Famed as the Pink City of India, Jaipur is the capital and largest city of Rajasthan.

Jaipur is an extremely well

proportioned city, quite unusual among other historic Indian cities, planned to the minutest detail and to the smallest structure.

It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city is named. The
city today has a population of 3.1 million. The city was built on the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the science of Indian Architecture. The
city was divided into nine blocks. Two of which contained the state buildings and palaces, while the remaining seven were allotted to the
public. Huge fortification walls were built, along with seven strong gates. The directions of each street and market are east to West and
North to South. It is not just the royal buildings and palaces that this city offers. Other than these captivating attractions, Jaipur displays exquisite
handicrafts and spectacular jewellery. These intricate works of art add life and colour to this Pink City's uniqueness. Also, the serenity of lush gardens
and floral array acts as the cherry on the cake of fabulous landscapes. All this make a picturesque view that tends to enthrall any visitor. This
fascinating city with its romantic charm takes you to an epoch of royalty and tradition.

PROFILE OF JAIPUR
Planning and Architecture
King Sawai Jai Singh decided in 1727 to move his capital to the plains, 11 km south of Amber. Jaipur city was not only planned but
its execution was also coordinated by Sawai Jai Singh II, in such a manner that a substantial part of the city developed within seven
years of its foundation. His reign was probably the most glorious phase in the growth of the city.
The planning of Jaipur is rooted in the centric Indian philosophy, with the temple of Govind Deva defining the centre of the city plan.
Govinda Mahal as the centre further extended into the political centre with the Chandra Mahal Palace occupying an equally
dominant position, thus symbolizing the Kachchwaha rulers status as representatives of Govind Deva.
A complete matrix of subcentres was further marked in the city by locating other temples at strategic points in a hierarchical
arrangement addressing the main deity, Govind Deva. The present plan of the walled city of Jaipur shows seven city gates: Suraj
Pol in the east, Chand Pol in the west, Shiv Pol or Sanganeri Gate on the north-south axis on the southern end, with two other gates
- Kishan Pol or Ajmeri Gate and Ram Pol or Ghat Gate - also in the southern city wall. At the northern end are the Dhruv Pol or
Zorawar Singh Gate, with the Ganga Pol at the northeast. Two other existing gates are the New Gate, which was initially like achor
darwaza and was later increased in size by Sawai Ram Singh II; and the Char Dawarza at the northeast, a four-sided gate built for
emergencies. Brahmapuri, the Brahmin colony to the northwest of the palace, was entered through another gate, the Samrat Pol.
The main markets, shops, havelis and temples on the main streets were constructed by the state, thus ensuring that a uniform
street facade is maintained in Jaipur. Although there is no definite data, locals state that around 400 temples were built in Jaipur
during its planning.
Jaipur walled city has sectors 800m x 800m in size, which makes them ideally suited to predominantly pedestrian modes. Features
of the enclosed palace environs are echoed in private residential sectors, where the basic unit is that of a haveli, a multistoried
building with rooms facing an inner courtyard or a system of courtyards (sometimes as many as seven). The haveli principle was
developed to contend with the extreme climate and to satisfy perse sociocultural requirements. Together, the havelis are accessible
only from narrow alleys, and they form densely built residential complexes, the contours of which are determined by the layout of
the larger streets. Such a complex is known as a mohalla; in addition to dwellings, it contains a number of artisan workshops, a
temple or two and perhaps a mosque. Each mohallatypically accommodates about 40 to 50 residential plots, which makes them a
cohesive social and cultural subgroup.
The walled city is divided into sectors with main market streets. These primary streets form markets like Johari Bazaar, Sireh Deorhi
Bazaar, Kishanpole Bazaar, Gangauri Bazaar, Chandpole Bazaar, Tripolia Bazaar and Ramganj Bazaar. The saturation of the
consequent markets gave birth to subsequent markets that grew into the interior of the residential areas of the different chowkris.
The width of the consequent markets, like the main streets, is 110 feet, while that of the subsequent markets is 55 feet; these
markets are rastas. The rastas meet the main markets at rightangles.