Pre-1727: Dhundhar was the Kachhwaha Rajput state whose capital was at Amber before Sawai Jai Singh II shifted it to Jaipur; older Jaipur-Amber traditions connect Dulha Rai with the 11th-century Kachhwaha rise. Major rulers included Raja Bharmal, Raja Man Singh I and Mirza Raja Jai Singh I.
Know Your District
Jaipur
The Pink City — capital of Rajasthan and a UNESCO World Heritage city
Last verified: 2026-05-04
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, founded in 1727 AD by Sawai Jai Singh II of Amber and one of India’s earliest planned cities, designed on a nine-block grid (chowkri) inspired by Vastu Shastra. The walled city was painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. It is the political, administrative and economic capital of the state, and houses the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha, Rajasthan Secretariat and the Rajasthan High Court Jaipur Bench.
District at a Glance
| Founded | 1727 AD by Sawai Jai Singh II |
|---|---|
| Old name of region | Dhundhar — Kachhwaha Rajput state with capital first at Amber |
| Status | State capital of Rajasthan; Jaipur Walled City — UNESCO World Heritage (2019) |
| Headquarters | Jaipur city |
| Lok Sabha constituencies overlapping Jaipur district | Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Ajmer, Dausa and Sikar include Jaipur district Assembly segments |
| Climate (Köppen) | BSh — Hot Semi-arid |
| Famous for | Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar Mantar (UNESCO), gem & jewellery export, Jaipur Literature Festival |
| Connectivity | Jaipur International Airport, Jaipur Junction, Jaipur Metro (Pink Line) |
History — Ancient → Medieval → Modern
1727 AD: Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur as a planned city based on the principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra; chief architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya laid out a nine-block grid.
1734: Rajput rulers met at Hurda to discuss Maratha pressure in Rajasthan. Sawai Jai Singh II also built five Jantar Mantar observatories — Jaipur, Delhi, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi; the Jaipur observatory is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010.
1799: Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built the iconic Hawa Mahal — a five-storey lattice screen of 953 jharokhas allowing royal women to observe street life unobserved.
1818: treaty of subordinate alliance with the British East India Company. 1876: Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II had the walled city painted pink to welcome Albert Edward, Prince of Wales — origin of the Pink City epithet.
30 March 1949: Jaipur state merged with the United States of Greater Rajasthan and became the capital of the unified state — Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II was the first Rajpramukh.
2019: the Walled City of Jaipur was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under criteria (ii), (iv) and (vi) — the second living urban site from India after Ahmedabad.
Art, Culture, Heritage & Tourism
Amber Fort: ridge-top palace-fort begun by Raja Man Singh I in 1592 and completed or expanded by Mirza Raja Jai Singh I; Sheesh Mahal of mirrors; UNESCO World Heritage as part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan since 2013.
City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar (UNESCO 2010), Albert Hall Museum (Indo-Saracenic, 1887, Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob), Jal Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort with Jaivana — once the world’s largest cannon on wheels.
Crafts: GI-tagged Blue Pottery of Jaipur (Turko-Persian origin), bandhej tie-and-dye, lac bangles, kundan-meenakari, gemstone cutting and polishing, marble and stone carving.
Performing arts and festivals: Jaipur Gharana of Kathak, Jaipur Literature Festival, Teej, Gangaur, Kite Festival and Dhulandi celebrations organised or listed by Rajasthan Tourism.
Religious sites: Govind Devji Temple with its Vrindavan-linked Krishna idol, Galta Ji, Birla Mandir, Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple and the ancient Digamber Jain temple at Sanganer.
Geography, Climate & Ecology
Eastern Rajasthan; the district sits on the eastern edge of the Aravalli range. The Aravalli foothills run north-south through the district — Nahargarh and Jaigarh sit on these ridges.
Climate is BSh (hot semi-arid): summer temperatures often touch 40–45 °C, winters 5–22 °C; average rainfall ~550–650 mm, mostly from the southwest monsoon (Jul-Sep).
Drainage: Banganga river (originates near Bairath, ephemeral) and Dhund are the principal streams. The Sambhar Salt Lake — India’s largest inland salt lake — lies on the Jaipur-Nagaur border.
Wildlife: the Jhalana Leopard Reserve inside city limits — an urban leopard reserve. Nahargarh Biological Park nearby. The Sambhar Lake is a Ramsar wetland and a major flamingo wintering site.
Soil: alluvial-aeolian mix; the Aravalli zones have rocky outcrops with marble, dolomite and calcite deposits.
Economy — Sectors, Industry, Energy
Gem & jewellery: Jaipur is one of the world’s largest gemstone-cutting and polishing hubs — coloured stones (emerald, tanzanite, ruby), enamelled gold (kundan-meenakari) and silver. Johari Bazaar and Surajpole markets, plus Sitapura SEZ for export.
Tourism and hospitality: Jaipur is the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur Golden Triangle gateway, with heritage forts and palaces, large visitor markets and the JECC convention centre at Sitapura.
Industrial estates and IT-BPO: RIICO industrial areas such as Sitapura and Bagru, plus Mahindra World City Jaipur SEZ at Kalwara; Mahindra sources identify Infosys, Wipro, Deutsche Bank, JCB and Mahindra & Mahindra among its ecosystem companies.
Textiles and crafts: Sanganeri block print and Bagru block print (both natural-dye traditions, GI tagged) — Sanganer is a major export cluster. Jaipur quilts (rajais), bandhej, lehariya, leheriya pagri.
Education and health: University of Rajasthan (1947), MNIT Jaipur, IIHMR, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, SMS Medical College and NIMS; the Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences, Jaipur Bill, 2025 provides for RIMS at Jaipur on the pattern of AIIMS, New Delhi.
Political & Administrative Setup
ECI mapping places Jaipur district Assembly segments across five Lok Sabha constituencies — Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Ajmer, Dausa and Sikar — and the district portal profile lists 19 Vidhan Sabha constituencies for the pre-reorganisation district.
Jaipur is the seat of the Rajasthan State Government — the Chief Minister’s Office, Vidhan Sabha and Secretariat — and it has the Rajasthan High Court Jaipur Bench; the High Court’s principal seat is at Jodhpur and RPSC is headquartered at Ajmer.
Administrative structure: the district portal profile lists 21 tehsils — Amber, Andhi, Bassi, Chaksu, Chomu, Dudu, Jaipur, Jamwa Ramgarh, Jobner, Kishangarh Renwal, Kotkhawda, Kotputli, Madhorajpura, Mauzamabad, Paota, Phagi, Phulera, Sanganer, Shahpura, Tunga and Viratnagar — along with Jaipur Municipal Corporation Greater/Heritage and Jaipur Development Authority.
Note on district reorganisation: Kotputli-Behror and Dudu were carved out as new districts in March 2023; Dudu was dissolved in December 2024 by the subsequent state government — verify the latest gazette before quoting district counts.
Major institutions: Rajasthan Legislative Assembly building, Rajasthan Secretariat, Rajasthan High Court Jaipur Bench, Jaipur Development Authority and Jaipur Municipal Corporation Greater/Heritage.
Governance Initiatives & Schemes (2025-26)
Jaipur Metro Phase-2: the Union Cabinet approved a 41 km North-South corridor from Prahladpura to Todi Mod with 36 stations and a ₹13,037.66 crore project cost in April 2026.
Smart Cities Mission: MoHUA lists Jaipur among the 20 Round-1 winning cities; Jaipur Smart City Limited describes work around infrastructure, heritage, tourism and public-bicycle mobility.
Heritage and tourism programming: Rajasthan Tourism lists Jaipur heritage attractions and annual Teej, Gangaur, Kite Festival and Dhulandi events; a Ministry of Tourism newsletter recognises Jaipur Literature Festival as the world’s largest free literary gathering.
Lakhpati Didi Yojana, PM Awas Yojana — Urban, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Yojana operate in Jaipur; Economic Review 2025-26 reports Jaipur led Rajasthan districts in PM Surya Ghar installed capacity at 110,627 kW up to December 2025.
PYQ One-Liners (RAS / RPSC / RSSB)
Verify exact options from official RPSC / RSSB question papers before any examination use.
RAS Pre
Q. Who founded Jaipur and in which year?
A. Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727 AD
RPSC
Q. Hawa Mahal was built by —
A. Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799
RPSC
Q. Which Jantar Mantar was inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage and in which year?
A. Jaipur Jantar Mantar — 2010
RAS Mains
Q. In which year was the walled city of Jaipur inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List?
A. 2019
RPSC
Q. Architect of Jaipur city —
A. Vidyadhar Bhattacharya
RAS Pre
Q. India’s largest inland salt lake on the Jaipur-Nagaur border is —
A. Sambhar Lake — a Ramsar wetland
Latest current affairs — Jaipur
Recent district-tagged news from the Aspirant Academy current-affairs corpus. Tap a headline for the full briefing.
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma Marks National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2026 with Call to Make Panchayats Digital and Self-Reliant; Reviews Dairy Federation Schemes and Directs Roll-Out of New Saras Outlets in Viksit Gram and Viksit Ward Areas
2026-04-24
On April 24, 2026 Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma marked National Panchayati Raj Day with a call to make panchayats digital and self-reliant. He convened a Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation review
- India Meteorological Department Issues Severe Heatwave Alert for Western Rajasthan from April 23, 2026; Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Phalodi, Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Sikar and Karauli Among Districts Affected
2026-04-23
IMD on April 23, 2026 issued a severe heatwave alert for western Rajasthan covering Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Phalodi, Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Sikar and Karauli, with the heatwave projected to intensif
- Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma Releases Sixth Installment of Mukhyamantri Kisan Samman Nidhi to 66.56 Lakh Farmers and Inaugurates ₹416 Crore Development Projects in Osian, Jodhpur on April 22, 2026
2026-04-22
CM Bhajanlal Sharma on April 22, 2026 released the sixth installment of Mukhyamantri Kisan Samman Nidhi via DBT, depositing over ₹665 crore into 66.56 lakh farmers' accounts, and inaugurated ₹416 cror
- Rajasthan Observes Maharshi Parashuram Jayanti as a Notified State Holiday on April 19, 2026; CM Bhajanlal Sharma Greets the Brahmin Community and Reiterates Government Patronage of Parashuram Cultural Heritage
2026-04-19
Rajasthan observed Maharshi Parashuram Jayanti as a notified state holiday on April 19, 2026, coinciding with Akshaya Tritiya. CM Bhajanlal Sharma greeted the Brahmin community and reaffirmed state pa
- Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma Issues Sharp Statement on Defeat of Women's Reservation Constitutional Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026; Calls It a "Dark Chapter" Caused by the Opposition
2026-04-17
On April 17, 2026, Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma sharply criticised the opposition for the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, calling the day a "dark chapter." The Bil
Test yourself — 10 questions
A quick self-check drawn from the district reference above. Bilingual, no login required.
Question 1 of 10
Who founded Jaipur city and in which year?
Frequently asked questions
Why is Jaipur called the Pink City?
In 1876, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II had the entire walled city painted pink — the colour of hospitality in Rajput tradition — to welcome Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). The pink wash has been preserved by municipal byelaw, and the walled city of Jaipur was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
Which UNESCO World Heritage sites are in or near Jaipur?
Three: the Jantar Mantar observatory (2010), Amber Fort as part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan serial inscription (2013) and the Walled City of Jaipur (2019). Jantar Mantar was built by Sawai Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1734 and houses the Samrat Yantra — the world’s largest sundial.
How many Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha seats does Jaipur district have?
ECI mapping places Jaipur district Assembly segments across Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Ajmer, Dausa and Sikar Lok Sabha constituencies; the district portal profile lists 19 Vidhan Sabha constituencies for the pre-reorganisation district.
What are Jaipur’s most important industries?
Gem and jewellery cutting and polishing (Johari Bazaar, Sitapura SEZ — coloured stones and kundan-meenakari), block-printed textiles (Sanganer and Bagru, both GI tagged), tourism and hospitality, and IT-BPO services anchored at Mahindra World City and RIICO Sitapura.