Jaipur

Jaipur, city, northern India, capital of Rājasthān State. The city is within an agricultural and mining region and is an important transportation junction and commercial center for the area. A large banking business, railroad workshops, and plants producing jewelry and textiles are here. The city follows a grid plan, with rectangular blocks created by broad intersecting avenues and streets. It is surrounded by a fortified wall about 6 m (about 20 ft) thick. Among places of interest are an astronomical observatory, the vast palace of the maharajas, and the University of Rājasthān (1947). Other institutions of higher learning, including a free college and a school of art, are also located in the city. Jaipur was founded in 1728 and was the capital of the former Jaipur State, until the state was made a part of Rājasthān in 1949. Population (2001) 2,324,319.