It’s not hard to see why Jaipur is one of the most-visited cities in India. Just a few hours by train from Delhi, Rajasthan’s capital is visually stunning, conjuring up technicolour images of Hawa Mahal, historical hill forts, breathtaking Mughal-Rajput architecture and opulent palace hotels.
Mention India’s first planned city and Chandigarh—Jawaharlal Nehru’s dream city in post-independence India—comes to mind. Yet not many people know that Jaipur is considered India’s first planned city, founded more than 200 years before Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II when his capital, Amer, faced water shortage.
I too wanted to see it for myself, wilfully making a detour when I should have been travelling north from Delhi. While I didn’t have time to see more of Rajasthan, it seems apt to head to Jaipur when visiting northern India for the first time for a glimpse of Mughal and Rajput history.
It’s everything that a tourist curious about India can dream of. While tourists head to Agra for that one very recognisable marble mausoleum, Jaipur has enough key attractions to justify a multi-day itinerary.
I’ve deliberately not researched too much, just quickly to know that I should not miss Charles Correa’s Jawahar Kala Kendra. More than the usual attractions, I wanted to see Jaipur through the lens of a local. Here, some recommendations to uncover a different side of Jaipur, easy to incorporate even for the tourist with a packed schedule on the Golden Triangle circuit.
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Explore an ancient astronomical observatory
Walking distance from the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar is a sight not to be missed—and you can tell from the throngs of tourists milling about. It is the most impressive and best preserved of the five sophisticated astronomical observatories built by Jaipur’s founder Jai Singh II in the 18th century, comprising monumentally-sized instruments including one of the world’s largest sundials. Take a leisurely stroll amid the pale yellow structures before evading the auto-rickshaw drivers at the exit—firmly declining with a smile worked wonders for me—to get a creamy pistachio kulfi from one of Jaipur’s oldest kulfi makers Pandit Kulfi or your portrait taken on a vintage box camera a short walk away.
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Discover rare portraits taken by a Maharaja
Of course, you’ll be at the City Palace, but don’t leave without checking out Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II’s fascinating photography collection in an under-explored corner of the palace grounds. The reformist king, who ruled Jaipur from 1835 to 1880, was a pioneering photographer who left behind a treasure trove of photographs including never-before-seen portraits of women who resided in seclusion in the zenana of the royal household. Before you go, pick up a couple of hanging plush elephants or horses in Rajasthan’s trademark block-printed fabric made by female artisans at the palace’s PDKF Store.
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Stay at a royal jeweller’s guest house
Tucked in a quiet residential neighbourhood away from the hustle and bustle of MI Road is a villa built by French architect Georges Floret for the guests of Munnu Kasliwal, the late legendary jewellery designer of the Gem Palace. In 2016, his son Siddharth Kasliwal partnered with hospitality veteran Abhishek Honawar, reopening the guest house as 28 Kothi, a cosy oasis of a five-room boutique hotel, decorated by Jaipur-based Lebanese interior designer Nur Kaoukji. Think mid-century modern with a flourish of quirky Rajasthani elegance. Come for the intimate stay but stay for intuitive, non-intrusive service (Sameeksha is an absolute gem) and unhurried organic vegetarian breakfast on the verandah each morning.
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Mull over contemporary artworks in a fort
No trip to Jaipur is complete without a day trip to the outskirts to see its three majestic hill forts—Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort, and Nahargarh Fort—perched on ridges overlooking the city. Yet Nahargarh Fort hides a delightful surprise for those who might be ‘templed out’. Founded by the government of Rajasthan and private nonprofit Saat Saath Arts Foundation, the Sculpture Park at Madhavendra Palace inside Nahargarh Fort is India’s first contemporary public sculpture park. Site-specific artworks are installed every year on the grounds, in various hand-painted rooms of the palace, inviting visitors to wander and discover contemporary art juxtapositioned in an unexpected setting. My favourites were Pietro Pasolini’s geometric sculpture in the courtyard and Andrea Anastasio’s installation made of nylon straps commonly used on traditional Indian woven cots. The current exhibition, featuring works by Megha Joshi and Avantika Bawa, will run till 1 December 2024.
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Tuck into delectable vegetarian bites over cocktails in Johri Bazar
Even if you don’t stay at 28 Kothi’s sister property, The Johri, it will be well worth your time to head to this 19th-century haveli in the heart of one of the oldest markets in Jaipur for dinner. Don’t let the restaurant’s chic laid-back aesthetic distract you from its exquisite Indian vegetarian fare by chefs Vikram Arora and Sonu Kumar with a focus on seasonal local produce. Standouts include Pink City Dahi Bhalla & Papri Chaat and Jackfruit Water Chestnut Tarkari Biryani. The hotel’s cocktail bar Johri & Sons also boasts excellent tipples, carefully-crafted to embrace Indian ingredients, that pair wonderfully with the hearty flavours.
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Marvel at Charles Correa’s homage to the Pink City
The late Charles Correa, one of India’s most celebrated architects, took inspiration from Jai Singh II’s city plan of Jaipur based on the Navagraha, interconnected squares representing nine planetary deities, when he designed Jawahar Kala Kendra in the mid-1980s. He also built the arts centre to look like a fort, enclosed by high red sandstone walls. I was about to head to Jawahar Kala Kendra on my last day in Jaipur when I checked online and saw that it was closed on weekends. I headed there anyway since I had come all the way to see Correa’s architectural masterpiece. Against all odds, it was open. Moral of the story: Don’t be resigned to fate. And while you’re at it, take a well-deserved pause at the charmingly nostalgic alfresco Indian Coffee House inside the arts centre like locals do.
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Sip coffee by a baoli
Well, not an actual baoli, or step well, commonly found in arid western India. If you can’t make the trek to Chand Baori, considered the oldest and largest step well in the world about 100 kilometres from Jaipur, the next best thing might be Panna Meena ka Kund near Amer Fort—or Roastery Coffee House’s newest outpost in Jaipur. The homegrown specialty coffee roaster and cafe has built a working mini step well on its premises in a spacious bungalow, a photogenic nod to Rajasthan’s architectural heritage. Try to score seats at the outdoor dining area around the step well with a glass of their tasty fruit-infused cold brew. You can’t go wrong with coconut or guava.
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Browse textile souvenirs ethically made by artisans
Stepping into Nila House, it is ok if you are unsure of what to expect. This beautifully-restored 1940s family home houses a shop and then the rest, you are somewhat left to your own devices to uncover at your own pace—a library, a textile archive, and studios—some empty, others occupied with women spinning charkhas. Nila is a non-profit organisation started by the Lady Bamford Foundation to support India’s artisan communities working with handwoven textiles and natural dyes, championing the preservation of Indian textile craft traditions through collaboration and sustainable solutions. It’s hard to leave the shop empty-handed. I succumbed happily to their Khadi cotton tea towels and placemats made of handwoven banana fibre with an indigo-dipped border.
