know about india and its incredible culture

8/9/2019 Know about India and its incredible Culture

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Academy of Indian Culture, JaipurDIAL: +91 7877 169 130MAIL: [ indiancultureclasses (a) yahoo.in ]

Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan is royal in all the ways, why they even have royaltythat still lives in palaces! If you wish to spend the monies you too can hire out a royal

palace and wed in its courtyard! Elephant rides are still quite common here as is camel

trading. This is Jaipur The Pink City, a spot on the Indian map where old customs,

traditions and festivals are held in their true flavor.

The city, when built was extremely well-planned, and some of its features are advanced

for todays day and age too. It still has a walled city and drainage lines that leave one

stumped! This is a place thats best explored on foot.

Jaipur is situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan. It is bound in the north by Sikar and

Alwar, in South by Tonk, Ajmer and Sawai Madhopur. Nagaur, Sikar and Ajmer in thewest and in east by Bharatpur and Dausa districts. It is about 261 kms away from New

Delhi.

Jaipur is perhaps one of those few cities which still boasts of a Tonga a horse drawn

carriage and cycle rickshaws. You have to bargain with the driver to get a cheap ride

though. For those who prefer motorized wheels the auto rickshaws are the best bet.

Make sure that the meters work before you begin the trip. For those who would like to

ride in comfort and willing to splurge, day cabs, rental taxis are also easily available.

Should you wish too you can squeeze your sight seeing trip into two days, which would

work well if you are on a budget, the main city itself, is best explored on foot, right

from the walled villages to those where the craftsmen create mind boggling silver

jewellery and pottery. You really cant get lost in this city, theres one main road and all

other lanes lead here, the advantage of a planned city!

PALACES:

Sawai Jai Singh's Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace) or the City Palace The city palace,

with its imposing and magnificent architecture blending Mughal and Rajasthani schools

of architecture, is actually walking distance from the main markets. There are two ways

to enter it; through the Virendra Pol and the other through the Udai Pol near JalebChowk. A must see is the pair of Gangajalis on display in the open Sarvatobhadra

building, these were fabricated in the court workshops for Sawai Madho Singh II to

carry the holy water of the Ganges to England! These even find a mention in the

Guiness Book of World Records as the largest silver objects in the world.

The Mubarak Mahal, (reception area) is a blend of awesome Rajasthani, Islamic and

Mughal architecture. Part of the building now forms the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II

Museum and the other half is still remains as the residence of the kings of Jaipur. Yes,

you could actually meet Royalty here! On display in the three-floored museum are a

wide array of royal costumes, some very exquisite and precious shawls, Benaras silk

saris, Sanganeri prints and folk embroidery and a favorite amongst the lot the unusualdisplay of voluminous clothes worn by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I.


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The Maharani's Palace Strangely enough the palace of the Queen, now houses the huge

display of the Rajput weaponry. And amongst the hundreds of weapons on display here,

is one of the most remarkable and deadly piece - the scissor-action dagger. A fine piece

of mechanics: the weapon when thrust into the body, spreads its blades, tearing away

the insides completely at the time of being pulled out of the body. A gruesome weaponto use. The armory collection is certainly not for the weak hearted. The other interesting

parts of the Queens Palace are the walls and ceilings with frescoes and gold inlayed art.

As you go further you come to the Diwan- E- Am, which used to be the hall for public

audience. This is now a vibrant art gallery showcasing the best Hindu art like precious

and ancient hand written Hindu manuscripts, delicate miniature paintings in Rajasthani,

Mughal and Persian schools on various themes including the Ramayana and

Mahabarata. The palace has well maintained gardens all along, complete with a full

range of fountains and well laid out pathways. The palace is open for visitors from 9.30

am to 5.30pm daily.

Jal Mahal Jal Mahal or the water palace was developed as a pleasure spot for theroyalty. And indeed its that to date. Situated in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake, the

palace has a lot of intricate architecture. From across the lake, you feel that it's a small

palace. But once you cross over the causeway, you discover that the first four floors are

fully submerged. Take the time to go closer to the structure, else you will miss out on its

beauty.

MONUMENTS AND MUSEUMS:

Jantar Mantar walk across to the Jantar Mantar from the city palace to enjoy magnitude

and design elements of this structure. Among the five observatories built during the

reign of Sawai Jai Singh, in 1728, this is one of the oldest, the biggest and the best

preserved observatories. Astronomy being a passionate hobby of the King he with the

help of skilled laborers, managed to create a collection of complex astronomical

instruments chiseled out of stone and most of which continues to provide accurate

information to this day. Be sure to stick with a guide, he will give you detailed

descriptions of how each and every instrument in the observatory fits in and also the

story behind, the calculations involved. The must see here, is the sundial which was

built according to the ancient Indian texts on astronomy. The yellow edifice has a 27m

high gnomon, set at an angle of 27 degrees. The shadow it casts moves up to 4 m in an

hour and helps calculate the local time. Time : 9:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M.(Daily).

Hawa Mahal This is a sight you will take home with you and never forget. The entire

structure seems to be made of paper and you wonder how it's standing high in spite of

the breeze!Hawa Mahal, when translated means the palace of winds is a stunning

example of Rajput architecture. This pink honeycombed structure has 953 sandstone

windows knows as jharokhas, and allows plenty of wind to flow in and out of the

structure. The idea of the structure was to let the ladies of the royal household watch

everyday life and processions in the city without coming out in public. The view from

the top of the palace is remarkable.

Statue Circle This is a traffic roundabout In Jaipur. The Statue Circle is not only themost famed circle, but also the most crowded. It is the favorite lounge of Jaipur and a


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place for evening out, with 'Meals on Wheels' standing by. Strangely it acquires its

name of Statue Circle after its figurine rather -- the statue of Sawai Jai Singh the

founder of modern day Jaipur who stands there holding out astrological diagrams to

exemplify his proclivity for astrology. The lighting and the colorful fountains cheer up

the roundabout and it's surrounds. You do not have to make a special visit to this circle,

you will pass this circle almost everyday!

Amber fort Amber (Amer) is situated about 11 kilometers from Jaipur and was the seat

of the ruling Kachhawa kings, before they created Jaipur. The Amber Fort itself is a

fascinating blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture made in red sandstone and white

marble. The interior wall of the palace abounds in paintings, carvings and mirror

settings. Make sure you visit the Maota Lake just outside the fort, it has a breathtaking

view. The Jai Mandir is here too, go there to check out the famous Sheesh Mahal, the

intricacies of the inlaid panel and dazzling mirror ceilings are worth the visit. Your trip

here would be even more exciting if you can catch a ray of light playing magic in these

rooms. A good time to go here is early mornings.

Jaigarh Fort This is the most spectacular of the three-hilltop forts that overlook Jaipur.

Jaigarh means `Victory Fort' and was built between the 15th and the 18th century

amidst rock-strewn, thorn-scrub covered hills, its forbidding stone ramparts are visible

till date from Jaipur town, which is a good 15 kms away. A steep road goes up to the

main gate, the Dungar Darwaza, from where the view is stupendous. The fort during it's

hey days was responsible for protecting both Amber and Jaipur. It has palaces for the

royals, the chief of staff and the soldiers, a granary, a well-planned cannon foundry,

several temples, a tall tower and a giant mounted cannon-the Jai Ban (Jaivan)- which is

one of the largest cannons in the world.

Nahargarh Fort Nahargarh Fort (meaning abode of the tigers) overlooks the city and

presents a glittering view of the city lights by dusk. The fort has a unique cluster of 12

identical suits for queens with a suit for the king himself at the head. During the

peaceful days, the fort used to be an excursion point for the royal family. The fort

retains some delicate frescoes too, guess where they're placed -- in the toilets. It's

believed that the royalty picnicked here, well now you can too.

Albert Hall Designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, a British architect, Albert Hall combines

the elements of English and north Indian architecture. The Hall displays an impressively

rich collection of artifacts like paintings, carpet, ivory, stone and metal sculptures and

colorful crystal works. Gaitore The final resting place befitting the Kings. That isGaitore about 6kms, off the Jaipur-Amber road. Situated in a narrow valley the

cenotaphs of the former Maharajas are chhatris made in typical Rajput architecture. The

chhatri of Sawai Jai Singh II is a work of art with its typical Rajput architecture.

PARKS AND GARDENS:

Sisodia Rani ka Bagh The multi level garden consists of fountains and watercourses

along with painted pavilions. While the kids play here, you can visit the several

galleries that line this garden created on Mughal lines, some of the beautiful murals

depict scenes from the life of lord Krishna.


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Kanak Vrindavan This garden is best visited in the monsoons when it is back to its

clean green glory. Kanak Vrindavan is an exquisitely landscaped gardens with

beautifully carved temple in beige stone, with terrace sites all around and intricately

carved marble columns and lattices. This complex is a popular spot for picnic and more

often than not parts of the garden will be cordoned off due to film shoots.

RELIGIOUS PLACES:

Govind Dev Ji Temple Inside the City Palace complex is this temple dedicated to lord

Krishna. Sawai Jai Singh installed the image of Govinddevji (an incarnation of lord

Krishna) after it was brought from Vrindavan. The gods are unveiled seven times daily

for 'Artis' and bhogs offered in the silver wares, consisting of sweets most of the time.

The idols of radha-krishnan are dressed in different styles for each arti. A great sight to

capture.

Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple On a small hill called the Moti Dungri (Pearl hill) lies asmall castle, built along the lines of a Scottish castle. This is a private property of the

ruling family. This is also where Lord Ganesha resides in Jaipur. The temple is know far

and wide and in fact, this elephant god gets more outstation visitors than he does locals.

Birla Lakshmi-Narayan Temple The temple that dominates the skyline of south Jaipur!

Constructed in white marble the temple has three domes, each portraying a different

approach to religion. The presiding deities here are Vishnu (One of the Hindu Trilogy

Gods) called Narayan and his consort Lakshmi Goddess of wealth and good fortune.

The exterior of the temple is beautiful with carved sculptures of various mythological

themes and images of saints. The interior has large panel in marble of mythological

proceedings.

Galtaji If you've sinned come here for absolution! This ancient pilgrimage centre has a

temple of the sun god, but what's worth dipping into here is the holy kunds (natural

springs) along the lush green landscape. A dip in these kunds is supposed to cleanse you

of all your sins. It's not too far from Jaipur, just 2.5kms away.

SHOPPING

The city is one of the best centre for precious/semi-precious stones and diamonds. TheKundan style jewellery of Jaipur is well known in the world. Some of the famous

shopping places include:

1.M.I.Road - Jewellery and handicrafts

2.Bapu Bazar - Ironware and Utensils

3.Nehru Bazar- Fancy items and garments

4.Johari Bazar textiles - Jewellery and tie and dye textiles.

5.Khajane Walon ka Rasta - marble,carving and textiles

6.Sanganer Town Paper - Block printing and hand made paper.

7.Maniharon ka Rasta - Lac bangles and Lac items.

EAT OUTS


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1.Om Revolving Restaurant-Mirza Ismail Road

2.LMB Restaurant-Johari Bazar

3.Handi Restaurant-Mirza Ismail Road

4.Chokhi Dhani Restaurant-Tonk Road

5.Gulab Mahal Restaurant-Taj Jai Mahal Palace6.Suvarna Mahal Restaurant-Taj Rambagh Palace

7.The Copper Chimney Restaurant-Mirza Ismail Road

8.The Palace Cafe-The City Palace

9.Jaipur Darbar Restaurant-Amer Road

10.Surabhi Restaurant-Old Amer Road

SPECIAL ATTRACTION FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS VISITING JAIPUR

Visit: Academy of Indian Culture.

Tonk Road, Jaipur.

E Mail: [email protected]

ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF INDIAN CULTURE

We conduct short duration weekend sessions for NRIs and travelersfrom various countries, to introduce them with various facets of IndianCulture. People visiting Jaipur, Rajasthan (INDIA) are warmly welcometo join these sessions.

The Center offers a wide range of creativity courses including Hindilanguage classes. These courses are meant for those persons who arecurious to know about Indian people, Indian Arts, Indian Language,Indian Festivals and Indian Culture. Courses are offered at three levels- beginner, intermediate and advanced:

Traditional Indian Costumes Wearing Course (Saree Draping inStyles); Exotic Henna Tattoos & Designs (Designs of Indian & Rajasthanistyle); Rangoli (artistic floor painting with use of wooden powder, drycolours & flowers);

Course on Traditional Beauty Treatments and AyurvedicTherapies; Recipes & Cuisines making Course (varieties of Indian Dishes); Yogasans, Yoga Postures & Yoga Mudras (for stress free living &tension relief); Hindi learning & speaking (for anyone interested to learn IndianLanguage) Religion & Spirituality Classes for foreign travelers.

Discover the best part of Indian Culture,that's unknown to the world

its worth learning for every traveler.


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Our Centre is located near Jaipur (Sanganer) Airport. So plan a visit tothe Academy of Indian Culture while you are touring India and I amsure that this will definitely boost the pleasure of your trip. We aredeeply committed to make the best part of Indian Culture accessibleto all, regardless of profit motive. These courses are mainly

conducted for female travelers, although male travelers may beallowed for some courses (No age restriction).

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