Jaipur | September 2015
Completing India's Golden Triangle along with Delhi and Agra, Jaipur conjures up romantic thoughts of regal India like nowhere else. The Pink City and capital of Rajasthan represents the best of India's most culturally intact state where palaces, fortresses and tiger preserves are all within reach. A three-day weekend was enough to hit the highlights, but Jaipur is a place I could keep coming back to for a traditional taste of one of the most exotic cultures out there.
My first day in Jaipur included a stop at Lakshmi Narayan Temple (above) on the way from the airport before my friends and I made our way to City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal.
Inside the ornately pink walls of Jaipur's City Palace.
One of the most common symbols in Jaipur is the Peacock, Rajasthan's cultural icon.
The 18th century complex of Jantar Mantar contains 19 astronomical instruments that were used to track the movement of many celestial bodies.
The outside facade of The Palace of the Wind, Hawa Mahal.
After a jam-packed day of sightseeing, day two in Jaipur saw us venture further out of the city to Amer Fort. As its name suggests, the fortress is made out of gorgeous amber and pink stones that blend into the desert landscape around it. Built in the 16th century, Amer Fort provides one of the best lenses with which to look back at classic India.
A man runs up the stairs towards the entrance of one of the courtyards in Amer Fort.
On our final day in Jaipur before heading to the airport we decided to sneak in one last sight - Chand Baori Step Well. Built over 1,000 years ago, Chand Baori contains 3,500 steps which descend 20 meters to the bottom. The symmetry that all of the lines and shadows make is a mesmerizing sight to behold, and overall one of the most unique places that I saw. Situated just under two hours from the outskirts of Jaipur, it made for the perfect stop to cap off our trip to the Pink City.
For another take on Jaipur, check out this piece from Artifact Uprising which does a great job capturing its beauty.