"The Pink City": Kingdom in the Desert
Trip Start
Aug 08, 2006
1
35
36
Trip End
Oct 11, 2006
Jaipur, India
Monday, October 9, 2006
Monday, October 9, 2006
Founded in 1727 by Maharaja ("High King") Jai Singh II, Jaipur has since been the colorful capital of Rajasthan. Its name means "City of Victory," but locals affectionately call it "The Pink City" for the pink hue found on most buildings in the past.
After waking up at 5AM to catch a glimpse of the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri, our group continued westward in our privately chauffered van on the desert road of northwestern India. The dusty hills, the barren landscape, the luminescent sunset, the migratory camels, all enhanced the exotic imageries of this fabled land. In this vast, dry region, tribal societies still constituted 12% of the state population. To voyage through Rajasthan was to step back in time - to an era of desert kingdoms.
Jaipur was no exception. I found this city to be filled with historical treasures. From the opulent City Palace to the intricate pink sandstone façade of the Palace of the Winds, Jaipur displayed its legacy of power and affluence for tourists to see.
