History of formation of Jaipur :

Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan statewas founded in 1727 by Maharaj Jai Singh II, who ruled Jaipur State from 1699–1744. Initially his capital was Amber, which lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water. Jaipur is the first planned city of India and the King took great interest while designing this city of victory. He consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the layout of Jaipur.

November 18 is marked as the Jaipur Foundation Day which is celebrated with great zeal every year. Jaipur, the capital of India’s largest state Rajasthan, is actually the first planned city of the country. It was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the year 1727.

Overview :

Jai Singh was keen on the security aspect of the City because of the increasing foreign threats towards northern India. Due to this reason, he focused on his scientific and cultural interests to make a brilliant city. Being a lover of mathematics and science, Jai Singh sought advice from Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Brahmin scholar of Bengal, to aid him to design the city architecture. Vidyadhar referred the ancient Indian literature on astronomy, books of Ptolemy and Euclid, and discussed the plan with the King.

With a strategic plan, the construction of the city started in 1727. It took around 4 years to complete the major palaces, roads and square. The city was built following the principles of Vastu Shastra. The city was divided into nine blocks, out of which two consist the state buildings and palaces, whereas the remaining seven blocks were allotted to the public. In order to ensure the security, huge fortification walls were made along with seven strong gates.

According to that time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1876, when Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted pink to welcome him and after that Jaipur was titled ‘Pink City’. Still, the neat and broadly laid-out avenues, painted in pink provide a magical charm to the city. Jaipur is rich in its cultural and architectural beauty, which can be traced in the various historical and aesthetic places that reside in the city.

In the 19th century the city grew rapidly and became prosperous; by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The city's wide boulevards were paved and lit with gas. The city had several hospitals. Its chief industries were in metals and marble, fostered by a school of art founded in 1868. The city also had three colleges, including a Sanskrit college (1865) and a girls' school (1867) initiated under the reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II.

Foundation of the City :

After this, the construction of the city began which took 4 years to complete. It’s said that the foundation of the city was laid at Gangapol by Pandit Jagannath and Rajguru Ratnakar. This was followed by Surajpol on the east entrance of the city and Chandpol on the west entrance.

As per the principles of Vaastu Shastra, the city was divided into 9 blocks out of which 2 consisted of the state buildings and palaces while the remaining 7 were allotted to the public. For ensuring security, a huge fortification was built along with 7 strong gates. Further, Jaigarh and Nahargarh Fort supported the military objectives of the kingdom.

Architecture :

At the time when the city was built, its architecture was considered as the most advanced in the entire Indian subcontinent. In the year 1876, the city was painted in Pink as a gesture of hospitality to welcome Prince of Wales. Since then, it got the name Pink City.

The modern city plan of Jaipur was revised in 1935 and the first modern colony of the city was established in 1939. Many areas like Raja Park, Adarsh Nagar, Ram Niwas Garden, etc were formed after 1947.

Although today most of the parts of the city are being reconstructed to make way for metro and other commercial infrastructure, the essence of the Pink City remains intact through its art and culture and we hope it stays the same in future.

Jaipur Foundation Day Celebrations :

Every year, the rich culture and heritage of the state are celebrated on Jaipur Foundation Day with great zeal. There are various cultural programs in the form of dance, music, and various other ceremonies.

For people residing in Jaipur, it’s an occasion of celebrating the city’s birthday much like they celebrate their own birthdays, especially those who have seen the city’s growth over a long period of time. Such is the bond between Jaipur and its residents.