The scent of winter fog, waft from tea stalls, hurried traffic crossing the mild sunshine, the sight of travellers exploring the hilltop Amer fort and locals wandering the narrow streets in traditional Rajasthani attire is a riot of delightful things for the senses at any time of year, but none more so than during the winter months.
We love the rush with which winter arrives and suddenly changes our lives with its aroma, and we never want these winter days to pass.
Winter is the best time to experience Rajasthan’s ‘Pink City’. For the people around, winter is just another season but for a Jaipurite it is a festival in itself.
Festival to indulge in the traditional delicacies, to enjoy gala events, to take pleasure in the legendary Polo game, to celebrate patang baazi, and to participate in the world’s biggest literature festival, the list goes on.
Winter Delicacies
Walk into any part of the city’s bazaars, the one thing that you cannot resist is the tandoori kulhad chai with pakoras.
Samosa, kachori, jalebi, Mirchi-vada and kadhai doodh at night is just the perfect ending note to the day. A true Jaipurite never leaves an opportunity to taste the variety served on its streets. Winters add an extra charm to almost everything we get on the streets and we don’t even miss the outdoors as the city has abundant rooftop bars and cafes.
Not to be missed, the winter chill is best enjoyed at bonfire nights.
Festivals and Events
The World looks up to Jaipur as it hosts some unique events and festivals, which no other city has to offer in winters.
This is the time for Jaipur Winter Polo Season, Children festival, kite festival, Jaipur Art Summit, Jaipur International Film Festival, Rajasthan International Film Festival and the one that needs no introduction- Jaipur Literature Festival and its Music stage. Too much on the platter, yeah?
Watch for Migratory Birds
The time for winged wonders. Gazing at the beautiful migratory birds, that travel from far lands to Mansagar lake, Barkheda and Chandlai lake is one of the kind experiences that we Jaipurites look forward to every year in winters.
Monument Hopping
The list is never complete without the three must-sees being the towering Palace of the Winds, the hilltop, marble-decked Amber Fort and the sprawling City Palace complex. The mild winter sun makes the palace hopping a lot more fun.
Get closer to nature
This is the best time to enjoy Safari at Jhalana and enjoy the wilderness from close corners. You never know when you stumble upon a black panther.
Kite Flying
For a true Jaipurite, kite flying is not a game but a religion. When hundreds of kites dance in the sky and people dance on their terrace is a sight to behold. This is one of the most favorite and zealous festivals in Jaipur. And every Jaipurite has beautiful memories of Makar Sankranti. So if you ever plan to visit Jaipur during winter, make sure you don’t miss the intoxicatingly enthusiastic vibe of Makar Sankranti!
As we have entered a whole new decade which brings new hopes, new resolutions, new start to everything and off course new events. We may have celebrated on NYE but we are for sure that January brings with it a lot of reasons to celebrate. Brace yourself because this month is going to be even more exciting!
There’s not a single person who doesn’t enjoy food. Since Jaipur food is so well-loved, we decided to make a list of the best food items to eat in the winter season. Here we go!
Halwa
During winters, no one would ever say no to the lip-smacking Gajar or moong dal or badaam ka halwa. We only wait for winters so that we could enjoy this mouthwatering winter speciality topped with desi ghee and dry fruits.
Aloo Tikki
A mouthful of hot aloo tikki with a burst of flavourful chutneys is a total bliss in winters. Be it on streets or at a wedding, aloo tikki is most enjoyed dish by everyone.
Mawa Kachori
If you have a sweet tooth and love kachori then Mawa kachori is just for you. A puff pastry filled with aromatic mawa and nuts is one winter speciality that you anyone would want to indulge in if travelling to Jaipur.
Mirchi Bada
You better be strong enough to try this street snack in which green chillies are stuffed with aloo masala and are deep-fried served with sweet and tangy chutney.
Soup
A hot bowl of soup with bread crumbs and cream is a total saviour during winters plus a healthy appetiser too.
Dal Baati Churma
This power-packed Rajasthani dish that is everyone’s favourite is best enjoyed during winters. The one when we get invited at Khol ke Hanuman Ji the level of excitement to get to eat Dal Baati Churma is just next level.
Eggs and Omelettes
Since the past few years, Jaipur streets are buzzing with street stalls selling egg dishes. Yes, most of us don’t eat at eggs at home 🙂 Most of the egg stalls serve an extensive menu of egg dishes from Omelette Pizza to butter Masala Omelette this list is endless.
Paneer Tikka
Just look at that tempting tandoori chicken or paneer tikka on that plate waiting to be devoured. There are many street joints where you could enjoy paneer tikka plus you could stand next to the griller and enjoy the heat.
Kadhi with Kachori & Samosa
Hot, spicy and tempting, a superb combination of Rajasthani kadhi and mouth-watering Kachori/Samosa is everyone’s love. Once tasted, it will leave you to ask for more.
Kadhai wala Doodh
Be it early morning or at late night, the sip of hot kadhai wala doodh (milk) served in kulhad tastes like heaven during winters. It becomes more delicious when paired with freshly taken out jalebi’s.
Gajak
Dry and crisp sweet made of til and jaggery will keep your body warm on the biting cold days. Winters are incomplete without eating gajak and you don’t have to find it in Jaipur, it’s available in every street and corner and you’ll be surprised to see the variety here.
Dal ke Pakode
While you sit with frozen hands and crave for some warmth, these garam garam dal pakode are a perfect cure and company for you. Try them on the street side stalls or just make them at home and don’t forget to serve with the green chutney.
Kulche Chole
Traditionally the Punjabi speciality, this dish Kulche Chole is made with lots of spices and masala like onion, tomato and garlic and with lots of butter on it has stolen the hearts of many in Jaipur, especially during the winter season.
To all food Connoisseurs, Jaipur will never disappoint you when it comes to food.
There is no denying the fact that the older days were gold and we used to love when things were exciting at those 8-9 routine places where we used to chill with our friends and family. Not that we don’t love the present hanging out spots, it’s just that some places capture your heart in a truly unforgettable way. Let’s take a look back at those places in Jaipur that were everyone’s favourite, for a classic dose of nostalgia.
Archies
Buying a gift from Archies was so much fun when online brands hadn’t taken over. It was every kid’s dream place, quite literally.
Courtesy: Google Images
Planet M
The best part about the 90s? Hell yeah! The idea of buying selected CDs, based on the money we had was incomparable because it maintained that excitement level for the songs/movies we were purchasing.
Courtesy: Google Images
Fun City
Remember that time when going out with friends meant going to Fun City? And not only that, when winning a huge teddy from there was the only goal in life (no kidding!)?
Courtesy: Google Images
Scary House at Triton
Everyone visited that really scary Scary House because of the buzz it had created. Honestly, if you’ve ever been there, know that you were very cool.
Courtesy: Google Images
Saheb Sindh Sultan
Known as “that classy train-wala restaurant”, this place in CP was majorly where everyone used to take their families to for a mind-blowingly fancy Indian feast.
Courtesy: Dineout
Olives
We don’t know about you, but this was definitely the best restaurant in C-Scheme according to us. The quality and range of the food offered were fabulous and unbeatable.
Chanakya Restaurant
Famous for its vegetarian food, this place was the most exciting place with its big garden and restaurant that whenever relatives visited, people used to take them here.
Courtesy: Google Images
Fresh Flavours
90s kids know how big a deal celebrating their birthday here was. Located near Hot Bread, this place was always seen lit up with so many people inside.
Milky Way
Before Naturals and Molly Moo opened, craving for an ice-cream meant going to Milky Way. It was the ideal spot to binge eat creamy snacks.
A vibrant splash of colours, tremendous fanfare, and intriguing rituals, Teej festival in Jaipur is the time of year when the city brims with colours and fanfare. While peacocks celebrate monsoons with dancing in the rain, Womenfolk in Jaipur marks the blushing season by singing folk songs and swaying on a tree swing.
You’ll not find any better way to experience the colourful culture of fascinating Pink City than now! With the augment of August month accompanied by showers; Jaipur is already brimming with the spirit of ecstasy and Teej festivities.
This year the Sawan Teej festival will be celebrated on 3rd and 4th August 2019. Teej
Festival though is fêted all over the state but celebrated at its colorful best in Jaipur. Jaipurites welcome the advent of monsoon through Teej celebrations, which is also dedicated to Goddess Parvati and commemorates the day when she was united with Lord Shiva after a penance of a hundred years. A spellbinding procession of Goddess Parvati, followed by Palanquins, chariots, dancers and a band winds magnificently through the Old City of Jaipur for two days.
Apart from the traditional procession of Goddess Teej in the city, to showcase the galore and culture of Rajasthan ‘Taal Katora Ki Paal’ becomes the hub for cultural events, where the Teej idols will be submerged later.
Teej is marked with great pomp and fair in Jaipur. One day before Teej, a married woman receives Sinjhara from her parents, which is a hamper that includes bindi, vermilion, mehandi or henna, bangles, ghewar and Lehariya as a symbol of their covertures.
If you are a connoisseur and wish to blend in the festivities and experience it from close then waste no moment. Buy a special tie and die pattern, called LEHARIYA, which is only available at this time of the year. The wall city market area of Bapu Bazaar and Johari Bazaar offers many shops.
The significance of lacquer (lac) bangles is also very special, and Jaipur is famous for its alluring lacquer bangles. Don’t miss to check out the multihued adornments that render more beauty the festive attire.
Get your hands decorated with the henna patterns, which you can get done at different corners of the city. The front façade of Saraogi Mansion near Bapu Bazaar, the lanes of Johri Bazaar and major shopping malls like Pink Square, GT and Crystal Court would have numerous henna artists, who decorate beautiful hands with fascinating designs.
The tempting aromas of Ghewar being cooked on sweet shops, colourful lehariyas, and
blossoming flowers and women folks decked up with henna on hands in their traditional best add more colours to the essence of the jovial season.
The government of Rajasthan state arranges a special sitting area for foreign tourists coming to witness this magnificent festival by providing comfortable viewing and to photograph the procession from the terrace of the Hind Hotel opposite Tripoliya gate.
This monsoon, travel to Jaipur to not just feel the lively spirit of Jaipurites around the festival, but also witness and partake in the jovial culture of the colourful Pink City of Rajasthan.
“The belly rules the mind” goes a famous Spanish proverb, a tantalizing phrase that Jaipur, the land of the kings and rich cuisines, is no stranger to. Rajasthani platter is a scrumptious combination of sweet, spicy and colorful dishes. We Jaipurites with our salivating mouth proudly say that it is incomplete without the mention of Dal-Bati-Churma, a traditional wholesome meal of Rajasthan. Mind you, sweet dishes are never addressed as ‘dessert’ in our land, because unlike desserts which are had after the meal, we relish desserts before, during and after the meal.
Now is the perfect time to talk about the much-celebrated dessert in this season of special festivities. “Ghevar”, an incredible Rajasthani Delicacy which is widely popular and traditionally associated with Teej Festival (locally called Sawan ki Teej or Hariyali Teej) and Raksha Bandhan festival falling in the month of August.
Ghevar is a round mesh-like disc-shaped fried delicacy drenched in cardamom and saffron flavoured sugar syrup and topped with sliced nuts and flavored rabri. We bet you are already dreaming to gobble Ghevar because this festival Dessert is always a chart-topper!
The luscious sweet is enjoyed indifferently as per an individual’s taste preferences; some enjoy it crispy while others love it tender with the toppings of Mawa or Malai. Ghevar also tastes great when it is eaten with hot Milk or Kheer.
Having such a variety in taste, Ghevar can definitely satiate your sweet tooth pangs for the time being but cannot satisfy your need to have it again and again. “Padharo mahare des” is an apt phrase, which means: “Welcome to my land”, where you can experience the flavours of uniqueness that it has to offer and enhance it with the wonderful hospitality, food AND Sweet Dishes like Ghevar that Jaipur is famed the world over.
Festivities are around the corner and, you are all anchored with your plans. Jaipur is also one step ahead in making your August plan more exciting and power-packed with new endeavours. The festival of Teej, Rakhi, Independence day, World Photography day and what not is already in store.
Jaipur and Jaipurites are already excited as one could plan for festivals, comedy gig, and a variety of exhibitions and workshops that are happening this August. With a list of events below, prepare and plan wisely to have a blast this month-
Festivals-
Teej and Rakhi are the most important festivals of this season and, which is something you cannot miss. The colourful Teej processions, splendid exhibitions, delicious savouries will give you a perfect festival vibe.
Jaipur’s Royal Teej Celebration
Teej Festival though is fêted all over the state but celebrated at its colourful best in Jaipur. Dedicated to Goddess Parvati a royal procession is held every year during Shrawan month. On the occasion women, girls dress up in their colourful best leheriyas, adorn lac bangles, sing devotional songs, put up mehndi, eat delicious savouries. The mesmerizing procession of Goddess Parvati winds magnificently through the Old City of Jaipur via Tripoliya Gate (City Palace) Tripoliya Bazar and Gangauri Bazar with chariots, decorated camels, dancing folk artists, brass bands and royal palanquins for two days. Get your cameras ready to capture the real flavour of Jaipur!
Date: 3rd-4th August 2019
JAIPUR TEEJ TOUR by Red Earth India
The tour is particularly curated for the tourists who can observe the glorious festival of Teej in the Walled City in addition to the culture and traditions of Jaipur by visiting the old Bazaars and temples. If you want to experience the grand procession of Teej in the Pink City and revel in the city’s bazaars and shop for Jaipur specials; let’s take a walk through the 18th c. the walled city of Jaipur. Explore some lesser-known Vaishnava temples of Jaipur, relish special festival food and Rajasthani delicacies and uncover the crafts & design heritage of the city with RedEarth India.
Exhibitions and Workshops-
Check out the most exciting exhibitions and workshops
Rakhi Malhaar by Anantaya Decor
Raksha Bandhan is a festival of irreplaceable bonds and promising vows. To celebrate this sibling spirit, Anantaya Decor brings to you the gift launch exhibition where you could choose from a range of products starting from eco-friendly rakhis, upcycled makhmal bags, handmade pottery, Kathhaa wearable jewellery and many more. Visit to buy the ideal gift for your sibling.
Rakhi Exhibition by Sumayaa
Sumayaa Exhibitions is the biggest shopping platform for today’s lifestyle needs and this season they are organizing rakhi exhibition in the city with the best of exhibitors and their products.
Rakhi Workshop at Art Forte
Join a Creative workshop at Art Forte on this Rakhi tie a handmade rakhi on your brother’s hand.
House of Masaba – Jaipur Pop Up
House of Masaba bringing their array of silhouettes and prints to Jaipur. The show is presenting the latest collection by houseofmasaba at Grand Uniara Hotel.
BrushPen Calligraphy Workshop by Royal Letters
Looking for some artful lessons on calligraphy to create beautiful designs? Brushpen Calligraphy by Royal Letters is in town this August to give you a complete workshop on this for 2 days. Join this workshop and bring the creator in you.
StoryTelling Documentary Workshop-TOSS
This documentary workshop by TOSS can be a golden opportunity for the amateur or the budding filmmakers as acknowledged personalities like Nilotpal Majumdar and, Surpriyo Sen will be the part of the mentor panel. It will focus on in-depth discussions on multiple genres and new ways of expressions. Register yourself to experience learning with professionals.
Entertainment, Entertainment & Entertainment
This August your stomach will hurt so much with all the laughter coming to your way. There are many stand up comedians coming to Jaipur to give you all a good laugh. Choose your favourite artist and have a great time this season, laughing.
Jeeveshu Ahluwalia – Stand-Up Comedian
You’ll be in splits of laughter and bouts of dance all through the same evening at the Grand Launch of Hi Lo (The Underground).
Venue: Hotel De Nada
Date and Time: 2nd August 2019, 8:00 P.M.
Vijay Yadav – Bantering You
Venue: Club Colaba, Jaipur
Date and Time: 4th August 2019; 7:30 P.M.
Sundowner Poll Party – DJ Jhonnie Ernest
Celebrate the bond of friendship from sunny day to starry night at Jaipur’s first real Sundowner & Pool Party.
Venue: Hotel De Nada
Date and Time: 4th August 2019; 3:00 P.M.
Atul Khatri Live
Venue: Fort-Kitchen and Banquet
Date and Time: 18th August 2019; 7:30 P.M.
Not Just Baniya! A stand up comedy solo by Gaurav Gupta
Date & Venue- The Native Bar on Friday, 9 August 2019
The fun has a different connotation for everyone. Some find pleasure in playing with words; some take enthusiasm in writing words or, some, like to dance on the words penned by others. Every concern is taken care of with different programs and workshops.
