The state of Rajasthan in the western border of the Indian subcontinent is renowned for its royal history which boasts of mighty kings, their queens and their extravagant palaces. This is the reason why Indian destination weddings often take place at one or the other palaces in the princely state of Rajasthan. Truly, there is no dearth of palaces there. Each city has its fair share of palaces where either the king himself or his chosen attendants lived. Almost all those palaces are now a tourist spot and the current royal family rents out a few of them as venues for destination wedding for the couple and their guests to enjoy the glamour of royalty.
There are quite a few tourist spots within the city limits of Jaipur itself. The prominent and the most visited of all is the Hawa Mahal. Erstwhile a recreational spot for the royal family, the Hawa Mahal has several windows on both sides of the structure which allows cross ventilation. As a result there is a pleasant breeze at all times of the day. The entire structure is not open for tourists as most of it is converted into some government office. However, the observatory deck facing the backside is a popular spot among tourists to enjoy the breeze and have a great aerial view of the Jantar Mantar, which is another tourist spot.
The royal king of Jaipur built two Jantar Mantars, but the one in Jaipur remains the only one functional till date. The Jantar Mantar is an observatory to study the heavenly bodies and their positions with respect to the earth. The tourist guides explain the significance and demonstrate the working of each gigantic instrument. The highlight of Jantar Mantar is when the tourist guides calculate the local time right in front of you and ask you to verify from your watches. It is truly a delight to marvel at the huge structures and wonder what each one is capable of.
The Amer fort is another tourist spot which is popular among those visiting Jaipur. This fort offers a beautiful view of the city and one can even get to ride an elephant to the top of the fort, which is indeed a true royal experience. The fort is also used as a spot for various movie shoots. The most notable scene is the sword fight between Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachhan in the movie Jodha Akbar. Many other movies prior to that are also shot at this picturesque location.
For a taste of the local authentic cuisine and to experience the erstwhile village experience, one can head towards Chokhi Dhani where people of all ages can enjoy the rides and have their share of traditional Rajasthani food served in their traditional style. All kinds of traditional food imaginable are available there and the entry fee is inclusive of unlimited food. One has the option of being served in the traditional style or enjoying the same through a buffet arrangement.
The Jaipur airport has daily flights linking to all major cities in India, with some carriers providing two or three flights each day. The railway station is also linked to all small or big cities and towns in India and reaching Jaipur from any corner of the country is never a problem. By road, one needs a little over 4 hours to reach from Delhi, the capital of India or Agra, where the famous monument of Taj Mahal is located. For shopping, one can visit the local market named Bapu Bazaar and buy a lot of souvenirs for family and friends. One can also buy the famous Rajasthani Kachori and Ghewar from Lakshmi Misthan Bhandar located within this market itself.
Hotels across all budget ranges are available for those wanting to experience the royalty of this city. Even low budget hotels are old palaces that are converted to hotels. The high budget ones are the big palaces where the king himself resided. Five star properties are also available for the corporate who may want a business environment for conferences or seminars. Hotels are in close proximity to the airport, railway station or the market and one can make a choice depending on one’s preferences.