Jaipur

A view of the Kanak Vrindavan Valley with Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city in the background.

Jal Mahal

One of our first stops in Jaipur was Jal Mahal ("Water Palace") is a palace located in the middle of the man-made Man Sagar Lake.



While stopped to view Jal Mahal, Mary spends some time with an elephant while some camels watch.



As we travel into the city we see cows of several forms.

Hawa Mahal ("Palace of Winds")

The "Palace of Winds" is named because it was essentially a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivities while unseen from the outside. Its unique five-story exterior is akin to the honeycomb of a beehive with its 953 small windows decorated with intricate latticework.



Jaipur has been called the "Pink City" because of the color of the stone exclusively used for the construction of all the structures.



Bamboo scaffolding is used to repair the front of one of the "Pink Buildings" of Jaipur.



Unique street lights on one of the main streets of Jaipur. Cows are considered holy in India and it's not uncommon to see cows given the right of way in the street. While most cows seem docile, this one charged me after I took this picture.



This cow found a marigold lei to be a tasty snack. After finishing it's flower snack the cow continued walking along the crowded sidewalk.



A vendor makes a lemon drink from crushing sugar canes along with lemons. A load of farm fresh milk is transported through the city by bicycle.

Amber Fort

The Amber Fort, with its large ramparts, series of gates and cobbled paths, is located on a hilltop overlooking Maota Lake.



Our ride to the Amber Fort arrives. We take an elephant ride up the side of the hill to reach the main entry to the fort is through the 'Suraj Pol' or Sun Gate which opens up into the main courtyard.



Our mahout (elephant driver) looks back as we travel to the Sun Gate entrance of the fort.



Passengers unload at Jaleb Chowk, the main courtyard. One of the many monkeys at the fort watches the tourists arrive.



A panoramic view from the Amer Fort (click on image to enlarge the view).


Maota Lake and Garden



The Ganesh Gate, named after the Hindu god Lord Ganesh, who removes all obstacles in life.



Mirrored ceiling and walls in the Mirror Palace



The garden is laid out with narrow channels lined with marble around a star-shaped pool with a fountain at the center. Water for the garden flows in cascades through channels.



A carved marble latticework window and a section of a wall that surround the fort.



Some of the many monkeys that inhabit the fort.



A marble latticework fence and a marble carving with a stone inlay border.



A local snake charmer and his cobra.



Our ride from the fort to our bus was by Jeeps (made by Mahindra), not by elephants. A close-up of the Jeep's headlight.



An elephant returning home after a day at the fort.

Jaipur Handicrafts

As with most tours, we were given a chance to see some of the local handicrafts and also contribute to the local economy. Our visit began with a demonstration of block printing fabric by hand.



Multiple layers of block printing and some of the wooden blocks used to stamp designs.



Hand carved wooden panels and sculptures.



Handmade rugs.



You could even buy a marble elephant.

Jantar Mantar

The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars' location as the earth orbits around the sun.



Some sundials can tell the time to an accuracy of about two seconds.



Some of the largest sundials in the world.

City Palace

Within walking distance of the Jantar Mantar Observatory is the City Palace complex.



Marble carvings.





The City Palace.



The Peacock Gate





More street scenes in Jaipur





We are up early and back on the motor coach as we head into the countryside. Cow gather outside a temple.



All traffic stops on both sides of the road as a large herd camels pass.



A camel with a cart waits in traffic at a toll booth.



A stone carver work on creating a marble elephant.



Link to our next stop, Abhaneri