Brigadier H.H. Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh of Jaipur

Brigadier H.H. Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh was the titular Maharaja of Jaipur from June 24, 1970 to December 28, 1971. He served the Indian Army from 1951-1972 and received the prestigious award of Mahavir Chakra. He was bestowed with the rank of the Brigadier after his voluntary retirement from the Army. He was one of the richest Maharajas of India after post-independence. He died on April 17, 2011 in a private hospital in Gurgaon, Haryana due to multi-organ failure.

Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh’s Birth

He was born to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and his first wife, Maharani Marudhar Kanwar Devi Sahiba, daughter of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, on October 22, 1931. His birth was a very much celebrated affair in Jaipur as it was for the first time in many generations that a male heir was born to a reigning Maharaja of Jaipur. All other Maharajas of Jaipur, including his own father were adopted. It is said that during the celebration of his birth, a lot of champagne flowed because of which, he was nicknamed ‘Bubbles’.

Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh’s Education

He received his early education at Sheshbagh School, Srinagar and The Doon School, Dehradun. He was later sent to Harrow School in the United Kingdom.

Sawai Bhawani Singh Ascended the Throne

Sawai Bhawani Singh ascended the throne of Jaipur on June 24, 1970 after the untimely and accidental death of his father, His Highness Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. He held the title of the Maharaja until 1971, when all titles and privileges associated to the princely states were abolished by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India.

His official title was as follows: ‘Brigadier His Highness Saramad-i-Rajaha-i-Hindustan Raj Rajendra Shri Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Sawai Shri Bhawani Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Jaipur’.

Read More

Ravindra Rang Manch: A State of The Art Theatre Center With a Vibrant Past But Uncertain Future

Ravindra Rang Manch holds a distinct lace as the renowned cultural center of Jaipur. Counted among the 17 most important cultural centers envisioned by the great visionary of last century the first prime minister Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Ravindra Manch has kept its promise to promote the arts and cultural events till date. The place is renowned for staging various dramas, dance performances and culture shows that enthralls the citizens and tourists alike. It also helps the budding artist to present their skills while the accomplished artisans use this powerful platform to reach their audiences. The theatre precincts have a perfuming art theater and a modern art gallery. The theater has both in house and open air galleries. The open air theater has a capacity of as many as 500 people. 

What is the Ravindra Manch Famous for?

This sprawling cultural center has a unit simple ambiance offers a welcome contrast to the luxurious ambiance of Jawahar Kala Kendra the other art gallery and cultural center of Jaipur. The place frequently stages various local artists' performances, dramas, cultural programmers and It was established in 1961 as a part if the 17 major cultural centers of India by the first Indian Prime minister Jawahsar Lal Nehru'

Dance Festivals, Painting Exhibition and various Dramas are regularly staged on Ravindra Manch. 

Read More

Jaigarh: The Beautiful fort with sturdy walls

This sturdy, sprawling fort was built in 1726 by Mahraja Jaisingh II when the Jaipur was made capital of the state. The 3 Km long fort had a distinct identity as the best foundry of the country and many high-end canons were cast in the compounds of its canon foundry. Using the highly advanced techniques and distinct crafting skills the local Rajputs built the canons that proved their mettle in the battlefields and impressed many mighty Mughals who were loyal admirers of these massive machines. The fort houses several palaces and museum that are delight to the eyes. So why to wait and waste time, let’s take a look:

Warehouse of Weapons

One of the major places that effortlessly captivate the attention is Munitions' Store in its compound. A wide array of massive and lethal weapons is a sight to behold: Right from Medieval weapons that required massive physical strength, to European weapons that employed smart, mechanical force and a greater accuracy.

What to see?

• Some of the medieval weapons include swords, arrows, bows, javelins and various types of small battle-knives.
• The European weapon collection is equally impressive with a wide array of massive guns, revolvers, rifles and bombs.

Read More

Jaipur’s Oldest Clock-Towers

The city of Jaipur is home to a variety of architectural marvels from historic times. While the city’s forts and palaces are just too popular, there are some historic landmarks that are equally iconic but go unnoticed many a times. We are talking of the clock towers of Jaipur, which are undoubtedly the oldest time-keepers of the city.

There was a time when nobody owned watches; only these clock towers told people about what time of the day it was. Though most of these clock towers aren’t functional any more but they still fascinate people with their beauty and architectural designs. Do visit the below mentioned clock towers and say them a hello!

Clock Tower, Ram Mandir at Bani Park

The Ram Mandir located at Bani Park, Jaipur has a clock tower. This one was constructed by the famous Poddar family of the city.

Clock Tower, City Palace

City Palace, Jaipur, which is the official residence of the royal family of Jaipur, also holds a clock tower. This clock tower was built in the year 1873 by Sawai Ram Singh. He bought it from Kolkata for Rs.6,000 at that time.

Read More

International Flights

Do you want to travel to some international destinations from Jaipur for work or for vacation? Then you are at the right place. The Jaipur International Airport connects Jaipur to 4 different international destinations via direct flights. These 4 destinations include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat and Sharjah. And soon this airport will also operate a direct flight to Singapore, which is going to start this October 2016.

Other than these cities which are directly connected to Jaipur International Airport, you can travel to anywhere in the world through the numerous connecting flights from Jaipur via Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, etc.

The major airlines that operate direct flights from Jaipur to international destinations are Etihad, SpiceJet, Air-India Express, Oman Air and Air Arabia. Explore the different flights connecting Jaipur to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah and Bangkok along with their arrival and departure timings below.

Jaipur to Abu Dhabi flights

Flight No.	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Days of Operation
Etihad 207	04:00 a.m.	06:10 a.m.	Daily

Jaipur to Dubai flights

The Jaipur International Airport runs the following flights to Dubai International Airport.

Flight No.	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Days of Operation
SpiceJet 57	09:10 a.m.	11:25 a.m.	Except M, Sat
Air-India Express 19	03:35 p.m.	05:30 p.m.	M, W, F, Sat

Read More

12 Bollywood Movies that Happily Flaunted Bandhej, Block Print and other Rajasthani Fabrics!

Rajasthan is well known for its food, dresses, festivals, safaris, and jewellery. The vibrancy of the state lies in the colourful attires and awe-inspiring silver jewellery. The fabrics produced in the state are not only famous inside the borders but these fabrics of bandhej, block print, lehariya, batik print and applique work are also doing wonders in the entire nation, and perhaps the world. Rajasthan, which is one of the favourite spots for cinematography to many directors, is also the most adored place for inspiration to many designers.

An excellent range of Rajasthani colours and Rajasthani designs have been used by many designers of Bollywood to give a vibrant touch to the movie. Some of the movies that carried elegance with Rajasthani fabrics are listed below.

1. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)

The movie received a lot of fame from its very signature dance step in the title track ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’. In this movie, Princess Maithili (Sonam Kapoor) was spotted in a pink lehariya saree. The designer of the movie also used other Rajasthani fabrics in the Rajasthani turban for Anupam Kher and bandhej shirt for supporting role actor.

Image Source – Bollywood Today

2. Ek Paheli Leela (2015)

The reincarnation story released in 2015, Ek Paheli Leela is an entertaining and eye-filling movie. In the movie Leela (Sunny Leone) is shown wearing Rajasthani bandhej in a very seductive way. Not only the dresses of Sunny Leone had Rajasthani touch in them, but the designer also used Rajasthani fabrics to design attires of male actors too.

Image Source – in.com and rediff.com

3. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya (2014)

Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan starrer film ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya’ has been praised by many people for its beautiful cinematography and fine selection of couture. The film shot at the locations of Ambala and Delhi, has used many fabric designs of Rajasthan to elevate the beauty of wardrobe selection. In the movie, gorgeous Alia Bhatt has been spotted wearing Bandhej Fabric Suit and Pink Lehariya Dupatta in the most famous song of the movie ‘Main Tenu Samjhawaan Ki’. Not only for Alia, the designer also used applique work of rajasthani fabrics to design maroon kurta for Varun Dhawan.

‘Pink Bandhej Suit’

Image Source – All Wide Wallpapers

‘Maroon Applique Work Kurta’

Image Source – Bollywood Life

‘Lehariya Dupatta’

Image Source – Apna TV

4. PK (2014)

Indian satirical science fiction comedy, PK got famous because of the controversies it faced. The film produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani showcased the real fabric of Rajasthan without any add-ons. Actor Amir Khan and Actor Sanjay Dutt both were spotted wearing traditional pagdi (turban), lehariya shirts and Rajasthani dhoti kurta.

Read More

Kite Names: Every Kite Design in Jaipur has a Unique Name

Now that you have celebrated the kite festival with such great zeal and enthusiasm, do you know that the kites you flied also have special names? Yes, they have! All the colourful kite designs that you see during the Makar Sankranti season in Jaipur have interesting unique names that make them even more special.

Scroll down to see the different kite names and pictures along with the reasons why they are called so.

1. Dadhiyal

This kite design divides it in 2 equal parts, which have two different colours. Jaipurites call it Dadhiyal.

2. Chaand Dara

When you see a full moon on your kite, it is Chaand Dara. This is one of the most commonly spotted kite names in India.

Read More