Jaipur

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan is about 5 hours drive from Agra. Jaipur got its name from its ruler Jai Singh who eshtablished it in 1727. Jaipur's famous monuments Hawah Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar all lie enclosed within the walls of Pink City.


City Palace


City Palace


Hawa Mahal


Jantar Mantar contains huge stone astronomical devices built between 1728 and 1734 by Jai Singh. There are a variety of sun dials that can accurately measure the time of the day up to 2 seconds. We hired a guide for Rs. 300. Although we did not hire a guide in any of the forts in Rajasthan, having a knowledgeable guide in Jantar Mantar helped in understanding how the contraptions work.


Jantar mantar


Forts around Jaipur:

Amber fort and Jaigarh fort are close to each other, around 11 kms north of Jaipur.Nahargarh fort which is also located north of Jaipur, provides superb views of Jaipur.

We ate lunch in a restaurant near the entrance of Jaigarh fort (close to the parking lot). The chef in this restaurant who used to cook for the Maharaja, greets the visitors. The food was very greasy and the restaurant didn't look clean. There was no water in the restroom. I was sick for a day after eating here.



Amber fort


View from Amber fort


View of Amber fort from Jaigarh fort



View from Jaigarh fort


Nahargarh fort

We visited Jal Mahal and Birla Mandir in the evening.

Jal Mahal


Birla Mandir

We stayed for a night at my brother in law's company guest house in Jaipur.

Guest house

Beawar:
On the way to Jodhpur from Jaipur we stayed overnight at Hotel Sri in Beawar. The hotel room had an unpleasant smell, so I did not sleep well. Rooms here cost Rs. 500 per night.