Jaipur, the pink city whose king once painted it to impress a guest, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site

Jul 8, 2019, 13:09 IST

The walled city of Jaipur, in India’s northwestern state of Rajasthan just turned into a UNESCO World Heritage Site.It is the 38th site in the country and the second walled city in India to receive the status, after Ahmedabad.

In the 17th century, Rajput King Maharaja Jai Singh II built six meter high walls to protect the city from attackers. Till day, the city is enclosed within seven gates, surviving for centuries as its kings wanted it to be.

Today too, the walled city is enclosed in seven gates namely Ajmeri Gate, Zorawar Singh Gate, Chandpole, New Gate, Ghat Gate, Samrat Gate, Surajpole and Sanganeri Gate. Ahmedabad, which also has several walls around it, was the first Indian city to turn into a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017.

For its rich heritage, the city was picked for the famed status at the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Azerbaijan.

Jaipur is a city associated with culture and valour. Elegant and energetic, Jaipur’s hospitality draws people from… https://t.co/19dNZVjgS6
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1562403480000

Jaipur, the pink city whose king once painted it to impress his royal guests, is now a World Heritage site

In 1727 CE, Rajput rural Sawai Jai Singh II. He also gave the city its iconic colour, which led to its fame as the ‘pink city’.

The walled city of Jaipur constitute some of the oldest parts including Chandpole, Surajpole and Ajmeri gate inside the walled town.

It also has spectacular monuments like the City Palace and the iconic the Hawa Mahal.

Hawa Mahal meaning the Palace of Winds has 953 windows known as Jharokas, built for the royal ladies to see the life around the city.

City Palace is among the rarest rich heritage that has traces of Mughal and Rajput both.

Like most old cities, Japiur also has colourful markets like the Tripolia Bazar and the Johari Bazar to help it become a commercial hub.

Jaipur has been popular among its tourists for its rosy pink colour. But it hasn’t like this from the beginning. Its king Ram Singh II decided to paint the whole city pink in a bid to impress royal counterparts.

It is a matter of great pride that our Pink City Jaipur has been declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. It will add to the glory of the capital city of Rajasthan.” said Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in a tweet.

“Unlike other cities in the region located in hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the plain and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture. “, says UNESCO

The UNESCO World Heritage Status is likely to boost the tourism industry of the city. There has been a rise of 13% in the footfall of foreign tourists flocking to Ahmedabad after the city got World Heritage tag, reported DNA.

According to Gujarat Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation Limited (GITCO), there were 66,63,000 domestic travellers in 2016-17. It increased to 74,59,000 in 2017-18, a 12% rise within a year.

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