Ghat ki Guni or Ghat Ki Ghuni is a narrow alley between the eastern hill range of Aravalis in Jaipur. It provides access to the areas situated on the east side of Jaipur & beyond. Ghat ki Guni is also a starting point of the road that leads to Agra – the city of Taj Mahal, hence called Agra Road.

Reginald Herber, Bishop & traveller who reached Jaipur on 28 January 1825  described Ghat ki Guni in his memoir, Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India from Calcutta to Bombay 1824–1825.

“….The pass grew narrower, the path steeper & more rugged as we proceeded along with it & the little stream which we were ascending instead of dimpling amid the grass & stones now leapt & bounded from crag to crag like a Welsh rivulet. Still all was wild & dismal when on a turn of road we found ourselves in front of a high turreted & battlement wall, pierced with a tier of arched window & showing us beyond them the dark green shades of a large oriental garden……”

For a newbie, visiting Jaipur for the first time & entering the city from Ghat Ki Guni, the architecture will surely enthrall him. It has a beautiful facade lining both sides of the road, adorned by the jharokhas and chhatris, a hallmark of Jaipur architecture.

Ghat ki Guni was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur city in 1739. Layout plan of Ghat ki Guni area envisaged Mughal style terraced gardens like Sisodia Rani Garden, Vidhyadhar Garden and Raj Niwas Garden. These gardens were styled & inspired by the famous Mughal gardens of Delhi, Kashmir and elsewhere. Apart from these gardens, there are dwelling units, Havelis and many temples lining both sides of the road. Over the period of time, many people moved out of these buildings and now they are deserted.

Read related post: Sisodia Rani Garden/ Heritage Photo-Walk in Jaipur

Jaipur was envisaged as a major trading city by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (the founder of Jaipur) due to its favorable location. The layout of Jaipur incorporated this element.  Delhi Road and Agra Road were the main entry points to the city. Entry to the city from Delhi road was from the north while the entry from Agra was from the east direction. Both Agra & Delhi had immense importance during Mughal rule as they were the center of Mughal power, ruling over vast tracts of northern India, spanning right from Afghanistan to Bangladesh.

The entire area has now been renovated by Amer Development Authority (ADA) recently after years of neglect. In fact, before the renovation took place, all these heritage structures were in a dilapidated state.

Various shapes of entrance gates are quite striking!

These doors are reminiscent of a bygone era!

Looking at the beauty of Ghat Ki Guni, we can probably guess the political importance of Agra during Mughal emperor Akbar’s rule; it was the capital of the Mughal empire for more than a century!!

Ghat ki Guni served as a recreational area for the Jaipur Royalty. It is 4 km from the walled city area of Jaipur and serves as a glimpse of the beautiful city that lies ahead. This is evident from the description of Reginald Heber as detailed above.

Ghat ki Guni served as an access point for all traffic heading to Agra and beyond, for years, which caused further damage to these structures. An alternative route, Ghat Ki Guni tunnel has now been thrown open and all heavy & commercial vehicular traffic has been diverted through it. Below picture shows the expansive view of the area around Ghat Ki Guni Tunnel.

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Read related post: Sisodia Rani Garden/ Heritage Photo-Walk in Jaipur

Ghat ki Guni has many heritage structures that will continue to enthral tourists & travelers! There are many interesting places to explore in this area and I have already written about a few of these – Monkey Temple- Galtaji, Ghat Ke Balaji Temple, and Sisodia Rani Garden. Do check them out.

Expansive view of Ghat ki Guni area with Roop Niwas garden in the foreground