Incredible India 2010 - Day 5 Jaipur

Today I'm taking you on a sightseeing tour of Jaipur, the Pink city and the capital of Rajasthan. We left the hotel after breakfast and made an initial stop at the Palace of the Winds, also known as Hawa Mahal. 

The Palace was built to let the Royal ladies observe the daily street life and is made of pink and red sandstone. It was completed in 1799 and is best photographed early mornings, when the sun really brings the building to life!

Our next stop and main visit for the morning was the Amber Fort, located in Amber, 11km from Jaipur. It blends Hindu and Muslim (Mughal) elements in perfect harmony. Tourists can ride up to the fort from the base of the hill on elephants. 

The elephant drivers sitting on the decorated animals, are an interesting photo opportunity. More of the images shot during our 2 hour stay can be found here.

Driving back towards Jaipur we stopped at famous Jal Mahal. During most of the year, the Water Palace can only be reached by boat.  

In the late afternoon we visited the Jantar Mantar. The astronomical observatory built in the early 18th century, consisting of 14 major geometric devices to measure time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars and much more. It is the last one and the best preserved of the five built in India. An absolute must if you're in Jaipur. The shadow of the largest sundial (27m or 90ft tall) moves visibly at 1mm per second, making it very accurate for its day and age.

We spend the time around sunset in the old center of Jaipur observing daily life. One is never bored in a place like this... a photography paradise! 

One of my favorite images of the day is this shot of 2 guys on the lookout from what I think is their home. Initially I did not even notice the second guy on the left... 

As an image maker, I can stay hours on a street corner in cities like Jaipur and just observe people. 

The next day (day 6) was unfortunately our last day. We headed back to Delhi by car to catch our flight to Dubai. I'll finish this series with one more post on transport in India and some final thoughts. 

Till then,

Happy shooting,

BJORN