After settling into the volunteers’ camp (house) and my Hindi lessons, I went exploring around Jaipur. As the center of the princely ‘land of Rajas’ there are palaces, forts and museums galore. Below is Hawa Mahal, or palace of the winds, built in the 1700’s by a king for his concubine.

The women could maintain ‘purdah’ (protecting their modesty behind a covering) while still looking out on the town center. My main mode of transport in India is the auto rickshaw or tuk-tuk. Here’s a video from inside a tuk tuk into the city center of Jaipur.

Amber fort is a really neat experience. You can ride an elephant up the path to the fort and palace for great views of the city.

After India’s independence in 1947, the several hundred princely states were incorporated into the democratic India but allowed to keep their palaces and property. Many turned them into 5 star luxury resorts and museums to generate revenue and educate the people about their history.

The gallery above is the grounds of the City Palace. The royal family still lives in a closed off section but they no longer hold any governing powers. These monarchies throughout the country were stripped of power when India became the world’s largest democracy in 1947.

Pictured above is Prince Albert Hall, which is now a neat museum.

There is also a water palace that makes for good photos but is off limits to visitors.