Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Travel: JAIPUR OLD CITY known as PINK CITY

Bang opposite the entrance to Hawa Mahal

Wiki says: Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan in Northern India. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city has been named. Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India. 


From Rajasthan India Travel: The Pink City, as Jaipur is popularly known, was not always pink. Its main thoroughfares and buildings were originally painted an earthy pink in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales in 1876. It all came about due to the fact that it was thought that the glaring white starkness of its buildings would be too bright for the visiting prince. Today, every home within the old city is obliged by law to maintain this facade. This amazingly symmetrical and thoroughly proportioned city came into existence as early as 1727 being the only city in India which was conceptualized and conceived on such a grand scale.


Well, I thought Jaipur was called the Pink City as Pink Marble had been extensively used to build the city. I was thoroughly disappointed when my hi-funda notions were put to naught as the guide explained that the buildings were originally built of limestone and used to be white in colour. They were painted pink in honour of the Prince of Wales visit in 1876.


From then on, the pink colour has been maintained in the old part of Jaipur. All the buildings consisting of offices, residences, shops, mosques, temples or whatever, are painted the exact same shade of ghastly pink. Moreover, it’s a law that the pink colour be maintained throughout. Imagine!

Hawa Mahal entrance
Hawa Mahal is also situated in Pink City and is painted the same shade of pink. The queens, I am sure, are rejoicing in the other world, thanking their lucky stars that they never had to live in the Pink City as Jaipur was quite white in yonder days. The Palace itself is awesome.

I shot these pics from inside a moving auto
So much for my wild imagination! It was an experience of sorts.


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