Walks in India: Old City, Jaipur
This post is part of a series on ‘Walks in India‘.
Place: Old City, Jaipur
Highlights: Royal Cenotaphs, Jaipur City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Old City(Pink City)
Season: October to February, when it is not hot.
Time of the day: Evening – 9.30am to 1pm
Distance: Approximately 4kms
Difficulty: Easy
Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location.
View Walks in India – Old City, Jaipur in a larger map
Map of places to see and walking in Jaipur
The Walk.
The Walk begins from Royal Cenotaphs at Gaitor, just outside the old city. The fine marble structures host cenotaphs of kings of Jaipur and their descendants, starting with Sawai Jai Singh II from mid 18th century. The cenotaphs located amidst a few leafy ficus trees have interesting marble carvings of Krishna and other mythological characters. You can also look up to the views of Nahargarh Fort from here.
Get into Old City when you are done with Gaitor. It is a zig-zag of narrow roads here. If you loose your way, just ask for Hawa Mahal, and it should not be hard to find someone to help you. The long way is likely to be uneventful, but you would see a few temples and many old structures where you may feel like stopping briefly. Once you get near Hawa Mahal, you get a good feel of the ‘Pink City’, as Jaipur is called. All the buildings on the main road are painted in the same shade of pink and every shop looks the same as its neighbour. It is a busy area with shops selling every possible thing, most of them looking ancient. Many buildings in the Old City look very old, and some of them dilapidated. But these buildings have the ancient Rajasthani architecture with arches and chhatris(umbrellas), giving them a charming old-time feel.
Get into Hawa Mahal and peek through its tiny windows. Hawa Mahal was the place where the queens would spend their time watching the streets. To get best views of Hawa Mahal, climb the building opposite to it, which can give you a perspective from a good height.
Walk along the lanes behind Hawa Mahal to get to City Palace. The large enclosure of City Palace is full of old buildings, where pigeons keep fluttering in large groups. The big City Palace can keep you occupied for more than an hour. Get in and see the Diwan-I-Khas, Diwan-I-Aam, huge silver vessels, arts and crafts gallery, arms museum and four seasons gates. The Palace has a restaurant where you can break the walk for a cup of coffee or some snacks.
Just a little ahead of City Palace is Jantar Mantar, a collection of astronomical instruments built by Maharajah Jai Singh II. Make sure you hire a guide here to be able to understand the significance of each of these structures.
Further, continue walking on the market streets of Old City at Tripolia Bazar. You will see a narrow and tall tower called Swargasuli or Iswari Minar Swarga Sal. Climb the tower through its dark ramp with little ventilation, which might make you feel a little claustrophobic. It is one of the tallest structures in Old City, and gives you an uninterrupted view on all sides. You can easily spot Hawa Mahal, City Palace and other nearby landmarks, and Nahargarh Fort at a distance.
Walk westwards on Chandpol Road and reach Chandpol gate, which is one of the major entrances to the walled old city. You can see the restored walls of the Old City here. The walk ends at Chandpol.