Jaipur

Jaipur

Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh to replace nearby Amber as the capital of the princely state of Jaipur, the walled city is surrounded by hills except to the south. Designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, it is one of the earliest planned cities in modern India. The city served as the capital of the state of Jaipur during the British colonial period. After the independence of India in 1947, Jaipur was made the capital of Rajasthan, a newly formed state, in 1949. The city's growth was dramatic in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, with a doubling of its population between 1991 and 2011. It has a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims, and sadly, the city has been the site of numerous bomb attacks in the early 21st century, with mosques and Hindu temples being targeted. With major road, rail and air links, Jaipur is a commercial trading center and a popular tourist destination. Along with Delhi and Agra, it forms part of the western Golden Triangle tourist circuit, and it was added to the list of World Heritage Cities on July 6, 2019. The city is famous for its beauty and is unique in its linear planning. The color of its buildings is mostly pink, which is why it is also referred to as the "pink city". The most important buildings are the City Palace, a portion of which is the residence of the royal family of Jaipur; the Jantar Mantar, which is an 18th-century open-air observatory that was designated in 2010 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Hawa Mahal, which means Hall of Winds; the Ram Bagh Palace; and Nahargarh, the Tiger Fort.