Jaipur - The Pink City
After breakfast on board, you can be ready for the day's sightseeing. Caparisoned elephants would garland you in traditional welcome before entering an air-conditioned coach. The city built in 1727 AD by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh was color washed in pink - the color associated with hospitality in Rajput culture. Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) is a five-storey building in pink splendor with carved trelliswork and lies on the main street of the old city. It was originally conceived to enable ladies of the royal household to watch everyday life on the streets and royal processions. Amber Fort, 8 km away, is a beautiful complex of palaces, halls, pavilions, gardens and temples built over a period of two centuries. From the base one can either walk up or ride a caparisoned elephant. Ready to be completely overawed by the magnificence of the grand fort.
A shopping trip in the colorful bazaars of Jaipur, famous for its jewelery, handicrafts, carpets, handlooms and blue pottery is an exhilarating experience. After a delicious lunch at Hotel Ram Bagh Palace, you would move towards the City Palace, home of the erstwhile royal family. It is a fabulous structure built in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal styles. The Jantar Mantar, the largest of Maharaja Jai Singh's five remarkable observatories, is right across the road from the Palace. Back on board the train, you will have tea before you get ready for dinner, which is a colorful affair at the Palace Hotel. You will have a feast laid out for you and folk dancers of Rajasthan provide the entertainment creating a romantic ambience. Do you want more of this? Perhaps not. So better you retire to your chambers on board and ready for the next sojourn.
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History
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