Gaitor - It is a unique historical place with its own beauty and charm that reflects the royal past of Jaipur and its royal Maharajas.
It is the royal crematorium of Maharajas. Gaitore is correctly pronunced as 'Gaye ka Thor' which means resting place of departed souls. All the tombs here are constructed in the shape of chhatris (cenotaphs), which are the signature architectural style of Rajputs. Red stone and marble is carved in such a way that all the chhatris have different carvings, which is engraved as per the taste, stature, and power of the ruler it is dedicated to.
Each cenotaph is constructed perfectly with a combination of Islamic or Mughal tomb architecture and Hindu temple architecture. The walls of Gaitore's cenotaphs and mausoleums were decorated with various paintings, traces of which can still be found on some of the walls.
Maharaja Jai Singh II cenotaph is the most beautiful and finely carved, which also has approximately 20 pillars. This cenotaph attracts everyone with its exceptional beauty. It has marvellous carvings, pure white marble, ornamented designs, and peacocks.
Gaitore is about 15 km from Jaipur city, on Jaipur-Amber road. One can easily reach here with local taxi or cab.
Jantar Mantar - This monument was built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II and completed in 1734. During early 18th century, Jaipur was ruled by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who was also the founder of Jaipur. He was a very brilliant astrologer who loved to study philosophy,astrology and architecture. In 1718, the king desired to build an observatory on renown. So he thoroughly studied the subject of astronomy and then starred this task.
The instruments at the Jaipur Jantar Mantar are made of local stone and marble and are very large structures. The observatory consists of nineteen instruments for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking location of major stars as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes and related ephemerides.
Each instrument carries an astronomical scale, generally marked on the marble inner lining. Bronze tablets, bricks and mortar were also employed in building the instruments in the monument spread over about 18,700 square metres.
It features the world's largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is located near City Palace and Hawa Mahal. The instruments allow the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye
The light and sound show at the Jantar Mantar is definitely worth your time. It explains the history behind the city of Jaipur and why the Jantar Mantar was constructed.