Jaipur

History

Jaipur was founded by the Rajput chief of Kachhwaha clan, Jai Singh II, on 18 November 1727, who ruled the region from 1699 to 1743. He planned to shift his capital from Amber, 11 kilometres (7 mi) to Jaipur to accommodate the growing population and increasing scarcity of water. Jai Singh consulted several architects while planning the layout of Jaipur and established the city based on the principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra, under the architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. The construction of the city began in 1726. During the rule of Sawai Ram Singh II, the city was painted pink to welcome Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1876. Many of the avenues remain painted in pink, giving Jaipur a distinctive appearance and the epithet Pink City.

In the 19th century, the city grew rapidly and had a population of 160,000 by 1900. The wide boulevards were paved, and its chief industries included metalwork and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. In August 1981, large areas of the city including the airport, were flooded due to heavy rains from a cloudburst, resulting in the deaths of eight people and much damage to the city's Dravyavati River. On 6 July 2019, the city was named to the World Heritage Cities list.

Geography

Topography

Jaipur is located in the northeastern part of Rajasthan and covers a total area of 467 square kilometres (180 sq mi). The city is surrounded by fertile alluvial plains to the east and south, and hill chains and desert areas to the north and west. Jaipur generally slopes downwards from north to south and then to the southeast. The city is surrounded by the Nahargarh hills in the north and Jhalana in the east, which is a part of the Aravalli range.

The Dravyavati River is the primary drainage channel, which by 2014 had degenerated into an untreated sewage nallah. To address this issue, a plan for the rejuvenation of the river was developed by Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) in 2015. A 13 km (8.1 mi) stretch of Dravyavati riverfront out of 47.5 km (29.5 mi) was opened after rejuvenation in 2018 and the remaining project was completed in 2022.

Climate

Jaipur has a monsoon-influenced hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) with long, extremely hot summers and short mild to warm winters. Annual precipitation is over 625 millimetres or 25 inches, falling mostly in July and August due to the southwest monsoon, causing the average temperatures in these two months to be lower compared to drier May and June. During the monsoon, there are frequent, heavy rains and thunderstorms, but flooding is not common. The highest temperature ever recorded was 49.0 °C (120.2 °F), on 23 May 1994. The city's average temperature remains below 20 °C or 68 °F between December and February. These months are mild, dry, and pleasant, sometimes chilly. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −2.2 °C (28.0 °F) on 31 January 1905, 1 February 1905, and 16 January 1964. Jaipur, like many other major cities of the world, is a significant urban heat island zone with surrounding rural temperatures occasionally falling below freezing in winters.

Jaipur has been ranked 33rd best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India.

Demographics

As of the official report, Jaipur Municipal Corporation had 5,99,507 households and a population of 3,046,163. 3,87,354 (12.72%) were under the age of 7. Jaipur had a sex ratio of 900 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 83.33% for those 7 years and above. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 392,285 (12.88%) and 115,258 (3.78%) of the population, respectively.

Languages

The official language of Jaipur is Hindi and the additional official language is English. The native and main dialect of the city is Dhundari with Marwari and Standard Hindi dialects are also spoken, along with English.

According to the 2011 census, 69.69% of the population recorded their language as Hindi, 9.85% Rajasthani, 5.86% Urdu, 4.36% Marwari, 3.93% Dhundari, and 2.54% Sindhi as their first language.

Religion

According to the 2011 census, Hindus form the majority religious group, accounting for 77.9% of the city's population, followed by Muslims (18.6%), Jains (2.4%) and others (1.1%).

Government and politics

Administration

Jaipur Development Authority is the main planning authority of the city. Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) was established in the year 1994. The area of the municipal corporation is 467 km² (180 sq mi) and is headed by a mayor. In 2020, JMC was bifurcated into two Municipal Corporations, namely Greater Jaipur Municipal Corporation and Jaipur Heritage Municipal Corporation with 150 and 100 wards respectively. The bifurcated Corporations were again merged in 2025 to form a single body with 150 wards. The latest elections were held in September 2026 with results pending. The administration duties are carried out by the municipal commissioner and his group of officials. The combined estimated municipal budget for the year 2025–26 is ₹2,692.20 crore (US$280 million). The key revenue sources for the corporation are taxes which include House tax, Urban Development tax and octroi compensation along with various fees and user charges. Law and order is maintained by the Jaipur city police under the jurisdiction of the Rajasthan state department. There is a district and sessions court at Jaipur to handle civil and criminal cases.

Politics

Jaipur consists of two parliamentary constituencies Jaipur and Jaipur Rural. The Jaipur Lok Sabha constituency comprises eight legislative assembly segments, all of which fall partly in Jaipur city.

Infrastructure

Jaipur Development Authority is the nodal government agency responsible for the planning and development of Jaipur. The municipal corporation is responsible for maintaining the city's civic infrastructure and carrying out associated administrative duties. Electricity is distributed through Jaipur Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (JVVNL) owned by the Government of Rajasthan. Jaipur municipal corporaiton has a fire department wing with 11 fire stations and 50 fire tenders.

Established in 2018, Jaipur Water Supply and Sewerage Board (JWSSB) is responsible for the management of water supply and sewerage services in the city. The agency is responsible for water supply as per the standards stipulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards, the State Pollution Control Board and the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED). It will also be responsible for financing, designing, constructing, altering, repairing, operating, and maintaining various water supply and sewerage schemes in addition to commercial services such as meter reading, billing, and revenue collection. The city has been divided into four main drainage zones, with the northern and central zones draining into the Dravyavati river, while the western zone drains into the Chandler lake, and the eastern and southern areas combined drain into the Dhundh River. Sewerage systems and STPs have been constructed accordingly, with the installed capacity being 730 km of sewer lines and 442 MLD of sewage treatment. The corporation has a solid waste management system that includes door-to-door collection, transportation of garbage in covered vehicles, proper deployment of dustbins, use of modern equipment. The system ensures private investment as well as public participation with a small amount of monthly user charges. The size of the JMC garbage can be kept at a manageable level. Sanitation work in three zones has been contracted out to private agencies.

Economy

As per the official records released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (Rajasthan), the GDP (nominal) of Jaipur district is estimated at INR 1,22,140 crores ($15.8 billion) in 2020–21, with a per-capita GDP of INR 141,305. In addition to its role as the provincial capital, educational, and administrative centre, the economy of Jaipur is fuelled by tourism, gemstone cutting, the manufacture of jewellery and luxury textiles, and information technology.

Three major trade promotion organisations have their offices in Jaipur: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, (FICCI) the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which has its regional offices here. In 2008, Jaipur was ranked 31 among the 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing cities. Jaipur Stock Exchange was one of the regional stock exchanges in India and was founded in 1989 but was closed in March 2015.

Jaipur has emerged as a hub of automotive industries with JCB, Hero MotoCorp and Robert Bosch GmbH having their manufacturing plants in Jaipur. There are chemical manufacturers in the city including Emami and National Engineering Industries. The city is among top emerging IT hubs of India. Mahindra World City is an integrated business zone in Jaipur with several software and IT companies. The Government of Rajasthan have built Asia's largest incubator in Jaipur – the Bhamashah Techno Hub.

Jaipur is a major hub for arts and crafts. It has many traditional shops selling antiques, jewellery, handicrafts, gems, bangles, pottery, carpets, textiles, leather, and metal products. Jaipur is one of India's largest manufacturers of hand-knotted rugs. Jaipur foot, a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputations, was designed and is produced in Jaipur. World Trade Park Jaipur, is a shopping mall in Jaipur opened in 2012.

Culture and cityscape

Tourism

Jaipur is a major tourist destination in India forming a part of the Golden Triangle. In the 2008 Conde Nast Traveller Readers Choice Survey, Jaipur was ranked the seventh best place to visit in Asia. According to TripAdvisor's 2015 Traveller's Choice Awards, Jaipur was ranked first among the Indian destinations for the year. The Presidential Suite at the Raj Palace Hotel, billed at US$45,000 per night, was listed in second place on CNN's World's 15 most expensive hotel suites in 2012. Jaipur was ranked eighth in "The Top 15 Cities in Asia".

Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre (JECC) is Rajasthan's biggest convention and exhibition centre. Visitor attractions include the Albert Hall Museum, Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, City Palace, Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Birla Mandir, Galtaji, Govind Dev Ji Temple, Garh Ganesh Temple, Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple, Gator Chhatri, Sanghiji Jain temple and the Jaipur Zoo. The Jantar Mantar observatory, a collection of 19 astronomical instruments and Amer Fort are World Heritage Sites. Hawa Mahal is a five-storey pyramidal shaped monument with 953 windows that rises 15 metres (50 ft) from its high base. Sisodiya Rani Bagh and Kanak Vrindavan are the major parks in Jaipur. Sambhar Lake is about 56 kms from the city.

Culture

Jaipur has many cultural sites like Jawahar Kala Kendra established by Charles Correa and Ravindra Manch. The Government Central Museum hosts several art and antiquities. There is a government museum at Hawa Mahal and an art gallery at Viratnagar. There are statues depicting Rajasthani culture around the city. Jaipur has many traditional shops selling antiques and handicrafts, as well as contemporary brands reviving traditional techniques, such as Anokhi. The prior rulers of Jaipur patronised some arts and crafts. They invited skilled artisans, artists, and craftsmen from India and abroad who settled in the city. Some of the crafts include bandhani, block printing, stone carving and sculpture, tarkashi, zari, gota-patti, kinari and zardozi, silver jewellery, gems, kundan, meenakari and jewellery, Lakh ki Chudiya, miniature paintings, blue pottery, ivory carving, shellac work and leather ware.

Jaipur has its own performing arts. The Jaipur Gharana for Kathak is one of the three gharanas of the major north Indian classical dance form of Kathak. The Jaipur Gharana of Kathak is known for its rapid intricate dance forms, vivacious body movements and subtle Abhinaya. The Ghoomar is a popular folk dance style. Tamasha is an art form where Kathputli puppet dance is shown in play form. Major festivals celebrated in Jaipur include Elephant Festival, Gangaur, Makar Sankranti, Holi, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Teej, Eid, Mahavir Jayanti and Christmas. Jaipur is also famous for the Jaipur Literature Festival, the world's largest free literature festival in which authors, writers, and literature lovers from all over the country participate.

Architecture

The city was planned according to the Indian Vastu shastra by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya in 1727. Three gates are facing east, west, and north. The eastern gate is called Suraj pol (sun gate), the western gate is called Chand pol (moon gate) and the northern gate faces the ancestral capital of Amer. The architecture of the city was heavily influenced by the 17th century architectural renaissance during Mughal rule in Northern India. The city was divided into nine blocks, two of which contained the state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to the public. Huge ramparts were built, pierced by seven fortified gates. The city is unusual among pre-modern Indian cities in the regularity of its streets, and the division of the city into six sectors by broad streets 34 m (111 ft) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five-quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses the Hawa Mahal palace complex, formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city.

Cuisine

Typical dishes include Dal Baati Churma, Missi Roti, Gatte ki Sabzi, Lahsun ki chutney, Ker Sangri, Makke ki Ghat, Bajre ki Ghat, Bajre ki Roti and Laal Maans. Jaipur is also known for its sweets which include Ghevar, Feeni, Mawa Kachori, Gajak, Meethi thuli, Chauguni ke laddu, and Moong Thal. Additionally, Jaipur houses world-famous brands like Haldiram's, a popular snack chain.

Transport

Air

Jaipur International Airport is located in the southern suburb of Sanganer, which is located 13 km (8.1 mi) from Jaipur.It is the 13th busiest airport in India in daily scheduled flight operations. The airport handled 363,899 international and 2,540,451 domestic passengers in 2015–2016. Jaipur Airport also provides air cargo services. During winter, sometimes flights towards Indira Gandhi International Airport are diverted to Jaipur Airport due to heavy fog in Delhi. The airport was granted the status of international airport on 29 December 2005. The airport's apron can accommodate 14 aircraft, and the new integrated terminal building can handle up to 1,000 passengers at peak hours.

Rail

Jaipur Junction railway station was built in 1875 and is situated at the centre of Rajasthan. Serving almost 35,000 passengers daily, Jaipur Junction is the busiest station in Rajasthan. The cornerstone of the existing Jaipur railway station building was laid on 4 May 1956 by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur, and construction took three years to complete. The station harnesses solar energy technology to power its operations. Jaipur is the headquarters of Jaipur Railway division and North Western Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Jaipur Junction is the busiest station in Rajasthan with more than 45,000 passengers daily. During Meter Gauge era, The fastest MG Train of India & the world, Pink City Express used to connect Jaipur with Delhi. Covering the 308.2 kilometres (191.5 mi) distance in 5 hrs 30 mins time, running at a record 56 kilometres per hour (35 mph) speed until 1997. In 1997 Pink City Express got replaced by now running 12015/12016 Ajmer Shatabdi Express

Metro

Jaipur Metro commenced commercial operation on 3 June 2015. Construction on the mostly elevated part of the first line, called Phase 1A, comprising 9.63 kilometres (5.98 mi) of route from Mansarovar to Chandpole Bazaar, started in November 2010, and was completed in 2014. The Jaipur Metro began commercial service between Chandpole and Mansarovar on 3 June 2015. The Jaipur Metro Rail system is India's sixth metro rail system. The Jaipur Metro is the first metro in India to run on a triple-storey elevated road and metro track. Phase 1-B, from Chandpole to Badi Chaupar, began operation on 23 September 2020. Phase-1A is operational between Mansarovar and Chandpole consisting of nine stations namely Mansarovar, New Aatish Market, Vivek Vihar, Shyam Nagar, Ram Nagar, Civil Line, Railway Station, Sindhi Camp and Chandpole. The Phase-1B was constructed with an estimated cost of ₹97.32 billion ($1.74 billion). It became operational on 23 September 2020.

Road

Jaipur is located on National Highway No.48 connecting Delhi and Mumbai. National Highway 52 links Jaipur with Kota and National Highway 21 links Jaipur with Agra. RSRTC operates bus service to major cities in Rajasthan and other states of New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Gujarat. City buses are operated by Jaipur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL) of RSRTC. The service operates more than 400 regular and low-floor buses. Major bus depots are located at Vaishali Nagar, Vidyadhar Nagar, and Sanganer. Jaipur BRTS was approved by the government in August 2006. Jaipur BRTS is managed by JCSTL, a special-purpose vehicle formed by Jaipur Development Authority and Jaipur Nagar Nigam. In Phase I, two corridors have been proposed: a "North-South Corridor" from Sikar Road to Tonk Road and an "East-West Corridor" from Ajmer Road to Delhi Road. A section of the North-South Corridor from the bypass near Harmada to Pani Pech became operational in 2010. Jaipur Ring Road is a project of Jaipur Development Authority to reduce increasing traffic of Jaipur city which connects NH-21 (Agra Road), NH-48 (Ajmer Road), NH-52 (Tonk Road), and NH-52 (Malpura Road) having a length of 150 km. The 57 km out of 150 km long six-lane Jaipur Ring Road has been completed at Rs. 1217 crore. Bhawani Singh Road, which begins from Nehru Sahkar Bhawan and ends at the intersection where Birla Mandir is situated and hosts notable places like Rambagh Palace, the Golf Club, and Jaipur Development Authority Office falling on its path.

Education

The city had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls' school (1867) opened during the reign of the Maharaja Ram Singh II. Public and private schools in Jaipur are governed by the Central Board of Secondary Education or Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan, International Board of education and follow a "10+2" plan. This plan entails eight years of primary education and four years of secondary education. The secondary school includes two years of upper secondary education, which is more specific and diverse than the two years of lower secondary education before it. Languages of instruction include English and Hindi. Notable institutions in the city are: University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, ARCH Academy of Design, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Law University, Rajasthan Sanskrit University, Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, LNM Institute of Information Technology, National Institute of Ayurveda, Sawai Man Singh Medical College, Subodh College and Vedic Kanya College. Admission to Engineering colleges in Jaipur, many of which are affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University (Kota), is through the Rajasthan Engineering Admission Process. Some of the colleges that are affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University are Maharishi Arvind Institute of Engineering & Technology, Poornima College of Engineering, Arya Group of Colleges.

Communication

Major telecommunication providers include Airtel, Jio, VI (Vodafone-Idea), and BSNL which are providing mobile telephony and there are also various internet service providers in the city. The government of Rajasthan has started free WiFi at various public places like Central Park, Jantar Mantar, among others. Rajasthan's first ISP, Data Ingenious Global Limited still providing a large number of broadband customers and email services in the entire Jaipur.

Media

Major daily newspapers in Jaipur include Amar Ujala, Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar, Indian Express, Dainik Navajyoti and The Times of India. The state-owned All India Radio is broadcast both on the medium wave and FM band in the city. Private FM stations include Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz), Radio City (91.1 MHz), My FM (94.3 MHz), FM Tadka 95 FM (95.0 MHz), Mirchi Love (104.0 MHz), Red FM 93.5 (93.5 MHz) and Gyan Vani (105.6 MHz). The city has a community FM channel in FM Radio 7 (90.4 MHz) by India International School Institutional Network. The public broadcaster Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) provides a regional channel in addition to the private broadcasters.

Sports

The main cricket stadium in the city, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, has a seating capacity of 30,000 and has hosted national and international cricket matches. It is also the home ground of IPL team Rajasthan Royals. Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium, Chaugan Stadium and Railway Cricket Ground are the other sporting arenas in the city. A new stadium has been proposed for Chonp Village with a seating capacity 75,000. It would be the third-largest cricket stadium in the world after the Narendra Modi Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The city is represented in the IPL by Rajasthan Royals (2008–2016; 2018–present) and in Pro Kabaddi League by Jaipur Pink Panthers.

In popular culture

Paul McCartney wrote and recorded the Jaipur tribute song "Riding into Jaipur" (4:08) on his 2001 studio album Driving Rain.

Jaipur is the setting for the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which follow the adventures of a group of senior European immigrants who retire to Jaipur and in the process discover their true selves.

The opening song of the Mountain Goats' 2000 album The Coroner's Gambit, "Jaipur," describes the narrator's arrival at "the gates of the fabled pink city."

Notable people

• Ila Arun
• Asrani, actor
• Smita Bansal, actress
• Daulat Mal Bhandari
• Vikrant Bhargava
• Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
• Apurvi Chandela
• Ajay Data, entrepreneur
• Gayatri Devi, royal
• Bhupendra Jadawat, actor
• Anshu Jain, banker
• Syed Akbar Jaipuri, poet
• Hasrat Jaipuri, poet and lyricist
• Mungtu Ram Jaipuria, industrialist and educationist
• Rajaram Jaipuria, industrialist and educationist
• Ravi Jaipuria, businessman
• Sitaram Jaipuria, politician
• Irrfan Khan, actor
• Habib Miyan, the oldest man in the world
• Aditya J Patwardhan, film producer and director
• Ravi Kumar Punia, soccer player
• Rohit Purohit, actor
• Jesse Randhawa
• Kamal Singh Saroha, businessman
• Man Singh II, royal
• Ashish Sharma
• Shubhi Sharma, actress
• Sunil Vaswani
• Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf