Why is Jaipur painted Pink?
Jaipur is known as the Pink City and on arrival visitors will immediately understand why - every building within the walled centre is painted a terracotta “pink” colour. There are virtually no exceptions as wide avenues of Jaipur are all covered in this one unify colour. This colour scheme is so important to the city that it is even enforced by local law.
Considering the woes and inadequate infrastructure of Jaipur it may appear baffling to visitors as to why there is such a coherent colour scheme running through the city. The answer lies in the absolute power of the Maharaja (Sawai Ram Singh) over his capital and the 1876 visit by Prince Albert to Jaipur.
Prince Albert spent a mammoth 17 weeks conducting royal duties throughout the Indian subcontinent and was without his wife, Queen Victoria, for the entire period. From Indian aristocracy this was an ideal opportunity to strengthen ties and gain personal acquaintances with the British Royal family and the maharaja from Jaipur impressed like no other.
Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II constructed a lavish concert Hall to entice Prince Albert to visit Jaipur and then decided to improve the ambiance of his domain by painting the entire city. The sole colour the maharaja chose to bestow upon his city was pink, this terracotta colour historically represents welcoming and hospitality. This paint was produced from a calcium oxide compound and is extremely durable in the arid conditions of Jaipur.
Keen and sharp visitors may question how or even what why Jaipur maintained its distinct pink colour after the visit by Prince Albert 130 years ago. The answer lies with Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh's favourite wife who adored the colour scheme. The queen with her private ear to the maharaja convinced him to pass a law making it illegal for buildings to be painted any other colour than Jaipur Pink. This law passed in 1877 still remains in effect today and helps transform the otherwise polluted and dirty city into the pink city, albeit a grimy shade of pink.
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