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Hawa Mahal
The most elegant building in Jaipur is the Hawa Mahal, is also known as the Palace of Winds. This palace has 593 windows, through which women of the palace were able to look at the world outside.
This is a palace in the 'pink city,' this where people like to think that dreams come true. The beautiful sight that beholds the visitors is beyond imagination that no words could ever describe. Hawa Mahal is shaped like a pyramid. It is five storeys high and has become the part of the major landmarks of Jaipur.
Hawa Mahal Palace is a good example of Rajputana architecture, greatly influenced to Mughal style.
Jal Mahal
The Jal Mahal Palace, Jaipur is noted for its intricate architecture. The Palace was developed as a pleasure spot. It was used for the royal duck shooting parties.
On the road to Amber at a distance of 6.5 kms from Jaipur are the cenotaphs of the royal family. A causeway leads to Jal Mahal Palace situated in the middle of Man Sagar lake, opposite the cenotaphs.The first four floors of this building is under water, only the top floor remains outside.One can have a wonderful view of the lake and the palace from Nahargarh Fort.
Built in 1799, the palace is now abandoned, but reasonably well preserved. In the monsoons, it looks particularly startling with its red sandstone set against the water hyacinth filled lake.
Amber Palace
The Amber palace was built by the Kachhwajas when they rose in eminence and power under the Mughals. Man Singh I built it in a style to rival Mughal grandeur and opulence. Diwan-I-Aam has a double row of columns with elephant-head brackets, which had to be covered with stucco to escape the jealous eye of Jehangir.
City Palace
The City Palace covers around one-seventh of Jaipur's area and has enticing structures like Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Diwan-i-Khaas, Mukut Mahal, Badal Mahal and the Shri Govind Devji Temple. The Mubarak Mahal, presently houses the City Palace museum with artifacts, arms and robes of the royals.
Jantar Mantar
The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (Ruler) Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It is modeled after the one that he had built for him at the then Mughal capital of Delhi. He had constructed a total of five such facilities at different locations, including the ones at Delhi and Jaipur. The Jaipur observatory is the largest of these.
Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh
The Sisodia Rani ka Bagh was built for Sawai Jai Singh's wife, Sisodia Queen who was from Udaipur. The garden is located on the Jaipur-Agra Road and is about 10 kms from Jaipur.
The Garden is laid out in the Mughal style and is a tiered multi-level garden, which has fountains, water channels and many painted pavilions.
Nahargarh Fort
The Nahargarh Fort was built by Sawai Raja Jai Singh in 1734. Since Jaipur was his capital, the Nahargarh Fort was strategically important and was built as a means of bolstering the defense of Amer. It was also known as the Tiger Fort. New additions were made to the fort in the 19th century by Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II. The older parts of he fort are being hard hit by the ravages of times but the newer additions are quite captivating.
According to a legend, the Fort was named after a prince whose spirit used to haunt the site and would cause mischief so as to delay the construction of the fort.
Albert Museum
This museum is supposed to be the oldest museum of the state. Colonel Sir Swinton Jacob designed it in 1876 to greet King Edward VII as Prince of Wales on his visit to India. It was opened to public ten years later. Positioned amidst the gardens of Ram Niwas Bagh in Jaipur, this museum has an assortment of rare articles on its display including textiles, carpets, paintings, metal and wood crafts, pottery, arms and weapons, flora and fauna of the state, toys, dolls and even an Egyptian mummy that belongs to the Ptolemaic Epoch.
Swargasuli
Swargasuli also known as Isar Lat meaning the heaven piercing minaret was built in 1749. It is located at the junction of the Tripolia Bazar and the Gangori Bazaar. Isar Lat or Swargasuli is a seven storey minaret designed in archetypal Rajasthani lattice work.
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