The walled city is the Jaipur that was planned on paper before a stone was laid. Sawai Jai Singh II moved his capital down from Amer in 1727 and had his architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya draw a grid of nine squares, cut by three wide east–west and three north–south streets, the whole enclosed in a wall with seven gates. The City Palace, Jantar Mantar and the temple of Govind Dev Ji took the central square; the other eight were given to the bazaars, the havelis and the trades, each street assigned to its guild.
The pink came later. In 1876 the city was washed in terracotta for the visit of the Prince of Wales, and the colour was kept by law. Everything inside the walls is still painted in that shade, which is why the streets read as one building from end to end. Hawa Mahal, with its 953 windows, was added on the Sireh Deori side in 1799 so the women of the court could watch the processions below.
Today the walled city is the trading heart of Jaipur as much as its showpiece. Johari Bazaar is the gem and jewellery street, Tripolia the brass and bangles, Chandpole the marble and textiles, Kishanpole the wood and lac, Bapu and Nehru Bazaar the tourist cloth and jutis. The gates — Sanganeri, Ajmeri, Chandpole, Zorawar Singh, Ghat, Samrat and New Gate — are still the way in and out, and the inner streets close to cars at the busiest hours.
What is here
| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| City Palace 1729 | Centre of the walled city | The seat of the Jaipur royal family, still partly in residence; Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal and the armoury are open to visitors. |
| Jantar Mantar 1734 | Beside the City Palace | Jai Singh’s stone observatory, with the largest sundial in the world; a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Hawa Mahal 1799 | Sireh Deori Bazaar | The five-storey screen of 953 jharokha windows; the most photographed building in Rajasthan. |
| Govind Dev Ji Temple 1735 | Jai Niwas garden, behind the City Palace | The family deity of Jaipur; seven aartis a day and the largest crowds in the city at Janmashtami. |
| Johari Bazaar | Badi Chaupar to Sanganeri Gate | The jewellery street; kundan, meena, polki and loose stones, shop after shop. |
| Tripolia Bazaar | Tripolia Gate to Chhoti Chaupar | Brass, copper, lac bangles and ironmongery; Maniharon ka Rasta opens off it. |
| Chandpole Bazaar | Chhoti Chaupar to Chandpole Gate | Marble carving, textiles and the Hanuman temple at the gate. |
| Kishanpole Bazaar | Ajmeri Gate side | Wood carving, lac work and tie-dye; quieter than the eastern bazaars. |
| Bapu Bazaar | Sanganeri Gate to New Gate | Mojari jutis, bandhani, quilts and the tourist cloth trade. |
| Nehru Bazaar | New Gate to Chandpole | Juti and textile shops; continues the Bapu Bazaar line westward. |
| Badi Chaupar | Junction of Johari and Tripolia | The great square of the walled city; the metro station is beneath it. |
| Isarlat (Sargasuli) 1749 | Tripolia Bazaar | The seven-storey victory tower; the highest view over the old city. |
| Jama Masjid | Johari Bazaar | The principal mosque of the walled city, on the jewellery street. |
| Sireh Deori Bazaar | Below Hawa Mahal | The street of the palace’s ceremonial gate; souvenir and sweet shops. |
Worth knowing
- The pink is a legal colour inside the walls; it has been repainted at intervals since 1876.
- Badi Chaupar metro station (opened 2020) is the easiest way in; the bazaars are closed to cars at peak hours.
- Shops in the bazaars generally close on Sundays; Johari Bazaar jewellers keep their own days.
- The bazaars are grouped by trade, as the 1727 plan intended; look for the trade, not the shop.
- Hawa Mahal is best seen from the street in the morning light; the entrance is from the back.
Named houses on this page
Pandit Kulfi
Rabri and falooda kulfi · Sireh Deori Bazaar, Hawa Mahal road
Garh Ganesh Temple
Ganesha in child form, on the hill over the walled city · Nahargarh hills, above Brahmpuri
Gopinath Ji Temple
Krishna image brought from Vrindavan · Purani Basti
Ram Niwas Garden
The 1868 royal garden around Albert Hall · JLN Marg, outside New Gate
Ravindra Manch
The state’s theatre since 1963 · Ram Niwas Garden
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