seven gates of walled city of jaipur

Seven Gates of Walled city: Legacy of Jaipur’s rich history

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Endowed with wonderful tourist destinations and ostentatious architecture, Jaipur is the city reckoned for history as well as epic splendor. The magical spell of magnificent pink-colored structures of the buildings in the walled city of jaipur makes it an incredible destination that summons scores of tourists from several parts of the globe round the year.

Jaipur is one of the few planned cities that evinced a great interest in the architectural element of Jaipur. Although the construction of the city started in 1727, it took 4 years to complete the construction of major palaces, roads, and square. Maharaja Jai Singh was extremely particular about ensuring maximum security for the city and that is why he utilized all his scientific and cultural skills to design it in a well-protected manner. This was done by constructing huge fortified walls with seven strong gates around the city. There were a total of eight city gates as per the original plan and another one was added in the middle of the twentieth century.

Architecture of Walled City of Jaipur

map of walled city of jaipur
Map of Walled City of Jaipur

The seven gates with a 6-meter high and 3-meter thick wall marks the boundary of the Pink City. These gates which provide access to the old city also acts as a security feature, protecting the city & its residents from enemies or any outside threats. Earlier, these gates would close at dusk and open only after dawn. To announce the impending closure of gates to all citizens in the evening, a small cannon would be fired as an alarm. The closing the gates at dusk was later discontinued after 1940 as the city extended and new areas got developed beyond these gates and the walled city.

Let us know more about the prominent gates of the walled city of jaipur. The seven primary gates or pols of Jaipur are:

Surajpole

suraj pol walled city of jaipur

The Surajpole or the Sun gate derives its name from Suraj or the Sun as the sun rises from the east and the gate is also located at the eastern end of the walled city of jaipur in the direction of the rising sun. It also paves the way to the famous sun temple towards Galta Ji. The gate can be identified by the illustration of two suns painted on its wall. It has only one secondary gate beside it.

Chandpole

Chand pol walled city of jaipur

Diagonally opposite to the Surajpole lies the ChandPole which means the Moon Gate. This gate is located on the western side of the walled city of Jaipur situated along the east-west axis. The significant feature of this gate is the Chandpole Hanumanji temple adjoining it. It is an ancient Hanuman Ji temple with 25 feet high Shikhar above its structure. Surrounding this gate is a popular bazaar of Jaipur, named Chandpole Bazar which is a very busy and active market. It has two small secondary gates on either side.

Dhruv Pole

dhruv pol walled city of jaipur

This gate is named after the Dhruv Tara (pole star) which always shines in the north direction. This gate is also situated in the North Direction and is the first gate that was built for this walled city of Jaipur. The gate was initially called Dhruv Pole and now is called the Zorawar Singh Darwaza. It is the widest among all old city gates. The secondary gates on both sides are also quite wide. This gate is connected to the Amer town and you have to pass through this gate while you drive from Delhi to Jaipur.

Ajmeri Gate

ajmeri gate of jaipur

Ajmeri Darwaza or Kishan Pole is the first of the four southern gates. This gate signifies to the westerly road towards the Ajmer city. This gate leads the road inside the city towards Kishanpole bazar which is especially known for tie and dye fabrics. Also known as Kishan Pol, this gate leads the way to the famous Kishanpole bazar. It is a large size primary door with small secondary doors on both sides.

Naya Pole

naya pol or new gate of jaipur

Naya pole or the New gate derives its name after the fact that this was the ninth gate that was not in the original plan of the gates that were constructed for the walled city of jaipur. It was constructed in the middle of the twentieth century, replacing a small gate. Earlier it was known as the Chor Darwaza or secret gateway and was later increased in size by Sawai Ram Singh II. The road from the Naya pole connects to the Tripolia gate of the City Palace. You can spot Albert Hall through this gate. It lies on the southern end of the Chaura Rasta and is the second gate of the southern rampart. This gate follows the design of the European and Mughal architecture blend. There is a large primary door in the center and smaller secondary doors on either side.

Sanganeri Gate

sanganeri gate of jaipur

Sanganeri Gate is the third Gate of the southern rampart of the walled city of jaipur. This gate leads to the southern route which takes you to the Sanganer town. It is also called Shivpole after the Shiv Mandir situated in its vicinity. The royal family used to visit this temple during Mahashivratri. This gate also takes you to the very popular Johri Bazaar of Jaipur. The design of Shiv Pole and Kishan Pole are quite similar which includes a large primary door with secondary doors on either side.

Ghat Pole

ghat gate of jaipur

This gate is the last of the four Gates of the southern rampart of the walled city. The Ghat Pol derived its named after the easterly road which connects Jaipur with the Ghat known as Ghat ki Ghuni. This gate paves its way towards the Ramchandra Ji Chowkri and Ramganj Bazar. Hence it is also known as Ram Pole. This Ghat Darwaza has a single secondary gate.

Besides these primary gates, there are many more smaller gates spread across the city like the Samrat Pole, Char Darwaza, Ganga Pole, Ganesh Pole, Tripolia, etc. Although those are the internal gates, each carries a unique story to enthrall you. All these gates have a common design of floral motifs and color. These gates are great reminders of the rich architectural legacy of the bygone era. 

So, on your next visit to Jaipur don’t miss the beauty of these magnificent gates.