Question 1

Jaipur on Your Own

Accepted Answer

If your program leaves free time, spend it inside the walled Pink City, where the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal stand close together. Amber Fort, 11 km to the north, is a separate trip by autorickshaw, taxi or bus. Getting in: The metro's Pink Line runs to Badi Chaupar, a station in the center of the walled city, and fares are low. Walking: Walk the old city during shop hours, when the streets are busy. Footpaths are often blocked, so you may have to walk in the road, and take care crossing the wide multi-lane streets. Autorickshaws: Agree an all-in price before you set off, covering waiting time, fuel and parking. Some drivers steer passengers to shops that pay them a commission, so buy souvenirs in the main markets instead. Gem scams: Be wary of friendly strangers who offer tea or a drink and later bring up a chance to buy or export gems. Composite ticket: One ticket, valid for two days, covers Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, the Albert Hall Museum, Nahargarh Fort and several other monuments. Check the price before you go. Back to your group: Note the meeting time and place before you set off, and allow extra time for the city's traffic. Carry ID: Carry identity documents with you, and keep your passport with you on trains, where valid ID is required. No vapes: Vapes are banned in India, and you cannot buy them or bring them into the country.

Question 2

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Rajasthani cooking grew up with little water and few fresh green vegetables, and it leans on lentils, gram flour, ghee and dairy. A signature dish is dal baati churma: a stew of five kinds of lentil served with baati bread and churma, a sweet crumble of bread, ghee and sugar. Gatte are gram-flour dumplings cooked in a yogurt gravy, and ker sangri pairs dried ker berries with sangri beans, a combination unique to Rajasthan. Laal maas is a fiery red mutton curry once made with game by Rajput hunting parties. Ghevar is a disc-shaped sweet with a honeycomb texture, made from ghee, flour and sugar syrup and eaten at the Teej festival. Pyaaz kachori, a fried pastry with a spicy onion filling, is a Rajasthani specialty sold in Jaipur's sweet shops.

Question 3

Tipping in India

Accepted Answer

Tipping is unusual in India outside fancier restaurants, where up to 10 percent is appropriate. Elsewhere, rounding up the bill or leaving 5 to 10 percent is the usual way to say thanks. The currency is the Indian rupee. Fancier restaurants may add a service charge of up to 15 percent, so read the bill before adding a tip.

Question 4

Customs and Language

Accepted Answer

Most people in Jaipur speak Hindi as their first language, and the city's own dialect is Dhundari, with Marwari, Urdu and Sindhi also spoken. Nearly four in five residents are Hindu and nearly one in five Muslim, and there is a small Jain community. Dress modestly at temples and other religious sites, and follow local customs there. The Govind Gatte, a richer version of the dumpling dish with nuts and sweet cheese, is cooked as an offering to Govind Dev ji, a form of Krishna worshipped in Jaipur.

Question 5

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

Jaipur was founded on November 18, 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II, the Kachhwaha ruler of Amber, who moved his capital 11 km from the hill fort because of a growing population and a shortage of water. The new city was planned under the architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, following the traditional Indian principles of architecture set out in the Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra. Before Jaipur, Amber Fort was the royal palace of the Kachhwaha rulers, from about 1600 until the move in 1727. The City Palace was completed in 1732 and is still home to the former royal family. Jantar Mantar, Jai Singh's collection of 19 astronomical instruments, was completed in 1734. It has the world's largest stone sundial and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nahargarh Fort was built on the ridge above the city in 1734, and in 1857 Europeans in the region were moved there for their safety. Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, was built in 1799, with 953 small windows through which the women of the court could watch the street without being seen. An art school was founded in 1868, and by 1900 the city had about 160,000 people. The Albert Hall, whose foundation stone was laid during the visit of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1876, opened as a museum in 1887. After Indian independence, Jaipur became the capital of the new state of Rajasthan in 1949. In 2013 Amber Fort was listed by UNESCO with five other Hill Forts of Rajasthan. To learn more ashore: the Albert Hall Museum, the state museum of Rajasthan, in Ram Niwas Garden opposite New Gate.

Question 6

Jaipur with Children

Accepted Answer

Jaipur's forts, palaces and open-air observatory give children of every age something to explore. In the hot months, start early and save the middle of the day for indoor stops. Younger children: Central Park, the city's largest park, has a walking track of about 4 km, and migratory and native birds visit it during the year. School age: At Jantar Mantar the stone instruments were built so that the positions of the sun and stars could be read with the naked eye. School age: At Hawa Mahal, try counting the windows on the honeycomb front, which is in fact the back of the palace. Teenagers: Amber Fort sits on a hilltop above Maota Lake, and jeep rides up the narrow road to the gate are the alternative to riding an elephant. Teenagers: Jaigarh Fort, a 1 km walk uphill from Amber Fort, holds the huge Jaivana cannon, which legend says was test-fired only once.

Question 7

Shopping

Accepted Answer

Jaipur is known for jewelry and for its blue pottery. Johari Bazaar and Chameliwala Market are the jewelry bazaars, with hundreds of shops, and Bapu Bazaar is a central market for souvenirs. Jaipur blue pottery is colored with cobalt and made without clay, from a dough of quartz powder, powdered glass and fuller's earth. It is fired only once at a low temperature, which makes it fragile, so pack it with care. Semi-precious stones such as turquoise, lapis and star ruby are sold widely.

Jaipur

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Arriving in Jaipur