City in the pink

It wasn’t very long ago that anyone wishing to visit Jaipur, the capital and the largest city of Rajasthan state in northern India, would have to follow India’s Golden Triangle route, a roughly equilateral triangular circuit with some 200-250 kilometres along each side connecting Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The classic “introduction to India” circuit, as it’s known, always started at Delhi, and with each leg taking between four to six hours, made for a long, albeit interesting, haul. Now, thanks to Thai Smile Airways’ direct flight from Bangkok to Jaipur, the travel time from the City of Angels to the Pink City of India is only four hours.
“Rajasthan is traditionally known as the land of warriors. Among those warriors and kings, Sawai Jai Singh II, the Rajput ruler of the kingdom of Amer, is remembered as the most enlightened king of 18th-century India. Sawai (literally a quarter over one) is the title of honour used in India to denote strength and or intelligence. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb who had summoned Jai Singh II to Delhi was impressed by his wit so the emperor gave him this title. The title became hereditary and was used by his descendants,” says Hami Singh, our local guide.
The growing population and a scarcity of water were the main reasons why King Jai Singh II moved the capital from Amer to Jaipur. Under the guidance of chief architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, who studied the ancient Sanskrit manuals “Silpa shastras” (“Science of Arts and Crafts”), and a traditional Hindu system of architecture known as “Vastu shastra” (the science of architecture), the city was built in 1726 following the ancient Hindu grid pattern for city planning.
“We became known as the ‘Pink City of India' because our then ruler Sawai Ram Singh, painted the city pink to welcome the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VII. The tradition has been followed by residents, who now, by law, must maintain the pink colour,” says Hami, raising his voice so he can be heard above the blaring horns and squealing wheels on the busy Jaipur street. 

As we walk from the parking lot to the City Palace, we see not a mixture of dogs and cats but rather goats, oxen and cows. 
The City Palace was built between 1729 and 1732, initially by Sawai Jai Singh II who planned and built the outer walls. The palace was enlarged and adapted over the centuries so that today buildings from different eras stand in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The City Palace now houses museums though the largest section remains a royal residence. 
Our group walks to Bhaggi Khana, a museum in the palace complex where a collection of old carriages, palanquins and European cabs are on display and quickly find ourselves in an open courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a pink and white, marble-paved gallery known as Diwan-i-Khas. The palace guards, looking smart and wearing huge red turbans are guarding two enormous silver vessels, the largest silver objects in the world at 1.6metre tall each. The guards are more than happy to strike a pose with visitors but rather spoil the moment by rubbing their fingers together as a sign they’d like a tip.
Toward the palace’s inner courtyard is Pitam Niwas Chowk. The compact courtyard is famous for its glorious gates representing the seasons – the Peacock Gate signifies autumn, the Lotus Gate depicts summer, the Green Gate embodies spring, and the Rose Gate represents winter. Today the gates are popular selfie spots, with tourists and local students lining up to say cheese in front of their colourful facades. 
After a short visit to the Mubarak Mahal or Welcome Palace where a collection of royal costumes and delicate shawls are on display, we head to the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observation site directly opposite the City Palace.
An excited sound to my left draws my attention towards a group of people standing in a circle. As I get closer, I hear a wind instrument and then I see two snakes spreading their hoods. One snake charmer is playing an instrument called a pungi while the other is inviting the crowd to touch and take photos with the two cobras. Stepping backwards, hopefully far enough to run if the two cobras get bored with the snake charmers’ music, I quickly take a photo and walk back to the group with a pounding heart. 
“In the early 18th century, Jai Singh II constructed five Jantar Mantars in total, in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. They were completed between 1724 and 1735. The one in Jaipur is the largest. It features many instruments along with the world’s largest stone sundial,” says BM Khatri, an astrologer and our guide at the Jantar Mantar.
Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, Jantar Mantar embody several architectural and instrumental innovations. 
“The words ‘jantar’ and ‘mantar’ translate as ‘calculation instrument’. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the best preserved of India’s historic observatories. It is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of Jai Singh II.”
We decide to end our day with the crown of Jaipur, Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds. We ditch our bus and jump into auto rickshaws to mingle with the locals. Sitting among hundreds of the cars, auto rickshaws and motorcycles, all of them apparently using their horns, I feel happy to be part of this lively Jaipur street scene.
Located right next to the street on the edge of the City Palace, and extending to the women’s chambers, Hawa Mahal is constructed of red and pink sandstone. It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh so the women of the royal household could observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. The high screen wall was designed in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god.
On the top of the shophouse opposite Hawal Mahal, I sit enjoying the golden sunlight that softly touches the pink Palace of Winds. Centuries ago, the women of the court watched the world outside through one of those windows while today hundreds and thousands of visitors from around the world spend hour after hour admiring that architectural wonder.
  
IF YOU GO
< Thai Smile Airways has direct flights between Bangkok and Jaipur. Visit www.ThaiSmileAir.com.