Pink City
With this year’s Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day coupled into one extra long holiday, what a great excuse to go somewhere foreign, exotic and romantic. During my trip to India, I stopped in Jaipur, India’s Pink City. Buildings in this colourful capital of Rajasthan were painted pink to give it a romantic fairy tale feel when the Prince of Wales visited the city in 1876 and even today, this royal city’s still dressed in pink.
While the facades of buildings might look pretty from afar, the majority of buildings are in quite dilapidated conditions but one building that’s worth visiting for some camera posing is the Hawa Mahal, Palace of Winds. The façade of this five-storey palace resembles honeycomb with 953 miniature windows to allow ladies in the past to observe the streets. Can just imagine the winds that could go through the rooms if all the windows were opened!
Amber Fort is another must-see. A former residence for the Rajput Maharajas, it was built with a blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture and even has some cool technological innovations, including a piped water supply that flowed through the edifice, keeping the surroundings cool, much like the modern air conditioner! The lineups can get a little crazy though, so best to go early, just after sunrise, so you can catch the gorgeous views of the fort as you sit on the back of an elephant to trot up the paths. The fort is also high enough to allow for great views of the Aravalli Range. Not to be missed is the Mirror Palace in the fort. Built specially for his queen, the king wanted to re-create the stars in the skies with this space which is filled with mirrored ceilings, glass and colourful mirror mosaics that would glitter under candle light. How romantic is that?
With this year’s Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day coupled into one extra long holiday, what a great excuse to go somewhere foreign, exotic and romantic. During my trip to India, I stopped in Jaipur, India’s Pink City. Buildings in this colourful capital of Rajasthan were painted pink to give it a romantic fairy tale feel when the Prince of Wales visited the city in 1876 and even today, this royal city’s still dressed in pink.
While the facades of buildings might look pretty from afar, the majority of buildings are in quite dilapidated conditions but one building that’s worth visiting for some camera posing is the Hawa Mahal, Palace of Winds. The façade of this five-storey palace resembles honeycomb with 953 miniature windows to allow ladies in the past to observe the streets. Can just imagine the winds that could go through the rooms if all the windows were opened!
Amber Fort is another must-see. A former residence for the Rajput Maharajas, it was built with a blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture and even has some cool technological innovations, including a piped water supply that flowed through the edifice, keeping the surroundings cool, much like the modern air conditioner! The lineups can get a little crazy though, so best to go early, just after sunrise, so you can catch the gorgeous views of the fort as you sit on the back of an elephant to trot up the paths. The fort is also high enough to allow for great views of the Aravalli Range. Not to be missed is the Mirror Palace in the fort. Built specially for his queen, the king wanted to re-create the stars in the skies with this space which is filled with mirrored ceilings, glass and colourful mirror mosaics that would glitter under candle light. How romantic is that?
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