Architecture of Jaipur

1. JAIPUR

2.  Jaipur 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.
 Jaipur is also known as Pink City and Paris of India.
 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.
HISTORY

3. BRIEF HISTORY
 In ancient time Jaipur region came under the Matsya Kingdom.
 Modern Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Ram Seo
Master II of Amber who ruled from 1699–1744.
 Initially, his capital was Amber, which lies 11 km from Jaipur.
 He felt the need of shifting his capital city with the increase in
population and growing scarcity of water.
 Jaipur came into existence on the classical principles of Vastu
Shastra and similar classical treatises.
 After waging several battles with the Marathas, Maharaja
Sawai Jai Singh II wanted to improve the security aspects of the
city.

4. CONSTRUCTION IN CITY
 The construction of the city started in 1727.
 It took around four years to complete the major palaces, roads
and square.
 The city was built following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the
science of Indian Architecture.
 The city was divided into nine blocks, of which two contain the
state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to
the public.
 Huge fortification walls were built, along with seven strong
gates.
 For the time, architecture of the town was very advanced, and
certainly the best in the Indian subcontinent.
 In 1876, during the regime of Sawai Ram Singh, the whole city
was painted pink to welcome Edward, Prince of Wales.
 Today, avenues remain painted in pink, giving Jaipur a

5. CLIMATE
 Jaipur has a hot semi-arid climate .
 Rainfall :650 millimetres of rainfall annually
 Most rains occur in the monsoon months between June and
September.
 Temperatures remain relatively high throughout the year, with
the summer months of April to early July having average daily
temperatures of around 30 °C.
 During the monsoon there are frequent, heavy rains and
thunderstorms, but flooding is not common.
 The winter months of November to February are mild and
pleasant, with average temperatures ranging from 15–18 °C
(59–64 °F) and with little or no humidity.

6. LOCATION
 Jaipur is the headquarters of Jaipur district which is situated in
the eastern part of Rajasthan.
 It is located at 26.92°N 75.82°E. It has an average elevation of
431 metres.
 The major rivers passing through the Jaipur district are Banas
and Banganga.
 Ground water resources to the extent of about 28.65 million
cubic meters are available in the district.
 Although serious drought is rare, poor water management and
exploitation of groundwater with extensive tube-well systems
threatens agriculture in some areas.

7. ARCHITECTURE
 The city was planned according to Indian Vastu Shastra (Vedic
Planning for the comfort and prosperity of the citizens).
 The directions of each street and market are East to West and
North to South.
 The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western
gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol.
 There are three gates facing East, West, and North and a
Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces
toward the ancestral capital of Amber, while many gates face
South.
 The city was originally within walls, though it has expanded
outside of the original walls over time.
 The gates used to be closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. The
town of Jaipur is built in the form of an eight-part Mandala
known as the 'Pithapada'.

8. ORNAMENTATION
• Ornamentation had always been a part of the state’s
architectural heritage, now it became much more opulent.
• The private wings of the family also extended their
entertainment areas. Since defence was no longer a primary
concern, larger, more ornamental windows were built to over
look the streets or courtyards outside these wings.
• Gardens were no longer planned within the internal courtyards
only, but were added to the external vistas, and water, a basic
feature of Mughal palaces and gardens, was utilized in a similar
fashion, in canals and fountains.

10. DESIGN GENERATORS
• BASIC FEATURES:
 Courtyard to support ventilation.
 Big windowds with low sill.
 High ceiling to increase comfort levels.
• MATERIALS:
 stone the basic construction unit - lime is used as binding
material
 Big stone pillars used in elevation.
 Complete rubble masonary.
 Kota stone flooring.

11. TYPICAL ZONING IN A HIGH
PROFILE HOUSE
 The right half is the public zone or men’s area, which belonged
to the head of the family.
 The left half is the private zone with study, bedrooms specially
for the ladies, kitchen and dinning.

12. ZONING AND SPACE TYPE
PRIVATE SPACE PUBLIC SPACES

13. GROUND FLOOR PLAN FIRST FLOOR PLAN
DESIGNING AND PLANNING:
•The house stands well in approxmately square plan with nearly
55% of carpet area.
•The plan well facilitates the need of the family and the customs
they follow.

14. FEATURES:
-Courtyard house.
-Mirror image along central axis
into halves.
-Two flights of stair case.
-First floor construction in three
parts.
-Bedroom on southwest.
-Pooja & study in north.
-Guest room & servants quarter
in east.

15. ELEVATION:
• As the building was built in the colonial period it reflects the elements
of influence like the pillars & the arches.
• The façade is colored white blended with Jaipur style.

16. SECTIONS

17. Arches with stone columns and brackets
with jaipuri carved jalis
Big windows with ventilators.

18. First Floor Terrace
Typical Staircase in Jaipur

19. The courtyard is the core area
of the house hold activities
with circumferential verandah
and aid in light and
ventilation.
Ventilators in a
Room

20. There are large windows with
low sill for ventilation is also
typical to hot climate.
As told the cornice are painted with
flowers and leaves design in vegetable
and natural colors.

21. The rooms in the façade are chamfered at 45, and forms two
octagonal volumes vertically, which is unique to Jaipur and can be
seen in many buildings of the old city as in Hawa Mahal.

22. CLIMATE AND UTILITY PATTERN:
• The north is along the diagonal.
• It is a south west facing with maximum fenestrations.
• North east is guarded by biulding beyond and courtyard in
north east.
There is sequence of spaces being used with changing solar angle and seaso

23. FOUNDATION AND ROOM SIZE RESTRICTIONS:
• As the roof was made up of stone slab so the room size was
restricted to 10’, where ever required to increase the size of room
iron girders were used as beams.
Foundation 12’ deep, of stone slabs resting on walls.

24. HAVELIS OF JAIPUR
• Haveli, a multistoried building with rooms facing an inner
courtyard or a system of courtyards (sometimes as many as
seven). They are generally built of red sandstone or brick with
lime mortar.
• The haveli principle was developed to contend with the extreme
climate and to satisfy perse sociocultural requirements.
• Together, the havelis are accessible only from narrow alleys,
and they form densely built residential complexes.
• Such a complex is known as a mohalla; in addition to dwellings,
it contains a number of artisan workshops, a temple or two and
perhaps a mosque.
• Each mohalla typically accommodates about 40 to 50 residential
plots, which makes them a cohesive social and cultural
subgroup.

25. CHARACTERISTICS OF HAVELIS
• Courtyard planning also helped to keep the interior private, but
the need to separate men and women required more complicated
arrangements.
• Where possible, women were kept to their own inner part of the
house, the zenana.
• This might be a rear courtyard, or an upper floor. High walls,
with pierced screens (jalis), for air and limited views, helped
maintain privacy, along with the careful use of bamboo blinds
(chiks) and curtains (pardas).
• Havelis were designed so as to temper the worst excess of the hot
climate, with a range of spaces, from external courts (chowks) and
terraces to verandas to inner rooms, for use at different times of
day and in different seasons.

26. CHARACTERISTICS OF HAVELIS
• Jharokhas, bay windows bracketed out from the walls and often
filled with jalis, helped those sitting behind to catch any possible
breeze, as well as to glimpse the world beyond.
• Bracketed access balconies and overhanging upper stories not
only maximised space, but provided welcome shading.
• Besides these practical considerations, the havelis played an
important role as status symbols, so size and richness of
decoration were highly valued.
• Most of the rooms in the haveli were required to be flexible in
their use, with soft furnishings.

27. CHARACTERISTICS OF HAVELIS
• Every haveli had a grand reception room for receiving formal
visitors and for festival gatherings or family celebrations.
• Some had a further reception room in the zenana, and some had
screened viewing windows to allow the women to watch certain
of the men’s festivities.
• Smaller reception rooms were required for business offices, and
raised platforms (chabutras) served as the inevitable waiting
room.

28. TRADITIONAL HOUSE IN
CHANDPOLE
Jaipur

29. FEATURES
 Built in the early 1900s as the city house for the kalwar family,
the house bears distinct signs of that era.
 Being a royal family that had a fort and a village named after
them, the city house had to be grand as well as big to
accommodate the extended family.
 The kalwar house is very cleverly divided into two main zones:
 The public area (ground floor)
 The private or family activity areas (upper floors).
 This particular kind of zoning was basically done for two major
reasons:
 Keeping professional and private lives separate.
 Keeping the women folk safe and secure and away from the
public eye. This was done according to the cultural mindset of
the people at those times.

30. • While the rest of the houses don’t have platforms in front of
them, neither do they have a entry with so much grandeur.
• Even though the housetype is courtyard type but the ground
floor is not connected in the courtyard.
• That is, the courtyard is on the first floor. Thus there was
interaction between the first and the second floor through the
courtyrad while the ground floor was completely cut off due to
the earlier reasons.
• The house is decorated with numerous beautiful jaalis, carvings,
big halls with fireplaces, etc.
• There are many rooms on each floor for the accomodation of
visitors and extended family members, also to show off their
royal status.
• The overall look of the kalwar house is thus one of luxury and
FEATURES

31. ELEVATION
• The impressive façade of the kalwar house further marks the
importance of the occupants.
• The numerous windows and jaalis present in the upper floors acted
like a purdah for the women as well as a statement of importance.

32. • The ground floor is mostly public- as the area was meant for
business and work related interactions.
• The upper floors are predominantly private as the women were
scarcely allowed to come out in the open and interact.

33. GROUND FLOOR PLAN

34. FIRST FLOOR PLAN

35. SECOND FLOOR PLAN

36. AMER PALACE

37. AMER FORT
• Amer Fort) is located in Amer (a town with an area of 4 square
kilometres
(1.5 sq mi), 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India.
• It is one of the principal tourist attractions in the Jaipur area, located
high on a hill.Amer Fort was made by Meenas king Raja Alan Singh
Chanda later occupied by Kachhawa rajput .
• CHARACTERISTIC:
• Amer Fort is known for its artistic style, blending both Hindu Rajput
elements.
• The fort with its large ramparts, series of gates and cobbled paths,
overlooks the Maota Lake, at its forefront.
• The aesthetic ambiance of this formidable fort is seen within its walls
on a four level (each with a courtyard) layout plan in well turned out
opulent palace complex built with red sandstone and marble
consisting of the Diwan-e-Aam or the "Hall of Public Audience", the
Diwan-e-Khas or the "Hall of Private Audience", the Sheesh Mahal
(mirror palace) or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where a cool

38. • The Amer Fort is also popularly known as the Amer Palace.
• The palace was lived in by the Rajput Maharajas and their
families. At the entrance to the palace near the fort’s Ganesh
Gate, there is also a temple dedicated to Sila Devi, a goddess of
the Chaitanya cult which was gifted to Raja Mansingh when he
had defeated the Raja of Jessore in Bengal (Jessore is now in
Bangladesh) in 1604.
• This fort along with Jaigarh Fort located immediately above on
the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of same Aravalli range of
hills, is considered as one complex, as the two are well connected
by subterranean passage.
• This passage was meant as an escape route in times of war for
the royal family members and others in the Amer Fort to shift to
the more redoubtable Jaigarh Fort.
• Constructed of red lime sand stone it stills stands as a historic
monument.

39. HISTORY
• Amer was known in the medieval period as Dhundar (meaning
attributed to a sacrificial mount in the western frontiers) and ruled
by the Kachwahas from the 11th century onwards – between 1037
and 1727 AD, till the capital was moved from Amer to Jaipur.The
history of Amer is indelibly linked to these rulers as they founded
their empire at Amer.
• Earlier to the Kachwahas, Amer was a small place built by the
Meenas in the town they consecrated to Amba, the Mother Goddess,
whom they knew as `Gatta Rani' or `Queen of the Pass’.
• The structure was fully expanded by his descendant, Jai Singh I.
Even later, Amer Fort underwent improvements and additions by
successive rulers over the next 150 years, until the Kachwahas
shifted their capital to Jaipur during the time of Sawai Jai Singh II,
in 1727.
• Many of the ancient structures of the medieval period of the Meenas
have been either destroyed or replaced.
• However, the 16th century impressive edifice of the Amer Fort and

40. LAYOUT
• The fort is divided into four main sections each with its own
entry gate and courtyard.
• Main entry is through the Suraj Pole (Sun Gate) which leads to
Jaleb Chowk, which is the first main courtyard.
• This was the place where armies would hold victory parades
with their war bounty on their return from battles, which were
also witnessed by the Royal family women folk through the
latticed windows.
• This gate was built exclusively and was provided with guards as
it was the main entry into the palace.
• It faced the eastern direction towards the rising Sun and hence
the name.
•

41. LAYOUT
• Royal cavalcades and dignitaries entered the palace through this
gate.
• Jaleb Chowk is an Arabic usage, which means a place for
soldiers to assemble. This is one of the four courtyards of the
Amer Palace, which was built during Sawai Jai Singh’s reign
(1693–1743 AD).
• The Maharaja's personal bodyguards held parades here under
the command of the army commander or Fauj Bakshi. The
Maharaja used to inspect the Guards contingent.
• At this location, the horse stables were also located where its
upper level rooms were occupied by the guards.

42. 1. Suraj Pol (Victory) Gate 4. Diwan-i-Am 7. Suk Mandir
2. Jaleb Chowk 5. Jas/Jai Mandir 8. Baradari
3. Shiva Devi Temple 6. Ganesh Pol 9. Zenana

43. DESIGN
FIRST COURTYARD:
• An impressive stairway from the Jaleb Chowk leads into the
main palace grounds.
• Here, at the entrance itself to the right of the stairway steps is
the Sila Devi temple where the Rajput Maharajas offered
worship, starting with Maharaja Mansingh in the 16th century
till the 1980s, when the animal sacrifice ritual (sacrifice of a
buffalo) practiced by the royalty was stopped .
• Ganesh Pol or the Ganesh Gate, named after the Hindu god
Lord Ganesh who removes all obstacles in life, is the entry
into the private palaces of the Maharajas.

44. DESIGN
• It is a three level structure which has many frescoes and was
also built at the orders of the Mirza Raja Jai Singh(1621–1627)
and leads to the private quarters of the royal family.
• Above this gate is the Suhag Mandir where ladies of the royal
family used to watch through the latticed windows functions
held in the Diwan-i-Am. Sila Devi templeOn the right side of the
Jaleb Chowk there is a small but an elegant temple called the
Sila Devi (an incarnation of Kali or Durga) temple.
• The entrance to the temple is through silver sheet covered
double leaf gate with raised relief. The main deity inside the
sanctum is flanked by two lions made in silver.

46. AMER FORT
Second courtyard
• The second courtyard, up the main stairway of the first level
courtyard, houses the Diwan-i-Am or the Public Audience Hall.
Built with double row of columns, the Diwan-i-Am is a raised
platform with 27 colonnades, each of which is mounted with
elephant shaped capital with galleries above it. As the name
suggests, the Raja held audience here to hear and receive
petitions from the public.

48. AMER FORT
THIRD COURTYARD
• The third courtyard is where the private quarters of the
Maharaja, his family and attendants were built.
• This courtyard is entered through the Ganesh Pol or Ganesh
Gate, which is embellished with mosaics and sculptures.
• The court yard has two buildings, one opposite to the other,
separated by a garden laid in the fashion of the Mughal
Gardens.
• The building to the left of the entrance gate is called the Jai
Mandir, which is exquisitely beautified with glass inlaid panels
and multi-mirrored ceilings.
• The mirrors are of convex shape and designed with coloured foil
and paint which would glitter bright under candle nights at the
time it was in use.
• Also known as Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), the mirror
mosaics and coloured glasses were "glittering jewel box in

49. THIRD COURTYARD
• However, most of this work was allowed to deteriorate during
the period 1970–80 but has since then been subjected to a
process of restoration and renovation. Carved marble relief
panels are placed on walls around hall. The hall provides
enchanting vistas of the Maota Lake.
• The other building seen in the court yard is opposite to the Jai
Mandir and is known as the Sukh Niwas or Sukh Mahal (Hall of
Pleasure). This hall is approached through a sandalwood door
with marble inlay work with perforations. A piped water supply
flows through an open channel that runs through this edifice
keeping the environs cool, as in an air conditioned environment.
The water from this channel was led into the garden.
• Magic flower : A particular attraction here is the “magic flower”
fresco carved in marble at the base of one of the pillars around
the mirror palace which is identified by two hovering butterflies
depiction; the flower has seven unique designs of fish tail, a
lotus, a hooded cobra, an elephant trunk, a lion’s tail, a cob of
corn and a scorpion, each is viewed by a particular way of
partial

51. 1. Suraj Pol (Victory) Gate 4. Diwan-i-Am 7. Suk Mandir
2. Jaleb Chowk 5. Jas/Jai Mandir 8. Baradari
3. Shiva Devi Temple 6. Ganesh Pol 9. Zenana

52. AMER FORT
FOURTH COURTYARD
• The fourth courtyard is where the Zenana (Royal family
women, including concubines or mistresses) lived. This
courtyard has many living rooms where the queens resided and
who were visited by the king at his choice without being found
out as to which queen he was visiting, as all the rooms open into
a common corridor.
• The queen mothers and the Raja’s consorts lived in this part of
the palace in Zanani Deorhi, which also housed their female
attendants. The queen mothers took deep interest in building
temples in Amer town.
• Jas Mandir, a hall of private audience with floral glass inlays
and alabaster relief work is also located in this courtyard