Celebrate Heritage, Culture and Art with Red Earth

Jaipur has always been linked with culture, heritage and art. Over the last few years, Jaipur has witnessed innumerable art festivals that broaden our knowledge about its culture and heritage.

Adding to that Red Earth- an art organization is having a special program featuring Open Studio (art/sarees/design); Inner City Heritage Walks, and a Pink City Feast name RED EARTH x JAIPUR. It’s a 5 day festival that will take you to a journey towards a newer understanding of culture. Let’s have a look at what five-day festival has stored in for you!

 

1. Walk: Vastu and Urban Planning (23rd January)

Jaipur exemplifies a practical living model of the ancient Indian architectural doctrine of Vastu-vidya. This walk will explore the scientific and methodical approach underlying the founding of the city, guided equally by ancient Indian architectural / city building Vastu principles, as well as late mediaeval / pre-modern contexts when the city was founded.

2. Walk: The Hidden Vrindavan (24th January)

Jaipur is often regarded as the “Hidden Vrindavan” because of the benign presence of four important Krishna deities. The walk features a visit to Govind Dev Temple: the most prominent temple of Jaipur, located within the royal precinct; and the other lightmaps of Caitanya tradition: Radha-Damodar, Shri Radha-Gopinath, and Shri Vinodilal – located in varying neighbourhoods within the walled city.

3. Walk: Night Walk, Chaura Rasta (25th January)

The city at night, a special walk that explores the night-life of Chaura Rasta, one of the main streets of Jaipur. Aimlessly wandering through this beautifully lit up avenue, we revel in architectural delights, sip on street-side Chai, get lost in secret interior alleys, visit temples, and soak in the glowing pink beauty of the city, which takes on a radically different flavour as the day ends, and the night ascends…

4. A special feast featuring regional and local specials (26th-27th January)

A special vegetarian Sattvik feast, featuring local and regional specials, along with an eclectic mix of pan Indian flavours! This special home-cooked meal (supplemented by some items from specialist outlets), using largely organic ingredients, presents an intimate view of “Rajasthani” cuisine, radically different from the standard Rajasthani platters presented at restaurants.

Explore the unique taste of locally grown vegetables, savour delicate and not so delicate flavours, all together. A humble but special gastronomy experience- to give you a home-style experience of food in the Pink City!

Be a part of this unique and special program to discover one of the least explored facets of the Pink city!

Gates of Jaipur: The Reflection of Opulence and Grandeur

Jaipur, the capital city of the land of Maharajas: Rajasthan. A city with so much to narrate about the culture and traditions, a city that reflects the royalty of Rajputs; a city with a splendid history. The foundation of the city was laid in the 16^th Century by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The Maharaja did everything to make it a spectacle for the entire world and to keep it safe from intruders. He built a city so grand and so beautiful that we can’t help but admire even today. Everything in Jaipur was built according to Vastu Shastra. With its magnificent forts and palaces, the unrivalled historic architecture of Jaipur narrates a story of grandeur and opulence.

When it comes to the architecture we often talk about palaces and forts and other monuments. But what we often forget is one of the most important parts of our city’s history, the Gates of Jaipur. The popular 7-8 gates of the city are said to be the original entrance into the walled city.

1. Suraj Pol

Suraj Pol or the Sun Gate is situated at the east of the walled city, in the direction of the rising sun. The gate can easily be identified by the two sun painted on it.

2. Chand Pol

Chand Pol or the Moon Gate is situated at the western side of the city near Chand Pol Bazaar and Gangauri Bazar. It lies on the same axis as the Suraj Pole Gate.

3. Ram Pol

Popular as Ghat Gate, it leads its passersby to Ramganj.

4. Shiv Pol

Now known as the Sanganeri Gate, it leads to the Sanganer. Shiv Pol stands to guard the entry of Johari Bazaar.

5. Ajmeri Gate

Situated near Choti Chaupad, the gate was built to guard the southern entrance of the walled city and leads on the roads to Ajmer.

6. Ganga Pol

Situated at the north-east section of the walled city, it is not known to many.

7. Dhruv Pol

Commonly known as the Zorawar Singh Gate, Dhruv Pol is the northernmost gate of the walled city. It is named after the Pole Star or the Dhruv Tara, a star that marks the North direction.  It is also the widest of all the gates.

8. Naya pol

Now known as the New Gate, it opens at the Chaura Rasta while you travel through the ever-bustling MI Road. The gate showcases a blend of European architecture with local style.

After these 8 gates were built, every evening at dusk a cannon was fired to alarm the citizens of the closing time and the gates remained closed until dawn to keep the city clean of intruders crawling inside the city in dark. This practice continued till the 1940s, thereafter development outside these gates started and the gates remained open.

We went a little further and did some digging only to find that the list of gates is much greater than just 7 or 8.

9. Sireh Deori Gate

The gate that leads you to the Jaleb Chowk and further to Govind Dev Ji temple and City Palace.

10. Tripolia Gate

The beautiful white gate near Govind Dev Ji Temple is one of its kinds. The gate is not open to the general public. It is still used only by the erstwhile Royal family, a tradition accepted by the locals without any opposition.

11. Naqqarkahne ka Darwaza

It might not be of much importance anymore, but the gate during the reign of Maharajas was used to announce their arrival by eulogizing their works.

The magnificent City Palace is known to the world as the residence of the royal family also has a number of awe-striking gates.

12. Rajendra Pol

Right outside the Mubarak Mahal is a gate that portrays the flamboyant Hindu gatehouse architecture. The Rajendra Pol is flanked by two elephants both of which are carved out of a single marble.

13. Ganesh Pol

The gate at the exit of the City Palace that leads you out to the Jaleb Chowk.

14. Ridhisidhi pol

The gate that on exiting the Rajendra Pol, leads you to the Pritam Niwas Chowk.

The Pritam Niwas Chowk is known to have four gates each representing a different season:

15. Peacock Gate

It is the most alluring gate with paintings of peacocks signifying autumn.

16. Lotus Gate

With continual flower and petal patterns, it stands as a symbol of summer.

17. Green Gate

Also called the Leheriya gate, signifies spring.

18. Rose Gate

With repeated flower patterns, the gate is seen as a symbol of winter.

Today, these gates are merely symbolic; part of city’s history, nostalgia and built heritage. However, they are an important element of Jaipur’s rich architectural legacy for which the city is famous across the world.

Explore The Beautiful City Of Jaipur At Night

Night tourism in Jaipur has added a distinctive identity to this captivating city. It began from the year 2015 so that the tourists and the locals get a whiff of the state’s hidden story. Till date, this night tourism has attracted footfall of about 12.2 lakhs as against the total expenditure of Rs. 4.27 crores made for the installation of lighting fixtures.

Here, are 4 places where you can get the faint smell at night and get a spectacular and mesmerizing view of the Pink city.

1. Amber Fort

Amber Fort, the 16th-century monument turns even more enchanting during ‘Amber by Night’ – an initiative by the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan. The different hues of light give a new perspective to the elegance of the fort.

2. Hawa Mahal

When the 953 jharokas of Hawa Mahal aka Palace of Winds are lit up in varied hues at night, the drive around the walled city becomes an illuminated memory forever.

3. Vidhyadhar Garden

The newest addition to night tourism in the city is a 350-year-old Vidhyadar Ka Bagh which has been revamped with lush green garden, beautiful fountains, sparkling with yellow and blue lights, recalled as Vidhyadhar garden. It was built in the fond memory of Jaipur’s chief architect, Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. Nestled in the lap of a valley, the garden offers a panoramic view of the city.

4. Albert Hall

Albert Hall – one of the oldest museum of Rajasthan, looks even more enthralling as you pass by it at night. To let the people soak in the beauty of these monuments, the Department of Archeology and Museum also holds cultural programmes hosting renowned artists from Rajasthan and nearby places, like Kathak performance at Albert Hall under the full moonlight (poornima).

Meanwhile, preparations are being made for illuminating other places like  Sanganeri gate, New gate, Tripolia gate, Chandpole have also been taken up in the project where external theme based lighting will be done. The project also involves façade lighting of three main bazaars of the city, namely Chaura Rasta, Tripolia Bazaar and Johri Bazaar.

These lit up monuments, gates and gardens just add to a visitors list and behold their own beauty amidst the darkest hour of the night. Don’t forget to get a glimpse of these places as you drive through them 😉

8 Bazaars In Jaipur Where You Shouldn’t Resist Shopping

Shopping bags will never seem large enough in Jaipur. No other city will give you the sort of experience for traditional items that Jaipur offers. Strolling in the markets of Jaipur is an experience in itself as it gives an interesting glimpse into the typical shopping habits of people here. Although the entire pink city is a shopper’s heaven, we have listed down a few names which are definitely not to be missed while you are here !

1. Johri Bazaar

Prominent for its precious and semi-precious stones and jewellery artifacts, Johari bazaar is the central hub for a variety of gems and jewels. Silver ornaments with studded stones will surely catch your fancy. Traditional tie and dye fabrics are to die for. Got shopping hunger pangs?

LMB is your haven!!

2. Mirza Ismail Road (M.I. Road)

The glamorous showrooms on M.I. Road speak for the fact that this market is a fashion hot spot.

M.I. Road is a foodie paradise in its own right with some exclusive restaurants.

With Juneja art gallery for the art lovers and Raj Mandir for the movie freaks, MI Road is simply crowd pleasing.

3. Bapu Bazaar

If you are a shopaholic looking for best deals then your search ends at bapu bazaar. This area is most famous for its jaipuri quilts, Rajasthani mojris, traditional textiles, block prints, bandhej work and a wide range of chunky and artificial accessories. Bargaining is the keyword here.

The shopkeepers and customers get super enthusiastic when it comes to negotiation. If you think you may lose the deal, just pretend to leave. You will definitely be called back. Oh that sense of pride!!

4. Chaura Rasta

Parallel to Johari bazaar, this market’s main icons are publishing houses, book shops, watch shops and not to miss out the temples with a stream of devotees.

If you want to buy course books and stationery at best prices, then chaura rasta is no less than any online portal. Adjacent to chaura rasta is the sari market, Lalji sand ka rasta. This area has become a shooting spot for many Indian TV shows.

5. Hawamahal bazaar

The hawamahal market boasts varieties of antique items, leather crafts and metal accessories. The market reaches maximum buzz during evenings when people gather to work out a fair deal. Presence of ancient and historical buildings like Hawamahal, Haweli of king Bhatt, Ramprakash cinema, temple of Kale Hanuman Ji etc. make this market likeable by the Indian and foreign tourists.

6. Tripolia Bazaar

Tripolia market is known for the pottery shops and items made of Brass, Copper, Aluminium and steel. Market becomes very lively during Deepawali.

This market allows versatility with an exhaustive range of watches, shoes, shelves of tins, bags, painting frames, spices and dry fruits.

But be aware, this place isn’t for the timid. Head with your best bargaining skills and explore this mad and busy bazaar.

7. Kishanpole Bazaar

Kishanpole bazaar is the textile and furniture market of Jaipur. As you enter the market, you will spot vibrant colours gleaming from all directions.

The bandhani artwork on fabrics here is known all over the world. You can easily find artisans working on the bandhani designs like lehariya, mothda, diagonal strips etc. The shopkeepers are inflexible in terms of prices, but Jaipur people are not easy when it comes to transactions. The joy of buying a thing at your quoted price is priceless.

8. Maniharon ka Rasta

One should never miss out on the beautiful lac bangles at maniharon ka Rasta. The beauty of these bangles emerges from the fact that manihari women create personalized customized accessories for their clientele. The music of jingling bangles, the attractive colours and the chatter of women who flood the streets is a sight to see.