Jaipur Tourism
Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, was not always pink. The original city was in fact light grey, edged with white borders. It only acquired its characteristic salmon hue – the traditional colour of welcome – ahead of the visit in 1883 of the Prince of Wales. Comprising rectangular blocks divided by broad, tree-lined avenues, the regular grid plan at the heart of the old city was devised in 1728 by Majharaja Jai Singh.</p>
<p>The city was laid out in 1728 in a simple grid pattern by a young Bengali, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, architect to Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (of the royal lineage that had ruled from Amber, 11km/7 miles to the north, since the early 10th century). Seven blocks of buildings are divided by wide, tree-lined avenues; at the heart of the city is the palace, which covers a further two blocks.
