Jaipur City Plan

When Jai Singh built his new capital in Jaipur, he made it a planned town. Planned city was then a novel idea. Though Indus / Harappan Civilization was urban and built highly systematically and planned manner but practically he didn’t have any model to follow. In many other things, Jai Singh was a pioneer also in the matter of town planning in northern India. Jai Singh perhaps did not get much aid from the Shilpashastras. The Shilpashastras are actually compendiums of many arts; iconography, architecture, town planning etc. In building the temples and the numerous sculptures which adorn them, the Sliilpashasiras have always been used in our country, but no body at least in northern India, seems to have thought very much of their town planning chapters.

Apparently, he first selected the site and tried to fit in his idea with it, keeping in view the topographical constraints of the site. There were hills to the east, north, and to the north-west of the site. The new city had to be built in such a manner that not only were the hills avoided, but also the rain water flowing down the hills did not damage the town-wall. Another important physical constraint was a low ridge running approximately west to east through the proposed site. The main road which practically was the axis of the town had to be built along this ridge. This is the Chandpole Surajpole road, and it is because of the directions of the ridge not due west-east, but turned 15 degrees in the clockwise direction.

One of the constraints was artificial, Jai Singh had already constructed a garden called the Jai Nivas on the site, and he wanted the new city to be built round about this garden. This we know from Bhojanasara. This work on dietaries was written by Girdhari, one of the court poets of Jai Singh in 1739. In the first about 60 lines of this work Girdhari describes how the city was built. Jai Singh instructed Vidyadhar that Jai Nivas should come within the city. There should be many cross roads with shops on them. The backyards of the houses should meet together. Vidhyadhar was a factotum of Jai Singh. He had in 1726 built the Jaigarh in Amer and had been duly rewarded for the same. He was the engineer cum architect in charge also of building the new capital. The city was so meticulouly planned that exact specification of each house to be built on the plots was also given. These relate to the height of the plinth, the height of the first floor, the thickness of the walls etc. Vidyadhar was thus keeping a watch that flimsy buildings were not built in the new city. By constructing the shops on both sides of the main roads, he ensured the widths of these roads. Secondly, since all the shops had been constructed by the slate at the same time and on the same plan, the roads had a uniform look.

The plots for temples and for residential buildings were earmarked for certain people. This meant that the prominent people of the State were expected lo build their residential houses in this newly founded city. This ensured that there would be a good proportion of richer people in the population, and also add to the good look of the city, for naturally the richer people would build grand buildings for themselves. Thus Jai Singh ensured in all possible manner that his newIy built capital would have a planned, prosperous and uniform look.

Jaipur Tour Packages

Golden Triangle with Varanasi Tour

Golden Triangle with Varanasi Tour

7 Nights / 8 Days
Destination : Delhi - Jaipur - Abhaneri - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - Varanasi - Sarnath - Delhi

Celebrating International Yoga Day in Rishikesh Tour

Celebrating International Yoga Day in Rishikesh Tour

11 Nights / 12 Days
Destination : Delhi - Rishikesh - Agra - Jaipur - Delhi

Pushkar Fair Group Tour

Pushkar Fair Group Tour

8 Nights / 9 Days
Destination : Delhi-Mandawa-Bikaner- pushkar-Jaipur-Abhaneri-Agra

Cultural North India Tour

Cultural North India Tour

8 Nights / 9 Days
Destination : Delhi-jaipur-Agra-Khajuraho-Varanasi

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