Jaipur

Jaipur is the biggest city and the capital of the state of Rajasthan. It’s commonly known as the ‘Pink City’ of India. The city was founded in 1727, on 18^th November by the ruler of Amber, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. And the name of the city was inspired by Maharaja Jai Singh himself.

The city is well-planned, and perhaps the most well planned pre-modern Indian city. It is well divided, with a regular network of streets. It’s also known for being a popular tourist destination in India, due to the rich culture found here, as well as the presence of a world heritage site: Jantar Mantar.

A fascinating aspect of Jaipur is that it is planned according to Vastu Shastra. The city was an opportunity for its founder to plan an entire city based on Hindu architectural theory.

Stats And Facts

• As per the provisional data from the census of 2011, Jaipur has a total population of just over 3 million people. The total land area of the Jaipur urban area is 485 sq km, of which 94 kms is part of the green zone or ecological zone. According to 2011 census data, the density of Jaipur is a little over 6,500 people per sq. km. Jaipur is also the tenth largest city in India, according to the same census.
• The number of females for every thousand males in Jaipur, i.e., the sex ratio, is at 898. The child sex ratio, however, is lower than the overall sex ratio, at 854 female children for every 1,000 male children.
• As per Köppen climate classification, Jaipur’s climate is semiarid. It gets most of its rainfall during the monsoon period in between June and September. The temperature can range from as low as 15 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees
• According to a survey conducted by a travel magazine called Conde Nast Traveller, Jaipur was the 7^th best tourist city in Asia, as of 2008. It was featured along with the likes of Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, and Kyoto
• The average literacy rate in Jaipur, as per the 2011 census, is at 84.34%. When segregated in terms of gender, the male literacy rate is 90.61% while the female literacy rate is 77.41%
• Jaipur was originally built within walls and its shape was based on an eight-part Mandala (Hindu symbol), which was known as the ‘Pithapada’

The Tourism Sector

• The tourism sector is a major employer in Jaipur and is considered the main economic driver, as the administration has put down driving this sector as a major focus of the 2025 city development plan
• Jaipur is part of the Golden Triangle, a tourist circuit that also includes Delhi and Agra
• The administration is mobilizing separate plans like the eco-tourism plan, heritage development plan, and conservation and tourism development plan for the promotion of the tourism industry in Jaipur
• A lot of the tourism in Jaipur is due to its historic significance. The Jantar Mantar, an observatory, is a world heritage site
• Jaipur is famous for its palaces as well. Rambagh Palace, Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal, and Moti Doongri are some of the popular tourist attractions of the city

Connectivity

• The Jaipur international airport is located in the satellite town of Sanganer. The airport is 10 kms from the centre of the city. In the year 2010, the Jaipur international airport flew 255,704 international passengers and 1,267,876 domestic passengers. Flights from the Indira Gandhi international airport are normally diverted to this airport whenever there’s heavy fog
• National highways 8, 11, and 12 pass through Jaipur district, connecting it to the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bikaner, Agra, Kota, and Baran District
• Inter-state bus services are operated by Jaipur City Transport Services Limited. The service runs a total of over 300 low-floor and regular buses. The major bus depots in the city are at Vaishali Nagar, Sanganer, and Vidyadhar Nagar
• The Bus Rapid Transit Service is a modern service that is set up by the Jaipur Development Authority, Jaipur City Transport Services Limited, and Jaipur Nagar Nigam, in conjunction. Phase 1 of the project involves two corridors: Sikar Road to Tonk Road, and Ajmer Road to Delhi Road
• Jaipur Metro Rail is an intra-city transport project that holds a record for being the fastest to conduct a trial run. Its completion date is set at early 2014

Industry and Employment

Jaipurs major economic sectors include education and tourism. The city is a hub for gemstone cutting and jewellery manufacturing apart from luxury textiles. Information technology is also proving to be a major industry in the city. It is ranked 31 among 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing cities. Jaipur has Business process outsourcing (BPOs) of many renowned companies including Deutsche Bank Group Jaipur, Infosys and Genpact. Infosys Ltd also has its software development centre here. Mahindra SEZ is one of the largest IT special economic zone (SEZ) in India. The city is one of Indias best global outsourcing hubs and is home to Jaipur Stock Exchange. The city is a major destination for handicrafts arts, antiques, gems, pottery, textiles, carpets, bangles, and leather and metal products. The city is also famous for producing Jaipur leg, a pioneering rubber based prosthetic leg. World Trade Park in the city is likely to boost the economy, once it is fully operational.

Lifestyle

Jaipur is home to several tourist attractions and cultural marvels like Ravindra Manch and Jawahar Kala Kendra. Government Central Museum houses antiques and hosts several art programmes. The renowned Hawa Mahal has a museum while there is an art gallery at Viratnagar. The city is dotted with statues and shops selling handicrafts and other antiques. It is home to several traditional arts and crafts including zardozi, gota, block printing, sculpture, kundan, gems, meenakari, miniature paintings and more. These are visible all throughout the city in its galleries, workshops for artisans and shops. The city is famous for performing arts and hosts several renowned events throughout the year. Major festivals and fairs include Gangaur Kite Festival, Elephant Festival, Jaipur Literature Festival and Teej. The city also has a plethora of restaurants offering some lip smacking local cuisine. With urbanization, the city now also has several shopping malls and complexes along with movie theatres and other entertainment zones. Johari Bazaar and Tripoli Bazaar are some of the popular markets of the city for buying jewellery, artifacts, handicrafts and other items.