Rajasthan
EASTERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
SHOPP
iNG
Rajasthan
JA iPUR
screened at some cinemas in Jaipur – check
the cinemas and local press for details.Raj ̈Mandir ̈Cinema ̈ CiNEMA
(%2379372; Baghwandas Marg; admission
₹60-150; hreservations 10am-6pm, screenings
12.30pm, 3.30pm, 6.30pm & 9.30pm) Just off MI
Rd, Raj Mandir is the place to go to see a
Hindi film in India. This opulent cinema
looks like a huge pink cream cake, with a
meringue auditorium and a foyer some-
where between a temple and Disneyland.
Bookings can be made one hour to seven
days in advance at window Nos 9 and 10
(10am to 6pm) – this is your best chance
of securing a seat, although forget it in the
early days of a new release. Alternatively,
sharpen your elbows and join the queue
when the current booking office opens 45
minutes before screening. Avoid the very
cheapest tickets, which are very close to the
screen.Chokhi ̈Dhani ̈ THEME PARK
(%2225001; Tonk Rd; adult/child aged 3-
₹450/350, incl Rajasthani thali ₹650/400; h6pm-
11pm) Chokhi Dhani, meaning ‘special vil-
lage’, is a mock Rajasthani village 20km
south of Jaipur, and is a fun place to take the
kids. There are open-air restaurants, where
you can enjoy a tasty Rajasthani thali, and
there’s a bevy of traditional entertainment –
dancers, acrobats, snack stalls – as well as
adventure park–like activities for kids to
swing on, slide down and hide in. A return
taxi from Jaipur, including waiting time, is
about ₹600.7 ̈Shopping
Jaipur is a shopper’s paradise. Commercial
buyers come here from all over the world
to stock up on the amazing range of jewel-
lery, gems, artefacts and crafts that arrive
from all over Rajasthan. You’ll have to bar-
gain hard – shops have seen too many cash-
rich, time-poor tourists, particularly around
major tourist centres such as the City Palace
and Hawa Mahal.
Most of the larger shops can pack and
send your parcels home for you, although it
may be slightly cheaper if you do it yourself.
The city is still loosely divided into tra-
ditional artisans quarters. The Pink City
Walking Tour (p114) will take you through
some of these.
Bapu ̈ Bazaar is lined with saris and
fabrics, and is a good place to buy trinkets.Johari ̈Bazaar and Siredeori ̈Bazaar are
where many jewellery shops are concen-
trated, selling gold, silver and highly glazed
enamelwork known as meenakari, a Jaipur
speciality. You may also find better deals for
fabrics with the cotton merchants of Johari
Bazaar.
Kishanpol ̈Bazaar is famous for textiles,
particularly bandhani (tie-dye). Nehru ̈Ba-
zaar also sells fabric, as well as jootis, trin-
kets and perfume. MI Rd is another good
place to buy jootis. The best place for ban-
gles is Maniharon ka Rasta, near the Shree
Sanjay Sharma Museum.
Plenty of factories and showrooms are
strung along the length of Amber Rd, be-
tween Zorawar Singh Gate and the Holiday
Inn, to catch the tourist traffic. Here you’ll
find huge emporiums selling block prints,
blue pottery, carpets and antiques. These
shops are used to bus loads swinging in to
blow their cash, so you’ll need to wear your
bargaining hat.
Rickshaw-wallahs, hotels and travel
agents will be getting a hefty cut from any
shop they steer you towards. Many unwary
visitors get talked into buying things for re-
sale at inflated prices, especially gems. Be-
ware of these get-rich-quick scams.Kripal ̈Kumbh ̈ HANDiCRAFTS
(%2201127; B18A Shiv Marg; h9.30am-6pm Mon-
Sat) This tiny showroom in a private home
is a great place to buy Jaipur’s famous blue
pottery produced by the late Mr Kripal
Singh, his family and his students. Most
pieces cost between ₹250 and ₹500.Khadi ̈Ghar ̈ ClOTH iNG, HANDiCRAFTS
(M i Rd; h10am-7.30pm Mon-Sat) The best of
a handful of khadi shops in Jaipur, this
branch sells good quality ready-made cloth-
ing from the homespun khadi fabric, fa-
mously endorsed by Gandhi, as well as a
small selection of handicrafts. Prices are
fixed and pressure to buy is minimal.oMojari ̈ ClOTH iNG
(Shiv Heera Marg; shoes ₹500-750; h10am-
6.30pm Mon-Sat) Named after the traditional
decorated shoes of Rajasthan, Mojari is a
UN-supported project that helps rural leath-
erworkers, traditionally among the poorest
members of society. There is a small range
of wonderful handmade footwear on dis-
play (and loads more out the back), includ-
ing embroidered, appliquéd and open-toed
shoes, mules and sandals. There’s a particu-