“Pink City”. I have to admit that the name attracted me. I was eager to know the reason behind such a name and I must say, it did not disappoint me. This name made me realise that I being a travel freak, have been travelling all over India in search of uniqueness and  a place so close to me went unnoticed.

The journey started with an urge to relive history, feel the royalty and see the colours of Rajasthan.

Delhi to Jaipur is approximately a 6 hours drive considering the traffic during peak hours. Though rail and flights are other modes of travel to the place, a road trip is recommended if you are a traveller and not a tourist. The colours, the camels, the mirages and the long straight roads are a delightful experience. The small eating joints(called as dhabas) are in abundance along the highway to promise you that you will not remain hungry. However, it is important that you choose a decent one to ensure you can spend your time at the right place doing the right thing once you reach! 

You know you are close to Jaipur, when you see men sitting on camels with colourful turbans on their heads, females wearing colourful ghagras(the local attire of Rajasthan) and you could find the entire pallete of colours if you are lucky to locate a group of females. Not to mention , the dryness in the air is another indication that you are almost there!

It is recommended that you visit the Amer fort before reaching Jaipur as it is on the way.

This is one of the principal tourist attractions of Jaipur. This fort is a true depiction of creativity and craftmanship. As you move around the fort, the winding stairs, the cobblestone roads and the huge gates are bound to take you back in time. The “Diya” (used in the forts to light up the hallways) stands carved into the walls, make you imagine how this fort would look at night. The Fort has various courtyards and chambers but the major attaractions of this fort are the Sheesh mahal(Mirror palace), the magic flower and the Maota lake which it overlooks. When you go there , do not forget to experience the escape passage.(it is sure to give you goosebumps imagining that it was used as an escape passage to the closeby Jaigarh fort during battles.

Nahargarh and Jaigarh forts are other places to visit if you are an enthusiast. These forts gave me an amazing birds eye view of the entire city and a sense of victory.

The refreshing Shikanji after the long walk to and from the Amer fort made me rediscover myself. All excited after the flavour of the medieval period, started towards the Pink city. On entering the city you are greeted by buildings, shops, huge gates- guess what! All pink!. Accomodation is readily availble in the city depending on your budget. I managed to get a decent accomodation on the main road keeping in mind that it should be close to all the major attractions and shopping! of-course.

The next day made me experience the most vibrant city I have ever seen. The hustle bustle of the town made me feel alive. I decided to start early with the monuments as they close by 4:30 pm. Started my city tour with the City Palace, which is a museum now,followed by the Jantar Mantar, Hawa mahal and the Gobind(Krishna) temple which is believed to have a rich past. Audio guides are available at these locations to make it easy for foreign visitors who do not want to go through the hassle of hiring a guide.

The most fascinating part of my city tour however was the long walk through the colourful narrow roads with shops all around selling Rajasthani handicrafts, dresses and shoes. On asking I was told it was the Maharani market, known to have a 110 years old vintage car. After moving around the entire market, I found myself carrying numerous shopping bags!.Next in my agenda- experiencing the ethnic Rajasthani cuisine – Dal, Bati Churma. A perfect blend of spice and sweet and defnitiely should not be missed. It is available in most of the pure Vegeterian restaurants and is served with amazing hospitality and warmth.

After an amazingly interesting day, decided to see the Jal Mahal (Water Palace)on my way back to the hotel. It is located in the center of the Man Sagar lake. I was disappointed to know that it is not accessible now but my disappointment was soon overridden by awe when it started getting dark and the  palace was lit up with lights. It looks liked fairy land to me!. The Mahal has been built in the Mughal and Rajput style of architecture and sitting on the banks of the lake watching the monument could be an experience in itself. You can also find people feeding the fishes with bread and flour on the banks of the river as it is considered auspicious.

When I closed my eyes to sleep that night, the beauty and the spell-bounding architecture of the monuments kept dancing around making me wish I could go back in time, running around the hallways and dancing in the Zenana Mahal…