elephant – Jaipur Beat

10 Reasons Why Jaipur is the Happiest City in the World

Well, it might be a debatable topic to some, but writing from the perspective of someone who has spent an incessant amount of time in Jaipur is surely bound to fall in love with the mesmerizing Pink City.
The amazingness about Jaipur lies in its unique old world charm along with a twist of modernity. Jaipur is a city where both Moti Doongri Ganesh Temple and Gaurav Tower are equally lively in the evenings. It is the city, where the youth is reaching new heights every day and at the same time the older generation still wakes up before the sunrise to have a glimpse of the Mangla Aarti of Govind DevJi.

Today, on ‘World Happiness Day’, we are listing down 10 top reasons that make every Jaipurite happy and proud of!

1. Never Ending Festivities

Be it Diwali or Eid, Christmas or Mahavir Jayanti, Lohri or Chetichand, Sankranti or Gangaur we, Jaipurites always take time to enjoy all the festivals with our near and dear like it’s our own!

2. Street Shopping at Bapu Bazar and Johari Bazar

Flooded with fashionable Kolhapuris, colorful Lehariya, beautiful semi-precious jewellery and artifacts, Jaipur’s Bapu Bazar and Johari Bazar are rightly called shopper’s paradise. Unlike the shopping experience in metros, buying clothes and handicrafts in Pink City is quite an affordable and a great shopping experience.

3. Foodies’ Paradise

You’ll never feel starved when you are in Jaipur. From breakfast to dinner or even late night snacking, Jaipur offers you an array of food items like Rawat’s pyaaz ki kachori, Dal Bati Churma, spicy Lal Maas, and mouthwatering chaats. But to end everything on a sweet note we also have LMB’s famous rabri ghewar and even Pandit’s Matka kulfi.

ghewar 2

4. Lesser Honking horns

One fine day getting on the streets of Jaipur you might feel that there is no space to walk but we are far better than the hustle-bustle of the metropolitan cities even though we are surrounded by highly developed metropolis cities.

5. Jaipurites wear their culture on the sleeves

People think living in Rajasthan is living in an isolated barren desert which has nothing – no water, no liveliness. But we can prove you absolutely wrong. Jaipurites live a tradition, wear its clothes, eat its food, and speak its language. Being in Jaipur gives you an exotic taste of its Rajasthani culture. We bring color to lives by wearing bright, soothing, eye-appealing clothes.

Bandhej Odhani

6. Elephants in place of cars (is it still there?)

Awestruck! Yes, elephants seen on the streets of Jaipur are no new thing for us. The road is to them like it is to us. You feel like an ant when near it but you equally can be on top of the world when you are in Jaipur!

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7. Be on the top of the world

We breathe fresh! We love to spend our weekends not lazing around in bed but getting up and climbing a mountain for a site worth seeing – Nahargarh or even sunrise at Jal Mahal.

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8. A sight to behold

Get up! Open your windows and what do you see – shout out loud ‘Aravallis’!

9. Strong Social Connections

Jaipurites are well known for their social and hospitable nature. We have an innate quality to help others in time of need and maintain a strong sense of connection. So, wherever you go if you find a Jaipurite, I assure you can blindly rely on him.

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10. Better work-life balance

We value everything that comes our way. We enjoy our work equally as we enjoy being with our friends and families. Who would want more than this?

In short, Jaipur feels like home! And home is always the happiest place on the earth!
Happy International Happiness Day!

Diary of An Elephant – Who Misses The Holi Festival

I look gigantic, strong and majestic. When I walk down the streets of my city, or carry a bunch of these tiny little humans on my back, I can see a sense of excitement in every pedestrian’s eyes. When I slowly pass through the busy roads of walled city, with the towering Hawamahal on my left, I see locals and tourists pointing their smart phones at me and clicking pictures after pictures.

You will see me everywhere in pink city- during the long walks to and fro Amber Fort, royal wedding processions wouldn’t move without me, I have been riding the princes for ages now, and not just this, you will see my deities and structures in all the significant places viz. temples, forts, monuments etc. Every year midst all the weddings, processions, tours & long walks in scorching summers, there used to be one day when I wasn’t vehicle, one day when people would turn their heads away from the colossal forts and palaces, when their eyes were not fixated on their beloved, the one day when all the eyes were gazing at one person – me.

Queen Elizabeth with Maharaja of Jaipur took an Elephant Ride in the year 1960

Just like you look at a dull sky every day, but admire its true beauty when it is suddenly splashed by the seven colors of rainbow, my monochromatic grey body was suddenly bedecked and wrapped in beautiful colors. That day was the Elephant festival.

As I walked inside the vast stadium of my city, I felt like a queen walking royally with a beautiful curvy body, the musical sound of my tinkling anklets alerting everyone, and a silver elegant cloth with red border covering my saddle. My pristine white tusks are covered with bracelets and rings, my head embellished with heavy jewellery and I think all the other ladies were looking at me for inspiration and men for obvious reasons. One moment I felt like a model in a beauty contest and in another, like a bride walking down the aisle. I closed my eyes and the flashback began.

The process of painting our bodies with all kinds of colors in the world began almost a month before Holi. My guardian (Mahaut) would wake me up, clean me and I could see a different kind of twinkle in his eyes. I would look around and see my fellow friends being cleaned and bathed like it was the first day to school after a long summer vacation. The next moment, some new men started to paint me in vivid colours. This went on for days and days and then came our D-day. The one where I was both excited and nervous.

I opened my eyes to the reality, to the hugeness of the Chaugan stadium, and later at Ram Bagh Polo Ground and saw a little human sitting on another elephant throwing a fist full of colour at me. It did not stop here. We went around playing various games such as running; pulling, tugging and I also won a pageant that day. I felt important, celebrated, and completely oblivious to the fact, that this will be my last time here.

My mahaut still wakes me up, bathes me, cleans me occasionally and dresses my saddle with the regular red cloth. But I still miss that special day, when I would meet my friends, the brown camels and black horses, watch the humans laughing, playing and running, and when I felt like one of the most beautiful animals in the world, on the joyous festival of Holi.

Facts –

Elephants, that symbolize royalty according to the traditions of Rajasthan, had been a part of the world famous Holi Festival organised by Rajasthan Tourism Dept. that took place in Jaipur since ages.
Elephants, along with horses, camels, were painted in vivid colors and bedecked with heavy jewellery to make them look stunning. This festival attracted thousands of locals and tourists and Rajasthan tourism experienced a major boost during Holi.
In 2013, the Elephant Festival was officially discontinued the Dept of Tourism, Govt of Rajasthan and replaced by the ‘Holi Festival’ which did not include Elephants.
Copy of an official letter putting an end to our very own ‘Elephant Festival’

Top 10 Blogs of Jaipur Beat in 2015

With the year 2015 coming to an end, we know that this year has been the year of blogs, an year where every second you had at your disposal hundreds of blogs telling you about 10 things to do, 7 things to not do, etc etc ! Among all the reads, we hereby compiled 10 top blogs of Jaipur Beat, which were not just read, but enjoyed by our lovely readers. Here we go down the nostalgic lane and take you with us 🙂

These are in the descending order !

10. The Story Behind The Success Of Sanjay Omelette!!

The year would not have been complete without covering the legendary Sanjay Omelette who resides near Janta Store in Jaipur and has been a proud participant of Master Chef India.

9. 12 PHOTOGRAPHS THAT FASCINATE YOU TO TRAVEL TO JAIPUR

There are pretty images and stunning images clicked by many, while they travel to the Pink City but some images are simply a feast to the eyes. Let’s have a look on these picturesque images, which are surely going to fascinate you and compel you to pack your bags !

8. 5 Best Pubs In Jaipur To Chill At This Weekend

Planning to remove the stress of the week and start afresh, then it’s time to tap your feet to the beats of DJ, as we list down some of the best pubs in the city where you can enjoy the nightlife by dancing to some of your favorite tracks, and enjoy drinks with your friends or loved ones.

7. 9 Funny Reasons Why Metro Is The Best Thing That Could Happen To Jaipur

Jaipur Metro has finally arrived and not just this, it is one of fastest built metros in the country and also the first one that will provide feeder service from its very inception. But well, Jaipurites have better and lighter reasons to travel in #JaipurMetro

6. 6 Best Places In Jaipur To Shop Rajasthani Prints!

When you think about the beautiful and eternally fashionable prints and fabric, one city that surely comes to your mind is Jaipur ! Every corner of the pink city holds a different visual delight that can possibly make your wardrobe more happening and interesting every single day.

5. Fun Filled Adventure Sport Activities, Now in Jaipur!

Under the brand name of ‘Tao Experiences’ Jaipurites will now have one of its kind center for adventure, entertainment and leisure at Kukas in Jaipur.

4. 9 Things You Have Definitely Heard If You Belong To Or Live In Rajasthan

You are a true Rajasthani if you have heard these lines at least once in your lifetime, probably from a distant cousin, in your college located in a different state or from an NRI relative 😉

3. 8 Reasons Why Sankranti Is An Integral Part Of A Jaipurite’s Life

Let us tell you, Sankranti is not just a festival in Jaipur, it a part of their lives ! Following are a few reasons why Jaipurites are in love with Sankranti.

2. 26 Reasons Why Your Next Travel Destination Should Be Jaipur!

A mere mention of the city Jaipur invokes various images of folklore and festivities, colours, traditions, captivating architecture and exquisite Rajasthani cuisine. Here are a few among the plethora of reasons to why your next travel destination should be Jaipur.

1. 25 Things That Prove You Are A True Jaipurite

You might be living in Jaipur for years now, and there is a new place which comes up every day in this evolving world, but there are still some things which make you a die-hard Jaipurite and no matter what changes, these things might not change 😉

2016 will bring a lot more blogs for you to read, love and laugh about 🙂

25 Things That Prove You Are A True Jaipurite

Jaipur, also known as Pink city, is a city of culture, festivals, shopping, food, heritage etc etc. You might be living in Jaipur for years now, and there is a new place which comes up every day in this evolving world, but there are still some things which make you a die-hard Jaipurite and no matter what changes, these things might not change 😉

1. Picnic means Nahargarh