September 4-6, 2006

Jaipur (Hindi: जयपुर [ˈdʒʌeɪ.pʊər]), also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. During the British rule in India, Jaipur was the capital of the princely state of Jaipur. Founded on 18 November, 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 6 million. Jaipur is the first planned city of India, located in the semi-desert lands of Rajasthan. The city which once had been the capital of the royalty now is the capital city of Rajasthan. The very structure of Jaipur resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal families. At present, Jaipur is a major business centre with all requisites of a metropolitan city.

This Metropolitan City sprawls over a magnificent area of 1766 km2 in its Metro Region where as 725 km2 in its Walled City. It is one of the fastest growing cities of the world. Its estimated population for 2011 is over 7 million. The city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex, (Hawa Mahal), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of the King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. Another noteworthy building is the observatory, Jantar Mantar. Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in Rajasthan and India.