India's First Planned City | JAIPUR 1727

Summary

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, was meticulously planned in 1727 by King Jai Singh II to serve as a new capital and economic hub. The city, designed with cultural heritage in mind, followed ancient architectural principles and was divided into a grid pattern with wide streets and residential quarters. It has grown into a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the 'Pink City' for its red-painted buildings, showcasing a well-organized urban expansion that offers lessons for modern city planning.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ Jaipur is a well-planned city designed to accommodate a growing population and support economic growth, with a rich cultural heritage that attracts millions of tourists annually.
• 🏰 Jaipur was founded by King Jai Singh II in 1727 as a new capital for his kingdom of Dunder, which later became part of the state of Rajasthan.
• 📚 The city's layout was carefully planned based on ancient principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra, with a grid of streets and a central axis.
• 🛠 The planning included leveling the land, utilizing abundant local resources, and diverting water from the Jordawada River to the city for sustainability.
• 🏰 The city was fortified with high walls and had seven entrance gates, reflecting the social and political hierarchy of the time.
• 🛣️ Streets in Jaipur were designed with specific widths according to Shilpa Shastra, ensuring orderly urban development.
• 🕍 The central temple and other monuments like Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar were strategically placed along the city's central axis.
• 🏘️ Residential quarters were allocated among communities based on caste, subcast, or profession, with varying sizes of blocks to accommodate different social hierarchies.
• 🛒 Jaipur was intended to be an economic hub, with streets allocated for bazaars and shops to encourage trade and commerce.
• 🏛️ The city's preservation efforts have been significant, maintaining its aesthetic and cultural heritage, which led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
• 🚦 Despite being centuries old, Jaipur's city planning is an example of how wide roads can still accommodate modern traffic without congestion.

Q & A

What principles are considered when planning cities today?

Cities today are planned based on principles such as providing space for a growing population, allowing economic growth, and building proper infrastructure.

Why was Jaipur founded, and by whom?

Jaipur was founded by King Jai Singh II in 1727 to establish a new capital for his kingdom of Dhundar, as the existing capital, Amer, faced space constraints and water scarcity.

What ancient principles were used in the planning of Jaipur?

The planning of Jaipur was based on the ancient principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra, which provide guidelines for architecture and city planning.

What was the layout of Jaipur, and how was it unique?

Jaipur was designed with a grid pattern divided into nine blocks known as 'chakras'. The plan was aligned 15 degrees clockwise, with an additional block added in the southeast direction due to the presence of hills in the northwest.

What was the significance of the central axis in Jaipur's design?

The central axis of Jaipur passed between the 'Suraj Pol' (Gate of the Sun) in the east and the 'Chand Pol' (Gate of the Moon) in the west, signifying the importance of cosmic orientation in the city's layout.

How were the streets of Jaipur designed according to Shilpa Shastra?

The streets were designed with fixed widths according to Shilpa Shastra principles: 111 feet for primary streets, 55 feet for secondary streets, and 27 feet for smaller lanes.

What role did Havelis play in the residential quarters of Jaipur?

Havelis were traditional courtyard houses that served as residential units in Jaipur. Their size varied according to social hierarchy, with larger Havelis reserved for ranking officials and important figures.

How did Jaipur's design accommodate economic growth?

Jaipur was planned as an economic hub with dedicated areas for traders and artisans. The king invited traders from various regions, provided tax incentives, and allocated uniformly sized shops along the cardinal roads to boost trade.

What measures were taken to preserve Jaipur's cultural and architectural heritage?

Various conservation efforts have been made to preserve Jaipur's tangible heritage, such as crafts and monuments, as well as intangible heritage, like traditions, art, and culture. Guidelines are in place for architectural and cultural preservation, and the city is regularly surveyed to maintain its heritage.

What impact did Jaipur's recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site have?

Jaipur's recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 elevated the city's preservation efforts to an international level, ensuring better coordination with local bodies and a more critical approach to maintaining its cultural and architectural significance.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Jaipur: A Planned Heritage City

The first paragraph discusses the principles of city planning, with a focus on Jaipur, India. Jaipur, the current capital of Rajasthan, was built from scratch with a purpose. Founded by King Jai Singh II in 1727, it was designed to serve as a new capital and to assert his power against Mughal Delhi. The city's layout was meticulously planned using ancient architectural principles, including the Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra, and was divided into a grid of nine sectors, or 'chakras.' The central axis featured significant gates, and the city was fortified with high walls and gates. Streets were designed with specific widths, and residential quarters were allocated based on social hierarchy. The city's planning was revolutionary for its time, with an estimated initial population of 50,000, which grew to 125,000 by 1881. The paragraph also touches on the city's economic planning, aiming to attract traders and establish a thriving market.

05:02

🛍️ Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation in Jaipur

The second paragraph delves into Jaipur's economic planning and its evolution into a trade hub. The king invited traders from various regions, offering them incentives such as tax benefits and land. The city's cardinal roads were designated for bazaars, with shops allocated to both local and new settlers. Initially, 1362 shops were constructed, with additional stories added later to accommodate growth. The city's expansion was primarily to the south, maintaining the original city's identity as the 'Pink City.' Conservation efforts have been significant, focusing on both tangible and intangible heritage, including crafts, monuments, and traditions. The uniform architectural and cultural guidelines have helped preserve the city's aesthetics. In 2019, Jaipur was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is expected to elevate conservation efforts. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the city's well-planned roads that still efficiently handle traffic, serving as an example for modern city planning.

Keywords

💡Urban Planning

Urban planning is the process of designing cities and towns to accommodate the needs of the population while allowing for economic growth and proper infrastructure. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses how cities are designed for various purposes, including the historical example of Jaipur, which was meticulously planned to serve as a new capital and to meet the needs of a growing population.

💡Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage refers to the legacy of physical artifacts, traditions, and values that are inherited from one generation to another. In the context of the video, Jaipur is highlighted as a city uniquely rich in cultural heritage, attracting millions of tourists annually, and this heritage plays a significant role in the city's identity and appeal.

💡Infrastructure

Infrastructure encompasses the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society, such as transportation, water and power systems, and public institutions. The video mentions the importance of building proper infrastructure as part of urban planning, which is essential for the functioning and growth of cities like Jaipur.

💡Economic Growth

Economic growth is the increase in the production of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. The script discusses how cities are built to allow for economic growth, which is a key factor in the development of Jaipur, where the city was envisioned to be an economic hub and a center of trade in the region.

💡Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra is an ancient Indian system of architecture that emphasizes design and spatial organization to create a harmonious and balanced living environment. The video describes how Jaipur was planned according to the principles of Vastu Shastra, with the city layout divided into a grid of three by three, known as chakras, to align with the cardinal directions.

💡Shilpa Shastra

Shilpa Shastra is a set of ancient Indian texts that provide guidelines and rules for architecture and sculpture. In the video, it is mentioned that Jaipur's layout was designed following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, which dictated the width of streets and the placement of buildings to ensure functionality and aesthetic harmony.

💡Historical Preservation

Historical preservation involves the effort to maintain and protect structures and artifacts of historical significance. The script discusses the conservation work dedicated to preserving the aesthetics and tangible heritage of Jaipur, such as its crafts and monuments, to maintain its cultural identity and historical authenticity.

💡World Heritage Site

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, due to its cultural, historical, or natural significance. The video mentions that Jaipur, specifically the Pink City, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, recognizing its outstanding universal value and the need for its preservation.

💡Economic Zone

An economic zone is a region designated for economic activities that may have special regulations or incentives to attract businesses and boost trade. The script describes how Jaipur was planned to be an economic hub, offering benefits to settlers such as tax incentives and land, which can be seen as an early example of a special economic zone in India.

💡Architectural Conservation

Architectural conservation is the process of preserving, protecting, and maintaining buildings and structures of historical or cultural significance. The video script highlights the efforts made in Jaipur to preserve its architectural heritage, including the uniform red paint of the Pink City and the white ornamentation and calligraphy, ensuring the city retains its unique character.

💡Urban Expansion

Urban expansion refers to the process of a city growing in size, often through the addition of new areas or the development of existing ones. The script explains that while Jaipur was planned with a specific layout, it has expanded over time, particularly to the south, yet the original city layout, known as the Pink City, can still be identified and appreciated.

Highlights

Cities are planned based on various principles, including space for a growing population and economic growth.

Jaipur was built as a new capital with a unique cultural heritage, attracting millions of tourists annually.

Jaipur's foundation by King Jai Singh II in 1727 aimed to establish a new capital for his kingdom of Dunder.

The city of Amir, with its palace and dwellings, was based on social and political hierarchy for defense but faced space constraints.

King Jai Singh envisioned a new city to empower his status against Mughal Delhi, selecting a site 11 km south of the Yamae fort.

Jaipur's layout was planned using ancient principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra, with a grid of nine squares.

The city's central axis features gates of the Sun and Moon, with construction beginning after leveling the area and resource availability.

Jaipur was designed with high walls and gates, primary streets of 111 feet width, and a central temple in the Brahmasthan block.

The city was planned for an estimated population of 50,000, which grew to 125,000 by 1881.

Residential quarters were allocated among communities of the same caste, subcast, or profession, with varying block sizes.

Haveli, a traditional Rajasthani housing typology, was used due to the hot and arid climate, with central open spaces and dwelling units.

Jaipur was planned as an economic hub, inviting traders with incentives like tax benefits and land for workshops and homes.

The city had 1362 shops in its initial phase, with streets designed for uniform side shops forming bazaars.

Jaipur's expansion was limited to the south, with the original city still identifiable as the Pink City.

The Pink City is known for its red-painted buildings with white ornamentation and calligraphy, reflecting conservation efforts.

Jaipur, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, has ongoing efforts for heritage preservation and management.

The city's wide roads are an example of organized planning and expansion, catering to modern traffic without congestion.

Transcripts

our cities are planned today based on

various principles

they are designed keeping in mind the

status quo we build them for providing

space for a growing population allowing

economic growth or building a proper

infrastructure

there have been examples through

millennia and are happening today

some are expansions to the existing ones

while some are built from scratch

jaipur was built completely new for a

purpose of a new capital and

is currently the capital of rajasthan

jaipur is uniquely rich city in terms of

cultural heritage

and attracts millions of domestic and

international tourists every year

like many cities in india jaipur stands

the test of time and its heart still

lies where it was founded

jaipur was founded by king jaisen ii in

1727

with a motive to establish a new capital

for his kingdom of dunder

it was one of the kingdoms along with

others which share a similar identity to

form a combined state of rajasthan today

nundar was ruled from amir which was

like any other contemporary city of the

time

with palace built on the top and

dwellings down the hill

this was based on social and political

hierarchy

this ensured a defense for the city but

with time providing space for the

growing population was not possible

at the same time amir was facing a

problem of what is car city

he envisioned to establish a new city

which could empower his status against

mughal delhi

the side was selected 11 kilometers

south to the yamae fort on the plane

surrounded by hills on the three sides

east west and the north

king jai singh consulted several books

and architecture and architects while

planning the layout of jaipur and hired

with dedhar bhattacharya a bengali

scholar in the field to design the plan

for the new city

the city was planned on the ancient

principles of foster sastra and shilpa

shastra

which have rules and guidelines for

architecture the plan was divided into a

grade of three by three known as chakras

and align 15 degree clockwise

the mandela however could not be formed

in the north west direction due to the

existing hill so an additional block was

added in the southeast direction

the central axis of the city passed

between gate of the sun in the east

known as suros pole and gate of the moon

in the waste known as chan pool

before starting the construction of

jaipur city the selected area was

leveled up by removing unwanted

soil shrubs sand dunes and gullies

the material resources was also

abundantly available and stones could be

faced from the nearest hills

a pre-commissioned project in 1726 where

water from jordawada river was diverted

to the city

the planning was revolutionary for an

indian city which

followed a great iron pattern unlike

other cities of the time which grew more

organically

the town was fortified with 25 feet high

and nine feet thick walls along the

periphery with seven entrance gates

out of the nine greats two were

dedicated for the palace

the streets were designed according to

the fixed principle of shilpa shastra

with primary streets having 111 feet

width

55 feet for the secondary and smaller

lanes with 27 feet width

the temple was placed at the center of

the plan in the block which is

traditionally called brahmasthan in

vastu

the block was the seat of power for the

king and other famous monuments like

hawam al and jantar mantar were planned

here

along the central axis at the

intersection of north-south roads

two central squares were planned known

as buddy chopped and choti chopper

identical in size of 350 feet width

the planning was done for an estimated

population of around 50 000 people

we screwed to 1.25 lakhs by 1881.

the public area or blocks known as

chocodies were divided further into

different secondary streets

known as rasta or marg forming

neighborhoods of quarters

these residential quarters were

allocated among communities of same cars

subcast or profession

with smaller lanes known as gullies or

gear

sizes of each block was different from

another

some were big and somewhere small but

average size of residential neighborhood

was around 1.42 hectares

the residential units were known as

hawaiis a haveli is a traditional coated

house in rajasthan and several other

parts of

india this is a preferred housing

typology due to hot

and arid climate of rajasthan avails

consist of central open space with

dwelling units around it

the size of haveli varied on social

hierarchy and size of community

living with larger havailis having

multiple courtyards

larger havelies were given to ranking

officials

and important figures a trend is seen in

allocation of quarters the largest

hawaii surrounded the palace with

decreasing size

spreading outwards the units near the

palace were built as per the initial

plants

but in the farther located areas near

the boundary wall the cluster varied

from initial plant due to several

inclusions of

unplanned communities and variants in

settlement through the period of time

the new capital was also planned to be

an economic hub

and grow as a center of trade in the

region the king sent

invitations to traders from various

regions and streets to settle down and

conduct business in the city

the cardinal roads were allocated for

uniformly side shops

forming bazaars these were given to

traders merchants

bankers and artisans who were local as

well as

new settlers to establish themselves in

the city

a total of 1362 shops were constructed

in the initial phase with several new as

the city grew

the shop fronts on both sides of the

streets were designed in a way to

maintain a uniform facade throughout

initially one storage shops were built

but later his successor

added further stories to the existing

ones

to attract traders he gave away many

benefits to the settlers

they were given tax incentives for new

businesses

land for workshops homes to new settlers

security

patronage to artisans and an

administration to organize day-to-day

accounting

several fees were conducted to attract

traders from different locations

and give a boost to its marketing this

could be an

early example of special economic zone

in india

the city was surrounded in three sites

so the scope for expansion was only on

the south

which gives the current city of jaipur

the city expanded south but the original

city can

still be identified and known as pink

city

the pink city has a different vibe with

red painted buildings and structures

ornamentation and calligraphy is done in

white uniformly

lots of conservation work has been

dedicated towards preserving aesthetics

and management various efforts have been

made into preserving the tangible

heritage like crafts and monuments at

the same time

intangible heritage like traditions art

and culture

there are guidelines for every aspect

architectural or cultural

drawn by local bodies on how to achieve

that

times and on surveys are conducted to

keep a track of today

and map the past jaipur particularly

pink city is a national heritage

and now has become part of world stage

after it was declared unesco world

heritage site

in 2019 this will take the efforts to a

next level along with the coordination

with the local body in a critical

observation we can see even today

the routes of pink city are wide enough

to cater to race traffic without

congestion

which is an example how our cities can

take inspiration to plan

and expand in an organized way

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