We arrived in Jaipur in the evening and checked into Khandela Haveli, the hotel we enjoyed the most. We seemed to be the one of few guests during this off season and the service was excellent. We had dinner and breakfast at the hotel restaurant and the food was really good. The Jaipur dishes had a distinct taste.
We also enjoyed the freshly made pancakes and other breakfast items which were plenty available. The hotel had a courtyard in the middle and a rooftop pool. In the night, there was a free puppet show which featured the famous Rajasthani puppets.
Next morning we had a full day of activities planned, starting by visiting the Wind Palace (Hawa Mahal)which had impressive facade that has been preserved well. Then we visited the Amber Fort Palace, the first citadel of the ruling Rajputs located a few miles away from Jaipur. Located at a higher elevation and surrounded by Lake Maota, the view of the complex was amazing. From a distance, the surrounding walls of the fort resembled the great wall. We had an elephant ride up which was fun except for the continuous cajoling by our elephant driver for a large tip.
The tour of the palace along with the historical caveat was enjoyable. The mirror work on the palace walls from mirrors obtained from Belgium was truly spectacular. The large number of rooms (I believe it is 24) allotted to the queens, each of which had a separate entrance that could be used by the king, was a an interesting feature. On our way back we stopped to take a brief look at the Water Palace, a summer palace build in the middle of a lake.
Amidst the Rajasthani heat, we made our way to Jantar Mantar, the largest observatory built by Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur who showed a great aptitude for maths and astronomy. It contained several large geometric devices, with the world's largest sun dial, being the most noted in my memory. It was too hot to explore each exhibit carefully. 
Our last stop of the tour was at the City Palace. which is being occupied by the current royal family. The guide pointed the present king's vehicle as we passed by. Part of the palace has been converted to a museum that displayed the history of the Rajputs. One of the display items was the largest silver pot in the world which was used to carry holy water for the Maharaja on his tour to England.
The rest of our evening consisted of shopping at various parts of the city. The walled city of Jaipur which can entered through its majestic gates, was the first planned city of India. The city was painted pink in the late 19th century as a sign welcome to the Price of Wales who visited Jaipur. The store fronts in along the main city roads are still maintained that way. 
The royal buildings are painted in yellow to make the distinction. We also visited several artisans who practiced carpet weaving, block printing, precious stone cutting and polishing, which are famous industries in Rajasthan. I was very happy to find a sari for the wedding along with other small items, during our shopping spree.
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