We stopped to take a photo of Jal Mahal, an 18th century, five story palace located in the middle of Jaipur’s Man Sagar Lake. Built of red sandstone, the bottom three levels are submerged. It was built as a hunting lodge for royal families.
Our next stop was at Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century, by Rajput King Sarai Jai Singh, and completed in 1734. It includes a set of 20 main fixed instruments, designed for the observation of astronomical positions. It features the world’s largest stone sundial. It is the most significant, comprehensive, and best preserved of India’s historic observatories. It was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2010.
We stopped to take a photo of Hawal Mahal, known as “Palace of Winds,” known for it’s unique five-story, honeycomb shaped facade featuring 953 small latticed windows, and made of pink sandstone. Commissioned in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, it allowed royal women to observe street life while maintaining privacy, creating a cooling breeze through the structure.
We walked to the City Palace, a royal residence today, and former administrative headquarters of the rulers of Jaipur. Constructed of the palace began soon after establishment of the city of Jaipur, and was completed in 1732. Jaipur remained the capital of the kingdom until 1949, when it became the capital of the present-day state of Rajasthan. The City Palace continues to be the home of the Jaipur royal family, and the Maharajah Sawai Man Singh II Museum.
After a local, typical lunch with our guide, Singh, we visited a weaving and fabric printing shop. They were eager to show us their products, but we weren’t buying today.
