A CITY IN ITS PRIME
Travel+Leisure India|January 2020
THE YEAR 2019 SAW THE OLD WALLED CITY OF JAIPUR EARN THE TITLE OF A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CITY. WE DIDN’T NEED ANY MORE CONVINCING TO START THE NEW YEAR WITH A LENS ON THE REGAL DESTINATION AND ITS ROYAL FAMILY.
A CITY IN ITS PRIME
This may partly be due to my impressions of the city from my first visit over five years ago. Every time I have revisited Jaipur since, new elements have snuck into the image like previously lost pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. A view of the sunrise from atop the Nahargarh Fort, the sweeping promenade along Jal Mahal, the folk music in the corridors of Amer Fort, the picturesque Diggi Palace, the myriad colours of Bapu Bazaar, the hot kachoris near Raj Mandir—it’s a mishmash of sights and sounds and smells found nowhere else in India, or the world. The last two visits have firmly established City Palace, Jaipur in this forever evolving picture—and rightly so. The palace is the heart of Jaipur, one that has been beating since the 1720s.

I spy peacocks and pigeons tiptoeing in the royal gardens of the City Palace. We last shot here in 2018, with the charming Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh posing in the historic sections of the palace. A little over a year later, the 21-year-old king is much more at ease as he welcomes us into his childhood home. In fact, life inside the private section of the City Palace is more casual than you’d imagine it to be. Guarding the khaasa gate of the private section for 34 years now, Rampal has been around since the time of Sawai Bhawani Singh, the last official Maharaja of Jaipur. With broad shoulders and a humble smile hiding under his big moustache, he tells me that he admires the youthful spontaneity of his new king. In a passing conversation about the changing times, he also regales me with tales of personalities like the late Princess Diana and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who have stayed in the palace. “I wouldn’t have met the people I have if it wasn’t for this job,” he says, with evident pride.

Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Travel+Leisure India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Travel+Leisure India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA TRAVEL+LEISURE INDIASe alt
Retro: Timeless & Trending
Travel+Leisure India

Retro: Timeless & Trending

As AI dominates the tech world, Nikhil Chawla introduces devices and apps that evoke nostalgia with their retro charm and timeless appeal.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Celebrating Timeless Austin
Travel+Leisure India

Celebrating Timeless Austin

Austin is a melting pot of culture and style, and a personification of the great American lifestyle,

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
A Legacy of Art and Activism
Travel+Leisure India

A Legacy of Art and Activism

Mallika Sarabhai reflects on her rich heritage as she discusses her unique approach to blending tradition with modernity, the power of arts in activism and her commitment to bringing about social change, in this conversation with Dipali Patwa.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
Second Course
Travel+Leisure India

Second Course

Noma chef René Redezpi found fame with ingredient-focused fine dining. His new TV show goes even further.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
The Safari Sanctuary
Travel+Leisure India

The Safari Sanctuary

Aamaghati Wildlife Resort, Ranthambore’s latest opening, offers the finest facilities and accommodation in the district and has the park embedded deep inside its soul.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
THE ETERNAL FLAVOURS of our TIMELESS CLASSICS
Travel+Leisure India

THE ETERNAL FLAVOURS of our TIMELESS CLASSICS

India's most-loved restaurants have all stood the test of time, especially in an era when food ventures open with vast market research and modern aesthetics but fail to make a lasting impression. This is what makes our favourites timeless.

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2024
LATE CHECK OUT WITH Ayushmann Churrana
Travel+Leisure India

LATE CHECK OUT WITH Ayushmann Churrana

A film with a social message, a deeply inspiring couplet, a music tour that lets him explore his alter ego of sorts—what makes Ayushmann Khurrana the right fit in everything he chooses to do?

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
Luxury Legacy
Travel+Leisure India

Luxury Legacy

Meet Tikka Shatrujit Singh, the visionary who paved the way for luxury brands to thrive in India. One of the most iconic figures in India's fashion and luxury industry, the former head representative of LVMH in Asia tells Samreen Tungekar about his journey, what today's consumer wants, and how Indian tourism can turn the world on its head.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
Global Glamour
Travel+Leisure India

Global Glamour

Attention shopaholics, we've got you covered! From Copenhagen to Cape Town, Marrakech to Melbourne, here are 20 cities across the world where you can indulge in retail therapy. Follow our guide to get your hands on traditional, bespoke, sustainable, slow fashion, and innovative, kitschy must-haves.

time-read
10 mins  |
October 2024
ARTISTIC INGENUITY MEETS ARCHITECTURAL SPLENDOUR
Travel+Leisure India

ARTISTIC INGENUITY MEETS ARCHITECTURAL SPLENDOUR

Architect Simran Boparai's skilled designs blend modernity with heritage, while striving for spatial excellence.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024