Jaipur. The Pink City.

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We drove to Jaipur in our two coaches. The trip took almost 5 hours. The outskirts of Delhi had several large, modern office complex buildings. This is where the Dell, AOL and other computer "techies" handle worldwide customer complaints online or by phone.

After this it went down hill and the poverty was striking. People in the country side were living in simple huts and toiled the land. It seemed that the women did all the work. The lucky ones had animals to help them. In the villages, it was not much different, only that the back streets were littered with thick layers of filth.

Water well	Milking cows	Typical Indian village

Woman carrying hay

Pigs in the street

Real man power

Garbage everywhere

Welcome strings in the Sheraton Hotel		Jaipur, is the capital of Rajasthan. It has  2 million people. The city was founded in 1727 AD by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan, the astronomer king Sawai Jai Singh. The pink color was used at the time of making to create an impression of red sandstone buildings of Mughal cities - and repainted in 1876, during the visit of the Prince of Wales.  Our luxurious Sheraton hotel in Jaipur was quite a contrast with the life style we had seen getting here.

The Amber Fort is 6 miles from the city center. It was established in the 16th century. It was used by the Rajputes both for defense purpose and as residence. It is reached by elephant up a steep hill. Inside the mighty walls you'll find charming gardens and magnificent palaces from marble and precious stones, richly decorated with elaborate stonemason works and paintings, representing royal splendor and luxury.

Double vision

Our cabs to the hill

Ride with John and Bryan

Amber Palace	Vegetable dyes for artwork	Carved window
Painted and mirrored walls	Krishna window	Monkeys everywhere

The City Palace complex is the most important landmark with its numerous outbuildings, courtyards, impressive gateways and temples. Across the road from the palace is the Jantar Mantar, one of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh. A collection of complex astronomical instruments, chiseled out of stone -most of which continue to provide fairly accurate information to this day- is the highlight of this observatory.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) adjoins the outside of the palace wall. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the Hawa Mahal is a remarkable structure which overlooks one of the main streets and also provides some excellent views of the city. In the not-too-distant past, ladies of the court found it convenient to watch the activities on the streets below without being observed themselves.

Hawa Mahal	Detail	Observatory
Street life: Pitchers	Street life: Red peppers	Street life: Sacred cows