The Planning of Jaipur in 6 Minutes
Summary
TLDRThe script delves into the meticulous planning of Jaipur, India's first planned city, known as the Pink City. Built in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II, it was designed with Hindu architectural principles and a grid layout, dividing the city into nine wards. The city's strategic location, promotion of commerce, and integration of diverse craftsmen contributed to its growth. The script also touches on the city's transformation over time and invites discussion on preserving historical sites.
Takeaways
- đ Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan and was the first planned city in India, designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya in the 18th century using Hindu planning traditions.
- đ° The city was conceived to replace the congested capital of Amer and for strategic defense considerations, ensuring distance from Delhi and preventing expansion in the south.
- đ Jaipur's layout follows the principles of Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Indian treatise on architecture, with a grid pattern of streets and a central axis from east to west.
- đą The city's initial plan consisted of nine almost equally sized blocks, with two dedicated to state buildings and palaces, and the rest for public use.
- đĄ Jaipur was fortified with a 25-foot high and 9-foot thick masonry wall with eight gates, reflecting the Hindu caste system's segregation of communities.
- đŁ The city's streets were meticulously planned with specific widths for main streets, secondary streets, and smaller lanes, all intersecting at right angles.
- đ The city's planning was revolutionary for its time, promoting commercial activities and attracting merchants with incentives, making Jaipur a vibrant trade and commerce center.
- đïž Craftsmen and merchants settled in mahalias or occupational groups, with lanes named after the inhabitants' trades, preserving the city's occupational identity.
- đš The name 'Pink City' originated from the city being painted pink to celebrate the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1876 during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh.
- đŒ Jaipur features monumental structures like Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory with the world's largest sundial, and the city palace complex, which are important public buildings.
- đ Despite the city's well-preserved planning, modern challenges like growing traffic have impacted the original character of the streets, raising questions about preserving historical sites.
Q & A
What is the significance of the name 'Jaipur' or 'The Pink City'?
-Jaipur, also known as 'The Pink City,' was the first planned city of India and was named after its founder, Maharaja Jai Singh II. The name 'Pink City' originated from the city being painted pink to celebrate the visit of Prince of Wales in 1876 during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh.
Why was Jaipur planned and what were the considerations in its conception?
-Jaipur was planned to address the congestion in the then capital of Duda, Amer, and to establish a new capital. The site chosen was at the south of Amer, ensuring greater distance from Delhi and preventing the city's expansion in that direction. Defense was also an important consideration in the city's planning.
Who were the key figures involved in the planning of Jaipur?
-Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, a Bengali architect, and Maharaja Jai Singh II were the key figures in the planning of Jaipur. They incorporated Hindu planning traditions and principles from the Shilpa Shastra in the city's design.
What is the significance of the grid layout in Jaipur's town planning?
-The grid layout of Jaipur is significant as it was revolutionary for its time, dividing the city into nine or more almost equally sized squares, which were further subdivided by lanes and alleys at right angles. This layout is based on Hindu systems of town planning.
How did the city's division into wards relate to the Hindu caste system?
-The division of Jaipur into nine wards was in conformity with the Hindu caste system, which necessitated the segregation of people belonging to different communities and ranks. This division helped in organizing the city according to the social structure of the time.
What were the main streets and lanes' widths as per the city's planning?
-According to the Hindu Shilpa Shastri, the main streets of Jaipur were 111 feet wide, secondary streets were 55 feet wide, and smaller lanes were 27 feet wide.
What role did the temple of Govinda Deva play in the city's planning?
-The temple of Govinda Deva defined the center of Jaipur and led to the genesis of the city plan. It continues to be the most active temple even today.
How did the planning of Jaipur promote commercial activities?
-The planning included the promotion of commercial activities by inviting merchants in 1729, offering them special incentives, and prime locations to settle in the city. This made Jaipur an important and vibrant center for trade and commerce.
What is the significance of the term 'mahalia' in the context of Jaipur's craftsmen?
-Mahalia refers to groups of mullahs, or neighborhoods, occupied by families pursuing similar trades or crafts. This organization helped in housing a large number of artisans, craftsmen, and merchants from distinct parts of India.
What are some of the monumental structures in the city center of Jaipur?
-Some of the monumental structures in Jaipur include Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory with the largest sundial in the world, the city palace complex, and Hawa Mahal, an old with on saba building.
How has the growth and urbanization affected the character of Jaipur's streets as originally planned?
-The growth and urbanization have led to an increase in vehicular traffic, which has taken away some of the character of the streets as initially planned. However, the old city of Jaipur still functions as an integral part of the city without much change.
Outlines
đ The Birth and Planning of Jaipur: The Pink City
The script discusses the planning and establishment of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, India, also known as the Pink City. It was the first planned city in India, designed by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the 18th century, incorporating Hindu planning traditions. Jaipur was envisioned to replace the congested capital of Amer and was strategically located south of Delhi. The city's grid pattern was revolutionary for its time, with a central axis and nine squares, influenced by the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Indian architectural treatise. The city was divided into wards, with streets and lanes of varying widths, and was fortified with a wall and gates. The planning also considered the Hindu caste system and commercial activities, attracting merchants and artisans, leading to a vibrant trade center.
đš The Cultural Heritage and Evolution of Jaipur
This paragraph delves into the cultural heritage of Jaipur, highlighting its transformation when it was painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876, hence earning the nickname 'Pink City'. It mentions significant structures like Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory with the world's largest sundial, and other public buildings that contribute to the city's historical significance. The script reflects on the balance between preserving historical sites as they were originally intended and adapting them to modern needs without losing their artistic and cultural integrity. It invites viewers to share their thoughts on this matter and encourages participation in an architectural competition related to the presenter's thesis project.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄJaipur
đĄHindu Planning Traditions
đĄGrid Layout
đĄShilpa Shastra
đĄMaharaja Jai Singh II
đĄCaste System
đĄGovind Dev Ji Temple
đĄJantar Mantar
đĄPink City
đĄTrade and Commerce
đĄMahalash
Highlights
Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan and was built in the 18th century using Hindu planning traditions.
Jaipur was the first planned city of India, conceived by Maharaja Jai Singh II.
The city was established to address the congestion of the previous capital, Amer.
Strategic considerations for Jaipur's location included distance from Delhi and preventing city expansion southward.
Jaipur's planning was overseen by the Bengali architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, alongside Maharaja Jai Singh II.
The city's grid layout is revolutionary for its time, with a main street and secondary streets of specific widths.
Jaipur's planning follows the principles of Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Indian treatise on architecture.
The city was divided into nine wards, conforming to the Hindu caste system.
Jaipur's central axis is between the gates of the Sun and the Moon, dividing the town into almost equal squares.
The city's growth was supported by the promotion of commercial activities and incentives for merchants.
Artisans and craftsmen from various parts of India settled in Jaipur, contributing to its vibrant trade and commerce.
The city was painted pink in 1876 to celebrate the visit of the Prince of Wales, earning its nickname 'Pink City'.
Jaipur's streets were initially planned with specific functions, such as housing for artisans and craftsmen.
The city's monumental structures, like Jantar Mantar, are important public buildings that contribute to its cultural heritage.
Despite modern challenges, Jaipur's original planning still functions as an integral part of the city.
The video transcript invites viewers to discuss the preservation of historical sites and their practical use versus their integrity.
The creator of the video is seeking support for an architectural competition through viewer engagement.
Transcripts
the planning of jibber-jabber also known
as the pink city is the capital of the
state of rajasthan chapel was built by
some addressing in 18th century using
Hindu Planning traditions of austell he
created the first planned city of India
now let's look at how j / was conceived
what is rajasthan today was previously a
collection of divided provinces
one such province was driven do nur was
the Empire of Rajput kings and at that
time their capital was the city of amber
or as it is now called
Amer now amber was hill town and soon it
started to get congested thus survived
chasing the then ruler of Duda
established the city of Jaipur defence
was also an important consideration
while conceiving the new city a site at
the south of our male ensured greater
distance from Delhi and also prevented
the expansion of the city in that
direction hence the site at the base of
the Ovilus was chosen rasa why Jessie
researched a lot before planning the
town temple he also pointed with the
other Bhattacharya a Bengali architect
to overlook the planning of the city of
Jaipur now unlike other Rajasthani towns
of that time Jaipur City was
revolutionary both in terms of its grid
iron part of planning and its location
at the base of the hills the Jaipur is
based on Hindu systems of town planning
and followed the principles prescribed
in the Shilpa Shastra an ancient Indian
treaties on architecture let's look at
the planning of the town but before I
start let me tell you that Jaipur has
grown much bigger than then it was
established I have an only focus on the
initial establishment that was done
under survived chasing the plan of
Jaipur is a trade of three by three the
grid lines being the city's main streets
the central axis of the town was laid
from east to west between the gates of
the Sun and the
also known as the Suraj phone and the
chant pole this was crossed at two roads
at right-angles dividing the town into
nine or more squares almost equally
sized blocks which were further
subdivided by lanes alleys all at right
angles the mandala could not be complete
in the northwest due to the presence of
the hills on the other hand in the
southeast an extra square had been added
that plugged the gap between the city
and the eastern hills the town around it
had a masonry wall 25 feet high and nine
feet thick with eight gates the city's
division into nine Ward's was also in
conformity with the Hindu caste system
which necessitated the segregation of
people belonging to different
communities and ranks following the
direction of the Hindu Shilpa Shastri
width of the Main Street and other lanes
were fixed thus the main street of the
city 111 feet wide secondary streets 55
feet wide and smaller ones 27 feet wide
the city was divided into nine blocks of
which two consists the state buildings
and palaces with the remaining seven
allotted to the public the planning of
Jaipur is rooted in the central Indian
philosophy with the temple of Govinda
defining the center that led to the
genesis of the city plan the Govinda
temple continues to be the most active
temple even today the two middle squares
were originally public water times that
were closed in the 19th century when
five water supply came into the city
these two locations called the buddy
chopper and the chota chopper serve as
public squares with fountains today the
most important part of ceviche since
planning included the promotion of
commercial activities of the city
as a result merchants were invited in
1729 to dispatch letters and given
special incentives and prime locations
to settle in the city they were given
free line and given remissions and
concessions on taxes located on the
important trade route jaipur thus became
an important and vibrant center for
trade and commerce that fuel its growth
further housing large number of artisans
craftsmen and merchants from distinct
parts of india these craftsmen settled
in mahalia's or groups of mullahs
occupied by families pursuing similar
trade or craft even the lanes were named
after the occupations of inhabitants as
many haruka rasta Tottenham karosta and
many others so how did the name ping
city come into being
well according to popular belief the
city was painted pink to celebrate the
visit of Prince of Wales in 1876 during
the reign of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh -
lending the city the name of pink city
let's look at some other details in the
planning of jaipur monumental structures
such as the Jantar Mantar the harem an
old with on saba building and parts of
the city palace complex are important
public buildings in the city centre
today gentlemen
which is an astronomical observatory
houses the largest sundial in the world
the old city of Jaipur was wonderfully
planned in the 18th century and it still
functions as an integral part of
Chappell without much changes vehicular
traffic also means within the city but
unfortunately growing organization has
taken away the character of the streets
that was initially planned
what do you think of this should
historical sites we preserve to just be
a museum of the past or should they be
allowed to serve the function they were
meant for but destroy their art and
integrity in the process comment below
and let's discuss also do comment below
if you have a topic that you want me to
hope you like this video don't forget to
give it a thumbs up happy exploring it's
an architectural competition and it has
public volume so I need your help so
please go down below in the description
below you'll find it it has green ink to
my thesis project all you have to do is
go there signing through Gmail or
Facebook scroll down and then there
would be a hot sign which would say
appreciate this project I would really
really appreciate it if you could keep
on that official time and help me win
this contest
thank you guys so much
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)