Jaipur

Hawa Mahal,Jaipur

Jaipur, also popularly known as the 'Pink City', is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city has been named. The city today has a population of 3.1 million. The unique foundations of the city's name is from Sanskrit meaning from Jay is victory and Pur is city, another well known country known as Indonesia also have a city named Jayapura that also has the same sanskrit meaning of this city that is also JayaPura but shortend to Jaypur.

Jaipur is one of the finest planned cities of India, located in the semi-desert lands of Rajasthan. The city which once had been the capital of the royalty now is the capital city of Rajasthan. The very structure of Jaipur resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal families. At present, Jaipur is a major business centre with all requisites of a metropolitan city.

The major shopping zone in Jaipur is mid of the Jaipur areas like Johari Bazar, Chaura Rasta, Kishanpole Bazar, also known as Char Diwari area; some of the famous areas in Jaipur include Mansarovar, the largest housing colony in Asia; Sanganer, famous for handmade paper industry; and Sanganeri hand block-printing.

The city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad streets 34 m (111 ft) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex, (Hawa Mahal), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of the King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. The observatory, Jantar Mantar, is one of the World Heritage Sites. Included on the Golden Triangle tourist circuit, along with Delhi and Agra, Jaipur is an extremely popular tourist destination in Rajasthan and India.

In 1876, Jaipur was colored in terracotta pink to welcome the Prince of Wales, and thus the name “Pink City” was attached with the city.

Delhi

New Delhi was proclaimed the capital of India by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944). This tree-lined & spacious city is one of India's fastest growing cities.It sprawls over the West Bank of the river Yamuna and is divided into two distinct parts, Old Delhi & New Delhi. Old Delhi is centered on the Red Fort built by Emperor Shah Jahan between 1636 & 1658. The streets of Old Delhi are narrow & bustling with energy. The beauty & serenity lies inside the courts of the   main buildings.

Delhi has some of the finest museums in the country. Its boutiques and shopping arcades offer access to a wealth of traditional and contemporary crafts from all over the country.

How to get there Air: Delhi is easily accessible to and from most cities in the world. Most of the international airlines in the world fly to Delhi. Domestic air lines link Delhi to all the major cities in the country.

Train: The Indian railways, with their modern and organized network connects Delhi to major and minor destinations in India. There are three important railway stations in Delhi, viz.The New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The Shatabdi Express is recommended to reach cities like Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gwalior, Bhopal, Lucknow and Kanpur.

Bus: Delhi is well connected by road to all major destinations in North India. The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) is located at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan and Anand Vihar. Delhi Transport Corporation and Road Transport Corporations of the neighboring states provide frequent air conditioned, deluxe and ordinary coaches. Bus services from all the major places in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are available to Delhi. During the summer months, air-conditioned coaches are recommended.

Airports: Delhi has two airports. Indira Gandhi International Airport,which is 20km away from the city connects Delhi to almost all the major countries in the world.Palam is the domestic airport which is situated closer to the city. Between the two airports, shuttle coach service is available. From both the terminals, Ex-Servicemen Air Link Transport Service (EATS) brings passengers to the city at nominal rates. State Bank of India is the official bank available at both the terminals.To assist with travel information, hotel bookings and various other services, tourists can avail of the help desk at the airport which is open round the clock. Pre-paid taxi service is also possible at both the airports.

Best Season
The best season to visit Delhi is between October to March. The summer season in Delhi extends between May and July.The hot and dry climate is not recommended to travellers.

Mathura

Mathura (or Brajbhoomi) is famous as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, an important deity in the Hindu religious pantheon. It is an important pilgrim place of the Hindus and one of the seven sacred cities in India. The main pilgrim center in Mathura is the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. Mathura is also an important craft center. 

The city of Mathura is located in the western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, in the northern region of India. It is a part of the great northern plains and is situated on the west bank of the river Yamuna. Mathura is 141 km south of Delhi and 47 km northwest of Agra. The climate of Mathura is extreme and tropical. Summers are extremely hot and winters are cold and foggy. It experiences southwestern monsoon rains from July to September.

The Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi (birthplace of Lord Krishna) is the main attraction of Mathura and an important pilgrim place of the Hindus. A stone slab marks the original spot of the birth of Lord Krishna. The earlier Kesava Deo temple had the room where Lord Krishna was born. According to legend, Lord Krishna was born in a small prison room where the tyrant ruler Kansa held his parents captive. 

The Archeological Museum of Mathura is an important place to visit. It houses an excellent collection of sculptures belonging to the ancient Mathura school of art. The Vishram Ghat, on river Yamuna, is another place to visit in Mathura. It is said that Lord Krishna had killed the tyrant Kansa here. 

The Sati Burj, Kans Qila, Dwarkadheesh temple and Jama Masjid are other places to see in Mathura. 

Following are the other places around Mathura.

• Vrindavan is 10 km from Mathura and it is associated with the childhood exploits of Lord Krishna. Like Mathura, Vrindavan is also famous for its temples. There are about 4,000 temples in Vrindavan. The main temples are Govind Dev Temple, Rangaji temple, Bankey Bihari temple, Radha Ballabh temple, Madan Mohan temple, Pagal Baba temple and the Nidhi Van temple.
• Gokul is 16 km south of Mathura. It is said that Lord Krishna was secretly raised here.
• Mahaban is 18 km southeast of Mathura. Lord Krishna is believed to have spent his youth here.
• Barsana, 50 km northwest of Mathura, is worth visiting as it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna's consort Radha. The Holi festival of Barsana is unique. The Barsana women attack men from Nandgaon with wooden sticks, when they try to put color on these women.
• Govardhan is 25 km west of Mathura. Legend has it that Lord Krishna had protected the local people from the wrath of the rain God Indra by holding up a hill on one finger.
• Agra is 47 km southeast of Mathura. It was the one-time capital of the Mughal rulers and is known for the Taj. It also has a number of monuments belonging to the Mughals.

Mathura is well connected by road with Delhi (3½ hours) and Agra (1½ hour). Mathura is also connected by train with Delhi (2 hour), Agra (1 hour), Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur and Kota.