India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (282 page)

Climate
Summers have a mean maximum temperature of 104°F (40°C) and a minimum of 75°F (24°C), while winters range between a mean maximum of 70°F (21°C) and minimum of 48°F (9°C). The best weather occurs October through February.

Directory Assistance
For telephone numbers call
197.
The number
0141/274-4447
is a privately operated general information number (talking Yellow Pages) that you can call for directory inquiries or information on shopping, restaurants, and the like.

Emergencies
Ambulance
102;
fire
101;
police
100.

Hospitals
Santokba Durlabji Memorial Hospital
(
0141/256-6251
to -6257) is located on Bhawani Singh Marg.
SMS Hospital
(
0414/256-0291
) is on Sawai Ram Singh Road.

Newspapers & Books
You can pick up an amazing selection of newspapers, magazines, and books from tiny, inconspicuous
Books Corner
on M.I. Road; Jaipur Vision is a local newspaper. Also look out for the Jaipur Time Out.

Police
Sindhi Camp Police Station
can be reached at
0141/220-6201.

Post Office
The GPO (
0141/236-8740
) is on M.I. Road (Mon–Sat 10am–6pm).

Tourist Help Desk
Call the
24-hour tourist help desk
(
1364
) if you want to report a theft or register a tourism-related complaint. If you can’t get through, you can call the help desk’s Delhi office at
98-1157-3315.

WHAT TO SEE & DO

The principal attraction of the Old City of Jaipur is its
City Palace
(see below), nearby
Jantar Mantar
(also described below), and much-photographed
Hawa Mahal (Palace of Wind).
Built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799, Hawa Mahal (
0141/261-8862;
Rs 5 entry, Rs 30 camera, Rs 70 video; daily 9am–4:30pm) is principally a pyramid-shaped five-story honeycombed facade of 593 latticed-stone screened windows, known as
jarokhas,
behind which the ladies of the palace could view the city without being seen. You can walk along the corridors that line the windows, which are mostly one room thick, but the building’s principal attraction is the facade, which is best viewed in the early morning from the street level (entrance from Tripolia Bazaar, Police HQ lane). Also within the city complex, opposite Chandra Mahal, is
Govindji Temple
(daily 5–11am and 6–8pm): The family temple of the Maharajas of Jaipiur and the most famous in the city it is dedicated to Lord Krishna, and installed here so that Jai Singh II could see his favorite deity from the Chandra Mahal. The Krishna image was brought here from Brindavan in the late 17th century; devotees are allowed only a glimpse of it seven times a day. You will notice that the temple is open sided and is more like a Mughal audience hall; the reason being that it was originally a palace pavilion but after Krishna appeared to Jai Singh in a dream here he honored the deity by converting it into a temple.