Jaipur’s Walled City is famous for its vibrant bazaars and markets, but many tourists miss a hidden gem: the City Wall. While everyone remembers the grand gates, a surprising fact is that many Jaipur residents haven’t noticed the city’s defining feature – the surrounding wall. This historic barrier is sadly neglected and crumbling. Over the past few decades, residents and even those meant to protect the city have damaged the wall through neglect, destruction, and illegal construction. Let’s dig deeper to learn more about the defensive City Wall of Jaipur.
The City Wall of Jaipur
Just like countless ancient cities, Jaipur boasted a defensive wall. These walls weren’t just barriers – they defined the city limits, controlled movement, and most importantly, provided security and advantages for the people inside. It’s surprising how little attention we pay to walled cities and their profound influence on the course of history.
History of Defensive City Wall
The concept of fortifying cities with walls stretches way back, from the very beginnings of civilization to the medieval period when it was most common. We even see examples from the early modern era. Walls haven’t completely disappeared; look at the Berlin Wall, the Korean DMZ, the US-Mexico border fence, or the Israel-Palestine barrier. Though built in different times and places, these walls all share a fundamental goal.
Throughout history, walled cities faced attackers who would lay siege around them, waiting for the residents to run out of supplies or lose hope. Examples include Troy in Europe, and forts like Chittorgarh and Ranthambore in India. These fortifications served one main purpose: to prevent the capture of the city during battles and wars. In some cases, like the Great Wall of China, walls aimed to keep out invading armies on a larger scale. Most old European towns had similar defensive walls, with Dubrovnik in Croatia being a well-preserved example.
City Wall of Jaipur Facts
While we know the wall was built under the city’s founder, Sawai Jai Singh II, and its impressive size (6 meters high and 3 meters thick), there are no official records pinpointing the exact dates construction began or finished.
Initially, seven gates of Jaipur were part of the fortification plan. Over time, more gates were added. The area enclosed in the Jaipur city wall is called the Walled City of Jaipur.
Explore the Walled city
Walled city of Jaipur is also known as the Parkota by the locals. Jaipur was the first planned city in India; they refer to the walled city. One could enter the walled city through the Gates. There are three large squares called Chaupar and 9 Choukadis or quarters in the Walled City of Jaipur. The names of Chaupar are Badi Chaupar, Choti Chaupar, and Ramganj Chaupar. The names of 9 Choukadis are Purani Basti, Chowkri Topkhana Desh, Chowkri Topkhana Hajuri, Modikhana, Vishveshwarji, Ghat Darwaja, Ramchandraji, Gangapol, and Sarhad.
Many of the tourist attractions in Jaipur can be experienced in the walled city area. It is unlikely travelers will skip the walled city during the trip to the Pink City. Some of the major tourist attractions are Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, City Palace, Govind Dev Ji temple, and Issar Laat. The Walled City of Jaipur has many bazaars like Johari Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar, and Sirehdyodi Bazaar.
Myth related to the City Wall
Travelers often confuse the Jaipur City Wall with the Great Wall of Amer. People refer to Amer Wall as the Jaipur Wall on their social media. In fact, both these are separate. The Great Wall of Amer is in Amer Town, near Amer Fort whereas, the Jaipur Wall is part of the walled city of Jaipur.
The status of the City Wall
Shockingly, the Jaipur city wall was weakened by the very people who should have protected it. Authorities punched holes and even tore down parts of the wall to make way for markets and roads. This approach of prioritizing convenience over history is a point of contention for many.
The situation worsened as residents took advantage of the relaxed enforcement. They built unauthorized structures right on the wall itself, causing even more damage. This disregard for preservation may be linked to a lack of strict action from authorities, possibly due to political interests.
Despite being awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019, which should have triggered efforts to preserve the walled city, nothing significant has been done. Authorities seem to be ignoring the issue, and residents continue to damage the city wall.
The Future of Jaipur City Wall
The future of the Jaipur City Wall is grim. Much of the wall has already been destroyed, and with little interest from residents or authorities, the remaining sections are likely doomed. Development and population pressures have taken a heavy toll on this historic landmark.
