New Year Celebrations in Jaipur

The whole range of celebration of the New Year's Day basically stems from the various ways ancient societies used to greet the new harvest seasons. It was first marked in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon and the first day of spring.Symbolically, New Year signifies a renewal of life. The spirit of celebration is for regeneration, while discarding the old and worn out. The customs and practices, though modified through the centuries, have still their distinctive strains in the ways we welcome each onrushing year.

The Midnight cacophony
The idea of making deafening noise is to drive away the evil spirits who flocked to the living at this climactic season with a great wailing of horns and shouts and beating of drums. This is why at the stroke of midnight we hear the deafening clamor of sirens, car horns, boat whistles, party horns, church bells, drums, pots and pans - anything that serves the purpose of producing a devil chasing din.

Resolution
In order to have a 'clean slate' on which to start the New Year, people in times past have made certain that they had all their borrowings cleared. Those were the days before such complexities as credit buying. The New Year resolutions, which we are so fond of, represent other efforts to make the year brand new. In fact, we often say that in the New Year we are "turning over a new leaf".

How the Church celebrated the New Year
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the New Year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.

Temples in Rajasthan

Mehandipur Balaji Temple, Dausa
Mehandipur Balaji Temple is a famous temple dedicated to hindu god Hanuman.The temple is situated in Dausa district of Rajasthan in India and is 103 km from Jaipur and 40 km from Karauli and nearer to Bandikui railway station.

Galta Temple, Jaipur
Galta is a small pilgrimage centre located 10 kms away from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Agra highway. There is a beautiful temple in Galta dedicated to the Sun God.

Eklingji Temple, Udaipur
Eklingji is located about twelve miles to the North of Udaipur in Rajasthan. Eklingji (Shiva) whose temple is located here, is said to be the guardian deity of Mewar.

Ossian Jain Temple, Jodhpur
Jain temples belong to 8th and 11th century. Surya (Sun) temple and the Sachiya Mata temple are famous for their beauty. Similarly, all the other temples are famous for one thing or the other.

Ossian Temples, Jodhpur
This majestic land, Rajasthan, is filled with heritage and culture of Rajasthan, India. Explore the religion and culture of Rajasthan with pilgrimage to Ossian Temples in Jodhpur.

Shrinathji Temple, Nathdwara
The Shrinathji temple, Nathdwara is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is located in Nathdwara, approximately 48km to the north of Udaipur.

Parshvanath Temple, Nakoda
On the road from Jodhpur to Barmer, the Nakoda Parshvanath temple is situated in a valley surrounded by hills as high as 1,500 feet. Among the statues here, there is an image of the Jain saint (tirthankara) Parshvanath in black stone.

Rishabhdevji Temple, Dhulev
The Rishabhdevji temple is situated in Dhulev, 64 kms from Udaipur. This temple, on the bank of the Koyal river, holds a special significance for people of that area.

Shri Ramdev Temple, Ramdevra
The Shrinathji temple, Nathdwara is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is located in Nathdwara, approximately 48km to the north of Udaipur.

Shrinathji Temple, Nathwara
The temple of shrinathji or Lord Krishna, belonging to the Vaishnav religion is located at Nathdwara, 48 kms. north of Udaipur.

Ranakpur Jain Temples
The Ranakpur Jain Temple was built during the reign of the liberal and gifted Rajput monarch Rana Kumbha in the 15th century.

Eklingji Shiva Temple, Udaipur
The Eklingji temple, Rajasthan is devoted to Lord Shiva, the tutelary deity of the former Mewar rulers. It is situated approximately 24 km to the north of Udaipur.

Varah Temple, Pushkar
The Varah Temple is dedicated to Vishnu, Preserver in the Hindu Trinity of Gods. The temple is home to an image of Vishnu in his fifth incarnation of wild boar.

Savitri Temple, Pushkar
The Savitri temple is dedicated to Goddess Savitri, Lord Brahma's first wife. It is located on the hill behind the Brahma temple. To reach the temple one has to climb a long series of steps.

Pap Mochini Temple, Pushkar
Towards the northen section of Pushkar is the Pap Mochini temple, not really popular for its architecture or deity but for the simple belief that anyone who kills a Brahmin will be purified of this deed by visiting the Hindu temple.

Brahma Temple, Pushkar
Pushkar is best known for its Brahma Temple built in the 14th century standing on a high platform near Pushkar Lake. This is the only temple in the world where Lord Brahma - Creator of the Universe, is worshipped.

Rivers In Rajasthan

Ghaggar-Hakra River
The Ghaggar is an intermittent river in India, flowing during the monsoon rains. It originates in the Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through Punjab and Haryana to Rajasthan; just southwest of Sirsa in Haryana and by the side of Tibi in Rajasthan, this seasonal river feeds two irrigation canals that extend into Rajasthan.

Gomati River
Gomati River is a small river in Rajasthan state of western India. It originates in the hills of central Udaipur District, flowing south to join the Som River in the southern part of the district. The river was dammed in the 17th century to create Dhebar Lake, also known as Jaisamand Lake, which has an area of 50 km².

Mahi River
The Mahi is a river in western India. It rises in Madhya Pradesh and, after flowing through the Vagad region of Rajasthan, enters Gujarat and falls into the sea by a wide estuary near Cambay. Its total length is 500 km. and its estimated drainage area 40,000 sq. km.

Luni River
Luni River Basin is located in south-western Rajasthan, between latitudes 23o41' and 27o05' and longitudes 71o04' and 74o42'.

Sabarmati River
Sabarmati River Basin is situated in the mid-southern part of Rajasthan, between latitudes 23o25' and 24o55' and longitudes 73o00' and 73o48'.

Banganga River
River Banganga originates in the Aravali hills, near Arnasar and Bairath in Jaipur District. It flows towards the south up to the village of Ghat, then east through partly hilly and partly plain terrain.

Banas River
The Banas is a river of Rajasthan state in western India. It is a tributary of the Chambal River, which in turn flows into the Yamuna, a tributary of the Ganges. The Banas is approximately 512 kilometres in length.

Chambal River
The Chambal river remains one of North India’s most unpolluted rivers, home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna. National Chambal (Gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for the rare Ganges river dolphin.

Nightlife In Jaipur

Nightlife of Jaipur is certainly as regal as this Pink City Of Rajasthan. The dwellers of this majestic city have their own style to enjoy the night. Actually, Jaipur is not involved in a very active nightlife like other global cities. People usually enjoy quiet evenings by listening music, puppet shows and traditional dances, which are exhibitors of Rajasthan's rich heritage. Raj Mandir is one of the famous theatres of India which offers night shows and this could be one of your night destinations.

You can enjoy the shows of Kalbelia Dancers, Puppeteers & Bhopa- Bhopi at various venues and hotels in the evening. If you love listening Band, Ram Niwas Bagh is a perfect destination for you. Here, Department of Tourism has invigorated the tradition of "Band Playing" once again that was started during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh. Ravindra Manch and Jawahar Kala Kendra are other places where you can watch special shows of classical Indian arts and plays.

The city doesn't comprise many discotheques but there are many bars and pubs to gratify the thirst of liquor seekers. Disco at Le Meridian is the utmost place to dance at the tunes of DJ's. There is another disco at Choki Dhani, the 5 star village resort of India. This is an aqua disco where you can groove to the latest national & international music with showers of water.

Coming to pubs and bars, the city has some of the most lavish bars of the world. Many palaces of the city have been converted into heritage hotels and many of these hotels comprise imperial bars/ pubs to provide comfort and ambience of world-class. Madhu Shala, The Polo (Rambagh Palace), Rang Mahal, Talab and Maharani Express are some of the most happening bars of Jaipur. Sheesh Mahal of Welcomgroup Rajputana Palace Sheraton is one of the best bars that will serve you liquor in the finest manner.

Monuments In Agra

Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim, Emperor Shah Jahan (died 1666 C.E.) in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India. It is an "elegy in marble" or some say an expression of a "dream." Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal at the lower chamber. The grave of Shah Jahan was added to it later. The queen’s real name was Arjumand Banu. In the tradition of the Mughals, important ladies of the royal family were given another name at their marriage or at some other significant event in their lives, and that new name was commonly used by the public. Shah Jahan's real name was Shahab-ud-din, and he was known as Prince Khurram before ascending to the throne in 1628.

Chini Ka Rauza
This is a tomb to Mir Afzal Khan, a senior Wazir or minister in the court of Shah Jahan. Afzal Khan was actually a resident of Shiraz in the then Persia who migrated to India on the invitation of Shah Jahan. He was actually a poet-scholar who later rose to the post of Wazir-e-Ala i.e. Prime Minister in the reign of Shah Jahan. The man himself constructed Chini-ka-Rauza. The name is derived from two Persian words Chini Mitti and Rauza that means glazed tiles and tomb respectively.

Tomb Of Itimad Ud Daulah
The Itmad Ud Daulah's Tomb in Agra, India showcases intricate latticework and carvings on marble to produce stunning marble screens. The delicate pietra dura work done on the walls of this serene mausoleum, the pure marble mausoleum with its four minarets set in the midst of a char bagh style garden is believed to have inspired the inlay work done on the Taj Mahal that was constructed on similar lines, though on an extremely grand scale.

Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri was planned as a great town by Akbar with great care and planning in the honor of Sheikh Salim Chisti but had to be abandoned only after fifteen years due to scarcity of water in the town. Sheikh Salim Chishti was a Sufi saint who blessed the Akbar with his first son and heir, who was named Salim after him and later came to be known as Jehangir. The town was otiginally named Sikri after the village, where it was founded but its twin city Fatehpur (Victory Town) was erected to celebrate Akbar's conquest of Gujarat in June 1573.

Agra Fort
Within a radius of 3 kilometers, on the banks of the river Yamuna rises the crescent-like Agra Fort. Designed and built by Akbar in 1565.A.D., the fort is surrounded by a 70-foot high wall. It houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces including the Jahangiri Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Am and Moti Masjid. The fort has four gates and is enclosed by a double barricaded wall of red sandstone.

Hawa Mahal in Jaipur

Jaipur is a fascinating city but to make the city fascinating, it has great palaces and other structures that are architectural wonders. Look you may from whichever way - houses, shops and havelis - they are all pink. The long crenellated walls protecting the city and the huge gateways guarding the entrance to the city are all in pink. Even the women who come to the city market from their neighboring villages are dressed in pink, gorgeous yellow, red and blue. Men dressed in white dhoti and shirts carry huge magnificent turbans - mostly pink, red and yellow. Jaipur, like the entire Rajasthan, loves color and pink more often than not. Amidst this riot of colors, the City Palace of Jaipur stands at the center.

This royal residence is the tallest structure in the whole complex and received additions from various maharajas till all further additions were ruled out. But even before this, within sixty years of its construction, the City Palace had to accommodate a new extension of the zenana quarters. This was the Hawa Mahal.

To the north of the city's main road intersection, the Badi Chaupad, stands Hawa Mahal - the world famous landmark of Jaipur, the best known specimen of fanciful architecture. Built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, the aesthete among maharajas, it is an integral part of the City Palace though standing away from the main complex. At first glance it looks rather whimsical in design. From the roadside, where most visitors view Hawa Mahal for the first time, it looks a mere façade. But there is much more than meets the eye.

It is the last portion of an extensive place for the royal seraglio, a palace of winds away from the claustrophobic interiors guarded by battalions of liveried sentries. Heat, the main problem of Rajasthan cities, causes little irritation at Hawa Mahal. From the small-latticed windows, queens and princesses could watch processions on the road below without fear of being observed by the common man. It provided a concealed grandstand view.

Approached from the City Palace side, you would find yourself in a spacious courtyard guarded by a stately deorhi (door). This courtyard has a double storeyed, set of rooms on three sides. Today it houses a small museum to present a mini jharokhas of art and craft. But above these two storeys, only the eastern wing has three storeys of small intimate chambers. These apartments have only small windows for admitting light and air. This arrangement looks curious from the roadside. "Come to the window, sweet is the night air" as John Keats would have said to these charming little windows.

Views from Hawa Mahal

The upper floors are reached through a ramp rather than the regular stairs, a device to facilitate movement of palanquins carried by servants. This is a less tiresome way as the ramp ascends lazily to the top of the freestanding square tower. Imagine queens and princesses loaded with the heaviest jewelry and covered with the endless yardage of Clothes - skirts and sarees, climbing to the uppermost pavilion heaving and painting for respite from the sweltering summer heat. Here even the May-June winds feel so mild and cool. Jaipur itself appears in all its grandeur, with straight, wide roads, intersections and teeming crowds in the market.

Jantar Mantar looks a collection of mystifying masonry instruments. The City Palace stands apart, surrounded by a maze of courtyards. The Nahargarh fort, perched upon the hill, which slopes down sharply towards the palace, keeps its vigil over the city looks spectacular, a truly fairy-late setting.

Hawa Mahal - Architecture

The façade of the Hawa Mahal has sometimes aroused unfair judgments as 'a baroque folly' and a 'bizarre piece of architecture'. The five storeyed façade encrusted with elegant trelliswork on windows and small balconies have 953 niches. Lal Chand Usta who designed the Hawa Mahal had dedicated it to Lord Krishna and Radha but its fanciful structure appealed to the Maharaja who found it ideal for the seraglio.

The pyramidal outline of the structure has one characteristic feature of architecture - symmetry, and, as in Jain temples, uses repetition of motifs to great enhancement of beauty and looks: "The forms employed are familiar enough, but the bays are crammed together, piled and multiplied so that they combine to form a larger version of themselves, in a manner strikingly reminiscent of a temple shikhara".

It has been remarked that the Hawa Mahal marks a certain decline in the architectural standards of Jaipur. This may have been the result of the increasing influence of Mughal architecture. Hawa Mahal shows a noticeable similarity with the Panch Mahal - the palace of winds at Fatehpur Sikri. Though the Panch Mahal is now a mere skeleton of columns rising in a crescendo, originally elegant jali screens between columns provided purdah (cover) from the common gaze. The Hawa Mahal follows the same principles of construction while adding to it a regular double storeyed palace in the rear of the façade.

If it appears curious, fanciful or elaborate, it is only because of our habit of making starting comparisons. The Hawa Mahal has even been compared to a fantastic nuptial cake. Still it has an undeniable charm.

Sir Edwin Arnold like so many other admirers of Hawa Mahal paid a glowing tribute to its merits as a "vision of daring and dainty loveliness, of storeys of rosy masonry and delicate overhanging balconies and latticed windows. Soaring with tier after tier of fanciful architecture in a pyramidal form, a very mountain of airy and audacious beauty through the thousand pierced screen and gilded arches of which the Indian air blows cool over the roofs of the very highest house. Alladin's magician could have called into existence no more marvelous abode." A sumptuous of splendid architecture.

The beauty of the Hawa Mahal lies in its fragile appearance, which, like a vision, threatens of vanish into thin air. It is, of all buildings in Jaipur, the most romantic and delicate - which cannot be said of some better-known examples of solid architecture.

Jaipur Hotel Directory

7 Star Hotels In Jaipur :- Hotel Rajvilas Rajvilas Jaipur Hotel revives the gracious life-styles of the princes of Rajasthan, discreetly blending in modern amenities and facilities revives the gracious life-styles of the princes of Rajasthan, discreetly blending in modern amenities and facilities.

5 Star Hotels In Jaipur :- Hotel Chokhi Dhani, Hitel Clarks Amer, Hotel Le Meridien, Hotel Trident.

4 Star Hotels In Jaipur :- Hotel Jaipur Ashok, Hotel Meru Palace, Hotal Om Tower, Hotel Park Plaza, Hotel Taj SMS.

3 Star Hotels In Jaipur :-Hotel Arya Niwas Jaipur, Hotel Comfort Inn Hawa Mahal, Hotel Holiday Inn Jaipur, Hotel Kanchandeep, Hotel Maharani Palace, Hotel Mansingh Towers, Hotel Maurya Palace.

2 Star Hotels In Jaipur :- Hotel Aditya International, Rajasthan Palace Hotel, Hotel Garden View.

Luxury Hotels In Jaipur :- Hotel Bella Casa, Hotel Clarks Amer, Hotel Jaipur Palace, Hotel Mansingh, Hotel Rambagh Palace, Hotel KK Royal Days.

Budget Hotels In Jaipur :- Hotel Arya Niwas, Hotel Pearl Palace, RTDC Hotel Teej.

Cheap Hotels In Jaipur :- Cheap Hotel Neelam Jaipur, Cheap Hotel Midtown Jaipur.

Deluxe Hotels In Jaipur :-Hotel Jai Mahal Palace, Hotel Raj Vilas, Hotel Ram Bagh Palace, Hotel Rajputana Palace Sheraton, Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, Hotel Samode Haveli, Hotel Raj Mahal Palace, Hotel The Raj Palace, Hotel Alsisar Haveli, Hotel Ramgarh Palace.

Heritage Hotels In Jaipur :- Hotel Bissau Palace, Hotel Shahpura House, Hotel Shiv Vilas Palace.

Resort In Jaipur :-Chokhi Dhani Resort, Resort Samode Haveli.