaipur-Agra highway, closer to Agra, it is an ideal day-trip from Jaipur. In simple words, its a magical place for any nature lover. Its a man-made sanctuary that attracts thousands of migratory birds every year and every winter its such a delight to just be there and listen to the sound of music there!
Long ago, it's a rather ironic way this was setup. In 1700s when a dam was built, this became a bund where rivers met which caused several birds to flock here and it was used as a hunting area by the princely kingdoms and later shooting area by British till 1947 CE! Thank God for the awareness that grew overtime, since 1970s it is a safe haven for the birds and more recently even protected under UNESCO.
Being man-made this region had the luxury of setting it up with multiple landscapes including dry grasslands, wet lands, wood land, swamps and more. That attracted all the more varieties of birds than a typical natural region would do, which would only have one type of landscape.
Being man-made this region had the luxury of setting it up with multiple landscapes including dry grasslands, wet lands, wood land, swamps and more. That attracted all the more varieties of birds than a typical natural region would do, which would only have one type of landscape.
To Get There:
From New Delhi: 260km
From Ahmedabad: 670km
From Agra (Taj Mahal): 240km
From Mumbai: 1100km
From Agra (Taj Mahal): 240km
From Mumbai: 1100km
It's been long that I have been to Jaipur. I was really small when I had visited Jaipur. Now looking at your blog, I can remember the place well. Amber Fort and Ranthambore Fort are so classy and grand. I loved Jantar Mantar a lot as a child. However, nice to read about Kalkadeo National Park as I have not been there before.
ReplyDeleteHave never been to Jaipur and feel so bad about it now. Indeed it is a Heritage hotspot. I really want to see how the room adorned with tiny mirror pieces sparkle in the amber fort. It must be a sight to behold.
ReplyDeleteI have family in Jaipur so have been a few times and seen some of the major sites but I had not visited Keoladeo National Park previously, and it looks like somewhere I'd really enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Jaipur unfortunately, but you've put together a great list of impressive sights to see. I didn't know there were so many UNESCO sites there. Pinned this for later reference.
ReplyDeleteI have heard about the beauty of Jaipur several times but never had the opportunity to see it for myself. Its through lovely blog like yours that I am privy to the beautiful places there. I am fascinated with Sundials and would love to see the one in Jantar Mantar!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine the Mirror Palace with a single candle. I'd love to experience it first-hand though.That must be heavenly. Traveling to jaipur seems like traveling back in time.
ReplyDeleteJaipur is absolutely stunning. That fort is simply breathtaking - I visited myself a couple of years ago and found it to be magnificent to see in real life. Easily one of my favourite cities in India!
ReplyDeleteIt has been my dream to visit as many as possible Unesco sites in the world. Thus, I am so happy to know that there's 3 in India as we're actually be there in 5 months for a convention. Hope I can extend my stay and visit all of them.
ReplyDeleteJaipur is really a great place to visit. I have been there for 3-4 days and explored Amber Fort and Mirror Palace. Now, i am staying at one of the hotels in South Delhi, exploring the famous cities and places in India. By the Great Post and Insights!
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