Jaipur. A place that is known for its culturally significant and architecturally beautiful monuments like Govind Dev temple, City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. Most Indians have been there at least once to ride an elephant, buy handicrafts, marvel at its grandeur and enjoy a scrumptious Rajasthani thaali. And now UNESCO has acknowledged its beauty too.
The 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2019 is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. And 16 countries (out of the total 21 in attendance) have decided to include Pink City Jaipur in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Apart from Rajasthan’s capital, there are 37 other Indian sites on this list. Ahmedabad was the first city to be accorded with the honour in 2017 and now the ‘Walled city’ is second.
The official press release says, “The fortified city of Jaipur, in India’s northwestern state of Rajasthan, was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II. 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.”
It further added, “The streets feature continuous collonaded businesses that intersect in the centre, creating large public squares called chaupars. Markets, stalls, residences and temples built along the main streets have uniform facades. The city’s urban planning shows an exchange of ideas from ancient Hindu and modern Mughal as well as Western cultures. The grid plan is a model that prevails in the West, while the organization of the different districts refers to traditional Hindu concepts.”
“Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions to this day.”
Earlier, God’s own country Kerala made it to CNN Travel’s 19 places to visit in 2019 and Hampi was featured in The New York Times’ list of 52 must-see destinations of 2019. Have you been to any of these gorgeous places?