Jaipur in pictures: Painted elephants, amber forts and pink palaces

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Jaipur in pictures: Painted elephants, amber forts and pink palaces
Jaipur in pictures: Painted elephants, amber forts and pink palaces

Bruno Morandi/Getty Images


Jaipur, the jewel in Rajasthan's crown, is a collision of colours, sounds and smells. A pink-hued city full of ancient monuments, impossibly delicate palaces, hulking forts, vibrant markets and the noise, heat and foot traffic of one of India's largest cities.

Established in 1727 by Jai Singh II, this was India's first planned city and it shows: towering city gates give way to winding streets and ornate buildings, where history, culture and modern commerce are crushed together in a multi-coloured explosion of temples, havelis, fabric shops and rickshaws.

Jaipur in pictures: Painted elephants, amber forts and pink palaces
Jaipur in pictures: Painted elephants, amber forts and pink palaces


Even the animals aren't immune to the colour of the city. Each year the resident elephants are carefully painted and bedecked with bangles and jewellery in celebration of Jaipur's Elephant Festival held in March. Last Spring, photographer Charles Fréger travelled to Jaipur to capture these majestic animals in their regal festival garb for National Geographic Magazine and you can see his spectacular pictures below...

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Chaotic, congested and colourful, travellers have been falling in love with Jaipur for years and we've collected the city's must-see sites to show just why this corner of Rajasthan is so undeniably appealing.

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