JAIPUR

PRINCELY STATE OF PRE INDEPENDENT INDIA

 Princely states of India
• British India was divided into – British Indian provinces and the Princely
states.
• Several large and small states ruled by princes, called the princely states,
enjoyed some form of control over their internal affairs as long as they
accepted British supremacy.
• Princely states covered one-third of the land area of the British Indian
empire.
 JAIPUR
• Jaipur was a princely state of India from 1128 to 1947. It was centred on
Jaipur town. It existed from the 12th century until Indian Independence in
1947. according to the different periods of history it was also known as
Jaipur Kingdom, Amber Kingdom, Dhundhar Kingdom and Kachwaha
Kingdom.
• Jaipur state was known as Amber between the fourteenth century and
1727. In that year, a new capital was built and named Jayapura, then the
kingdom was renamed Jaipur.
• In 1818 the Jaipur state became a British protectorate. In 1835 there was a
serious disturbance in the city, after which the British government
intervened. The state later became well-governed and prosperous.
• REASONS FOR MAHARAJA SAWAI JAI SINGH TO CHANGE HIS CAPITAL
FROM AMBER TO JAIPUR (1727) MILITARY REASONS • Defense • A site at
the South of Amber ensured greater distance from Delhi. • the out skirting
hill ranges (Nahargarh hills) shaped as a horseshoe would allow the new
city to expand only in the South. • It was an open plain bounded on the
north-west and east by hills.
• GEOGRAPHICAL REASONS • The rocky terrain of Amber restricted
expansion. • Jaipur had the potentialities of developing into a city with
adequate drinking water due to the presence of a perennial stream nearby
and good drainage system. • Its rugged hills also ensured a constant
supply of building material.
• Jaipur is the first planned city of India and the King took great interest
while designing this city of victory. • He consulted several books on
architecture and architects before making the layout of Jaipur. • With a
strategic plan, the construction of the city started in 1727. It took around
4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was
built following the principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra under the
architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya.
• According to Shilpa Shastra, the site should be divided into grids or
mandalas ranging from 2x 2 to 10 x 10. • Thus plan of Jaipur is a grid of 3x3
with gridlines being the city’s main streets • City was divided into 9 blocks- 2
for the state buildings and palaces and remaining 7 allotted to the public.
• Jaipur is known as the Pink City, a rather idealized description of the terra-
cotta-colored lime plaster that coats the old part of the city's walls,
buildings, and temples.
• Reason behind Pink City • In 1876, the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria
visited India on a tour. Since pink denotes the color of hospitality,
Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the whole city pink in color to
welcome the guests. It was then that Lord Albert exclaimed Jaipur to be a
'Pink City', and hence the name.
 AMER FORT
• The town of Amer was originally built by Meenas, and later it was ruled by
Raja Man Singh I (December 21, 1550 – July 6, 1614). Amer Fort is known
for its artistic Hindu style elements. With its large ramparts and series of
gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main
source of water for the Amer Palace.
• Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the attractive, opulent palace is
laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. It consists of the Diwan-i-
Aam, or "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-i-Khas, or "Hall of Private
Audience", the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh
Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over a
water cascade within the palace.
• The palace was the residence of the Rajput Maharajas and their families. At
the entrance to the palace near the fort's Ganesh Gate, there is a temple
dedicated to Shila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult, which was given to
Raja Man Singh when he defeated the Raja of Jessore, Bengal in 1604.
• Suraj Pol – The main entrance gate stands tall and wide with a huge
pathway leading inside. The gate was made to allow elephants with riders
to enter inside with ease. Even today there are elephant rides that start
from the base all the way up to the gate .

• Jalebi Chowk – Suraj Pol opens up into a large courtyard that is known as Jalebi
chowk . This area was used for all the victory celebrations and even festivals like Holi
and Diwali.
• Shila Devi Temple – One of the most prestigious temples of Rajasthan, the
Shila Devi temple houses a large idol of Goddess Kali which was bought by
Raja Maan Singh all the way from Jessore in Bangladesh. The temple
demonstrates Rajput architecture at its best and the large pillars lend it a
grand look.

• Diwan-i-Aam

– This hall was used by the king to meet the general public and address their
issues. The dual row of massive pillars and the exquisitely carved elephant on
every pillar are the main attractions of this area.
• Ganesh Pol – Dedicated to Lord Ganesh, this piece of architecture called
the Ganesh Pol divided the emperors living quarters and the public areas
of the fort. The gate, though not as large as the Suraj Pol, boasts of much
more intricate carvings. The lattice work in stone, the amazing paintings
and frescos along with beautifully carved domes are some of the main
highlights of the gate.

• Diwan-i-Khaas – Built but Mirza Raja Jai Singh I, the Diwan-i-Khaas is

where the king would hold his meetings with important people. The
mirror work, minute carvings and jaali work in this hall is considered the
best work of its time.
• Jai Mandir – Jai Mandir was the hall of victory. It was created with wall
murals and the glass work. The ceiling is covered with intricate glass work
and it is believed that a single lit candle here was enough to brighten the
entire pathway due to the many reflections.
• Sukh Niwas – This was the hall of peace and pleasure. Its sandalwood door
with an inlay of ivory is rather unique and stands tall even today despite
centuries of usage. The niwas also has a water channel system that keeps
it cool along with beautiful marble flooring too.
• Zenana – This is the ladies section of the fort. This is the last part of the
fort and allowed women the privacy that they needed. Despite sharing a
courtyard, the ladies were allowed their own privacy setting in their
chambers by the many screens between the rooms and the courtyard.
• Tripoli gate –This is an interesting gate that is on the western side of the
palace. This single gate has three openings and allows access to the Jalebi
Chowk, the Zenana and Jai Singh’s residential quarters.
Amber Fort Layout 5 – Jai Mandir
1 – Suraj Pol 6 – Ganesh Pol
2- Jaleb Chowk 7 – Sukh Mandir
3 – Shila Devi Temple 8 – Baradari
4- Diwaan-i-Aaam 9 – Zenana
 Jaigarh Fort
• Jaigarh Fort is one of the biggest fort in Rajasthan. It was originally built to
protect Amer Palace, it is Connected to Amer Palace with Secret Tunnels
which are open for tourists now. Jaigarh Fort houses the world’s largest
Cannon on Wheels “Jai Ban” (Jaivan). The Jaigarh Fort is built with the
thick walls of Red Sandstone and stretches 3km from North to South and 1
km in width. Which houses Residential Palaces, Water Reservoirs,
Entertainment areas, Cannon Foundry, Watch tower, Temples, Museums,
Garden and so on.
• Jaigarh Fort is 602m above the sea level. There are Six major Categories of
forts and best among them all is “Giri” or “Parvata Durg” (Hill Fort) and
Jaigarh Fort is a Hill Fort it is Built on “Cheel ka teela” a hill surrounded by
Aravalli Hills.
• ‘Kakil Deo’ was the first ruler who laid the foundation in 11th Century.
Then after every Ruler that came in power had developed the fort, It is
said that the ‘Mirja Raja Jai Singh’ (1621-1667) was known to be the major
contributor for the development of the Jaigarh Fort.
• Palace complex -Situated on the North side of Jaigarh Fort. Palace Complex shows the
Wealth and Power of Rulers of Amber. There are Different Places for different Moods,
Occasions and Weather in Palace Complex. Each one of the Place has well decorated
Canopies, Carved pillars and different taste of Architecture style.

• Subhat Niwas is the first Complex of Palace as we enter from Jaleb Chowk. It is a place
where Kings use to address his army. Subhat Niwas has an 69x34ft hall where Soldiers
were briefed in more detailed way about the Strategies and plans. Today artefacts are
kept at this place for tourists.

• Lakshmi Vilas is one of the beautiful place in the Complex, It was used as Royal Drawing
Room and for other Ceremonial Occasions. Lakshmi Vilas with ‘Araish’ work on floor and
walls looks delicately graceful. It was built by Mirza Raja Jai Singh (1621- 1667)
 Nahargarh Fort
• Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the city of Jaipur in
the Indian state of Rajasthan. Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh once
formed a strong defense ring for the city. Nahargarh, which means 'abode of tigers'.
• The fort was constructed as a place of retreat on the summit of the ridge above the
city. Walls extended over the surrounding hills, forming fortifications that connected
this fort to Jaigarh, the fort above the old capital of Amber.
• The fort was extended in 1868, during the reign of Sawai Ram Singh. In 1883-92, a range
of palaces was built at Nahargarh by Dirgh patel at a cost of nearly three and a half lakh
rupees.
• Nahargarh was also a hunting residence of the Maharajas.
• Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, the designer of Jaipur of Rajasthan, built this
palace with its beautiful interiors of frescoes and stucco designs. Its
architecture is unique combination of Rajput style and Mughal style of
architecture. Certain European style additions like rectangular windows and
western styled toilets are also there. Madhavendra Bhavan boasts of 12
completely alike suites for the use of queens. Each of the Maharaja’s nine
wives was given a two-storey apartment, which were set around three sides
of a rectangular courtyard. The maharaja’s personal living wing was built on
the fourth side. The rooms are linked with each other by means of
corridors. Nahargarh fort of Rajasthan dominates the skyline by day and
forms a breathtaking sight when floodlit at night.
 Albert Hall Museum

• Albert Hall is the oldest museum of the Rajasthan and functions as the State
museum. The building is located in Ram Niwas Garden outside the walled city
opposite New gate . The foundation stone of Albert Hall was laid by Albert
Edward The Prince of Wales on 6 February 1876 and from there only Abert
Hall got its name. The building was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob and
it is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Maharaja Ram Singh
initially wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh
II approved it as a Museum by the suggestion of Dr. Thomas Holbein Hendley
• The artefacts that had been collected from several parts of India and from
around the World, were merged and shifted to the Albert hall Museum.
The Albert Hall was completed and was opened for public in 1887 as a
museum. The museum has a rich collection of artefacts like paintings,
carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures, colorful crystal works etc. Albert
Hall is a very picturistic place from inside and outside both.
 Jantar Mantar
• The Jantar Mantar monument in Jaipur, Rajasthan is a collection of
nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king
Sawai Jai Singh II, and completed in 1734. It features the world's largest
stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. it is located near City
Palace and Hawa Mahal of Jaipur, the monument features masonry, stone
and brass instruments that were built using astronomy and instrument
design principles of ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts. The monument
expresses architectural innovations, as well as the coming together of
ideas from different religious and social beliefs in 18th-century .
• The monument features instruments operating in each of the three main
classical celestial coordinate systems: the horizon-zenith local system, the
equatorial system and the ecliptic system. The Kapala Yantraprakara is one
that works in two systems and allows transformation of the coordinates
directly from one system to the other.
Observation deck of the world's largest sundial.
• Built from local stone and marble, each instrument carries an astronomical
scale, generally marked on the marble inner lining. Bronze tablets, bricks
and mortar were also employed in building the instruments in the
monument spread over about 18,700 square metres. It was in continuous
use until about 1800, then fell in disuse and disrepair.
 Hawa Mahal
• Hawa Mahal , "Palace of the Breeze" is a palace in Jaipur, India. It is
constructed of red and pink sandstone. The palace sits on the edge of the
City Palace, Jaipur, and extends to the zenana, or women's chambers.
• The structure was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. He was
so inspired by the unique structure of Khetri Mahal that he built this grand
and historical palace. It was designed by Lal Chand Ustad. Its unique five-
storey exterior is akin to the honeycomb of a beehive with its 953 small
windows called jharokhas decorated with intricate latticework.
• The original intent of the lattice design was to allow royal ladies to observe
everyday life and festivals celebrated in the street below without being
seen, since they had to obey the strict rules of "purdah", which forbade
them from appearing in public without face coverings. This architectural
feature also allowed cool air from the Venturi effect (doctor breeze) to
pass through, thus making the whole area more pleasant during the high
temperatures in summer. Many people see the Hawa Mahal from the
street view and think it is the front of the palace, but in reality it is the
back of that structure.
 Architecture

• The palace is a five-storey pyramidal shaped monument that rises 50 feet

(15 m). The top three floors of the structure have the width of a single
room, while the first and second floors have patios in front of them. The
front elevation, as seen from the street, is like a honeycomb with small
portholes. Each porthole has miniature windows and carved sandstone
grills, finials and domes. It gives the appearance of a mass of semi-
octagonal bays, giving the monument its unique façade. The inner face on
the back side of the building consists of chambers built with pillars and
corridors with minimal ornamentation, and reach up to the top floor. The
interior of the mahal has been described as "having rooms of different
coloured marbles, relieved by inlaid panels or gilding; while fountains
adorn the centre of the courtyard".
• Lal Chand Ustad was the architect of this unique structure. Built in red and pink
coloured sand stone, in keeping with the décor of the other monuments in the city, its
colour is a full testimony to the epithet of "Pink City" given to Jaipur. Its façade
depicting 953 niches with intricately carved jharokhas (some are made of wood) is a
stark contrast to the plain looking rear side of the structure. Its cultural and
architectural heritage is a true reflection of a fusion of Hindu Rajput architecture and
Islamic Mughal architecture; the Rajput style is seen in the form of domed canopies,
fluted pillars, lotus and floral patterns, and the Islamic style as evident in its stone inlay
filigree work and arches (as distinguished from its similarity with the Panch Mahal at
Fatehpur Sikri)
• The entry to the Hawa Mahal from the city palace side is through an imperial door. It
opens into a large courtyard, which has double storeyed buildings on three sides, with
the Hawa Mahal enclosing it on the east side. An archaeological museum is also
housed in this courtyard.

• Hawa Mahal was Maharaja Jai Singh as it was his favourite resort because of the
elegance and built-in interior of the Mahal. The cooling effect in the chambers,
provided by the breeze passing through the small windows of the façade, was
enhanced by the fountains provided at the centre of each of the chambers.

• The top two floors of the Hawa Mahal are accessed only through ramps.
 City Palace
• City Palace, Jaipur, which includes the Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal
palaces and other buildings, is a palace complex in Jaipur. The Chandra Mahal
palace now houses a museum, but the greatest part of it is still a royal
residence. The palace complex, located northeast of the centre of the grid-
patterned Jaipur city, incorporates an impressive and vast array of courtyards,
gardens and buildings. The palace was built between 1729 and 1732, initially
by Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amer.
• The credit for the urban layout of the city and its structures is attributed to two
architects namely, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, the chief architect in the royal
court and Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, apart from the Sawai himself who was a
keen architectural enthusiast. The architects achieved a fusion of the Shilpa
Shastra of Indian architecture with Rajput, and Mughal.
• Structures
• The City Palace is in the central-northeast part of the Jaipur city, which is
laid in a grid pattern with wide avenues. It is a unique and arresting
complex of several palaces, pavilions, gardens and temples. The most
prominent and most visited structures in the complex are the Chandra
Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Mukut Mahal, Maharani's Palace, Shri Govind Dev
Temple and the City Palace Museum.
• Entrance gates
• Virendra Pol, Udai Pol near Jaleb chowk and the Tripolia Gate (triple gate)
are the entry gates to the City Palace. The Tripolia gate is reserved for
entry into the palace by the royal family. Common people and visitors can
enter the place complex only through the Virendra Pol and the Udai Pol or
the Atish Pol (Stable Gate). The entry from Virendra Pol leads to the
Mubarak Mahal. The gateways are richly decorated.
• Mubarak Mahal
• Mubarak Mahal, meaning the 'Auspicious Palace', was built with a fusion
of the Islamic, Rajput and European architectural styles in the late 19th
century by Maharaja Madho Singh II as reception centre. It is a museum; a
fine repository of variety of textiles such as the royal formal costumes,
sanganeri block prints, embroidered shawls, Kashmiri pashminas and silk
saris as part of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum.
• Chandra Mahal
• Chandra Mahal or Chandra Niwas is the most commanding building in the
City Palace complex, on its west end. It is a seven-storeyed building and
each floor has been given a specific name .It contains many unique
paintings, mirror work on walls and floral decorations. At present, most of
this palace is the residence of the descendents of the former rulers of
Jaipur.
• There is beautiful peacock gate at the entry to the Mahal. It has screened
balconies and a pavilion at the roof from where a panoramic view of the
city can be seen. It is set amidst well laid out gardens and a decorative lake
in the foreground.
• Pritam Niwas Chowk
• It is the inner courtyard, which provides access to the Chandra Mahal.
Here, there are four small gates (known as Ridhi Sidhi Pol) that are
adorned with themes representing the four seasons and Hindu gods. The
gates are the Northeast Peacock Gate (with motifs of peacocks on the
doorway) representing autumn and dedicated Lord Vishnu; the Southeast
Lotus Gate (with continual flower and petal pattern) suggestive of summer
season and dedicated to Lord Shiva-Parvati; the Northwest Green Gate,
also called the Leheriya (meaning: "waves") gate, in green colour
suggestive of spring and dedicated to Lord Ganesha, and lastly, the Rose
Gate with repeated flower pattern representing winter season and
dedicated to Goddess Devi
• Other structures are:-
• Diwan-i-Aam
• Diwan-E-Khas
• Maharani palace
• Bagghi Khana
• Govind Dev Ji temple
 Jal Mahal
• Jal Mahal (meaning "Water Palace") is a palace in the middle of the Man
Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, India. The
palace and the lake around it were renovated and enlarged in the 18th
century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.
• The Jal Mahal palace is an architectural showcase of the Rajput style of
architecture (common in Rajasthan) on a grand scale. The building has a
picturesque view of the lake itself but owing to its seclusion from land is
equally the focus of a viewpoint from the Man Sagar Dam on the eastern
side of the lake in front of the backdrop of the surrounding Nahargarh
("tiger-abode") hills.
• The palace, built in red sandstone, is a five storied building, of which four
floors remain underwater when the lake is full and the top floor is
exposed. One rectangular Chhatri on the roof is of the Bengal type. The
chhatris on the four corners are octagonal. The palace had suffered
subsidence in the past and also partial seepage due to waterlogging,
which have been repaired under a restoration project of the Government
of Rajasthan
• The hills surrounding the lake area, towards the north east of Jaipur, have
quartzite rock formations , which is part of Aravalli hills range. Rock
exposures on the surface in some parts of the project area have also been
used for constructing buildings. From the north east, the Kanak Vrindavan
valley, where a temple complex sits, the hills slope gently towards the lake
edge.
• Within the lake area, the ground area is made up of a thick mantle of soil,
blown sand and alluvium. Forest denudation, particularly in the hilly areas,
has caused soil erosion, compounded by wind and water action. Due to
this, silt built up in the lake incrementally raises the lake bed.
• On the terrace of the palace, a garden was built with arched passages. At
each corner of this palace semi-octagonal towers were built with an
elegant cupola.
• The building is located near the shoreline of a lake with a maximum depth
of 15 ft. Though 4 stories of the building are under the surface of the
water, they would be build into the bed of the lake.
THANK YOU…
BY:-
KAVYA J NAIDU
NISARGA M K