I first mentioned old Gates in Jaipur in Pol | Gates in Jaipur wherein I posted pictures of many Pols or gates of Jaipur. Many readers evinced a great interest in Jaipur Gates, an important vernacular architecture of Jaipur. Some people refer to old city gates as Jaipur Gates which were entry & exit points from the walled city area. These are also referred to as the 7 Gates of Jaipur. The wall encircling the city of Jaipur was an essential part of the plan laid under the supervision of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II its founder and came to be called the walled city. The locals always referred to it as “Parkota” or “Purana Jaipur Shahar”. This walled city has gates for entry or exit and is called Jaipur Gates. Most travelers can recall popular Gates of Jaipur like Sanganeri Gate, Ajmeri Gate, and Tripolia Gate, to name a few. Even though everyone believes in the seven gates of Jaipur, there is something more than these gates.

Jaipur Gates Of The Walled City 

Before we delve any further, it is important to understand the city wall of Jaipur.

Jaipur Wall & The Old City or Purana Shahar

The entry gates of the Walled City Jaipur or the old city of Jaipur are hard to miss. These gates marked the outer periphery of the city called Purana Shahar or Char Diwari. As per the plan, a 6-meter high and 3-meter thick wall surrounded Jaipur, containing the city within called The City Wall. This Jaipur City wall acted as a security feature, protecting the city & its inhabitants from any outside threats like attacking armies, wild animals, and dacoits, etc. This picture explains the city within the walls. The locals call the old Jaipur walled city Puarana Shahar.

How Many Gates Are There in Jaipur? Are there 7 Gates of Jaipur?

The walled city area was protected by Gates; also called Jaipur Gates. Some websites list the 7 gates of Jaipur. The 8 gates listed here do not include the New gate which was built in the 1940s. Why is there a confusion on the number of Gates in Jaipur in the old city? The list of 7 Gates of Jaipur does not include Samrat Gate.

Any movement in and out of the city was routed through entry gates. Initially, Jaipur was protected by 8 gates. These gates would close at dusk and open only after dawn. To alarm all citizens in the evening about the impending closure of gates, a small cannon would be fired similarly to the sounding of bells. This scheme of closing the gates at dusk was followed until the 1940s. Initially, Chandpole Gate was kept open 24 hours, later this was extended to the rest of the gates. The new areas were being developed outside the walled city and the city extended much beyond these gates. Today, these gates are merely symbolic; part of the city’s history, Nostalgia, and built heritage. However, they are also an important element of Jaipur’s rich architectural legacy for which the city is famous across the world.

Here is the complete list of the city gates of Jaipur.

Jorawar Singh Gate on Amer Road, Jaipur. Gateway to Jaipur from Delhi

Jorawar Singh Gate

As per some historians, the foundation of Jaipur city started with this gate. Situated on the northern boundary of the city, this gate was initially called the Druv Gate. Druv stands for Druv Tara or  Pole Star a fixed star in the sky, associated with the north direction. This gate is connected to Amer town and Delhi. If you’re driving down to Jaipur from Delhi via Amer town, you’ll pass through this gate. This gate is definitely one of the historic gates of Jaipur. Jorawar Singh Gate is the widest among all the old city gates in Jaipur.

Location

Amer Road.

Surajpole Gate

Surajpole is located on the Eastern periphery of the walled city of Jaipur. Suraj means Sun in English. This gate marks the direction of Sunrise. The famous Sun Temple or Surya Mandir is situated close by on the hills. This gate leads to the Galta Gate, which connects to the Galta Temples, also famous as the Monkey Temple among foreign travelers.

Location

Delhi Highway near Galta Hills/ Sun Temple.

Ghat Gate 

Ghat Gate was named so because this gate leads to the Ghat area i.e. Purana Ghat. Purana Ghat today is known as Ghat Ki Guni. It was initially called Ram Pol and led to the Ramganj area. Of all the gates, this one was located in an area that was least developed in the walled city area. Even today, areas surrounding this gate are not considered a prominent part of the walled city. This gate marks the south direction of the old walled city of Jaipur.

Location

Agra Road

Sanganeri Gate 

Sanganeri Gate is a prominent gate because it leads to the  Johari Bazaar, the most famous Bazaar of Jaipur in the walled city area. Johari Bazaar is most frequented by tourists and locals alike. It’s a buzzing market. This gate is called Sanganeri Gate because it opened to the road leading to Sanganer Town which is famous for the Jaipuri prints or Sanganeri prints. Sanganeri Prints refer to fabric famous for organic colors as well as unique motifs created using the block printing technique. This gate also marks the south direction of the old walled city of Jaipur.

Old City Gates of Jaipur – Ajmeri Gate on MI Road which leads you to the Kishanpole Bazaar, Jaipur.

Location

Johari Bazaar/ Eastern end of MI Road

Ajmeri Gate 

Kishanpole is commonly referred to as Ajmeri Gate. It was called so because this gate opened up on the road leading to the town of Ajmer. The importance of Ajmer was due to the famous  Ajmer Sharif Dargah, a popular Muslim shrine that was frequented by the Mughal ruler Akbar  (1567-1605 AD). This gate opens into Kishanpole Bazaar. This gate marks the south direction of the old walled city of Jaipur. Read Maharajah School of Arts & Crafts now called Museum of Legacies in Kishanpole Bazaar

Location

Kishanpol Bazaar/ MI Road

ChandPol Gate

Chandpole Gate marked the western limit of the walled city of Jaipur. Chand means Moon in Hindi. Since the Moon is associated with the west direction, this gate was called Chandpole or Chand Pol. This gate is located on the same axis as Suraj Pol. Both gates mark either end of the walled city and they are connected by a major arterial East-West road. The bazaar surrounding this gate is called Chandpole Bazaar. It’s a very active & bustling market.

Location

Chandpole Bazaar

Samrat Gate

Samraat Gate or Samrat Gate is one of the least known Jaipur Gates. It’s in the Brahampuri area close to Jorawar Singh Gate. This gate is situated on the northwest section of the walled city, providing access to the Brahampuri area. In some of the old records, it is also referred to as Brahma Pol. Some historians mention Samrat Gate being named after Jagannath Samrat.

Location

Brahampuri, Amer Road, Jaipur

Gangapol Gate

Gangapole Gate is also located close to Jorawar Singh Gate. Like Samrat Gate, this gate is not well known. However, it’s much grander than Samrat Gate. A very popular heritage hotel by the name of Samode Haveli is located close to the Gangapole gate. This gate is situated in the northeast section of the walled city.

Location

Near Samode Haveli, Amer Road, Jaipur

New Gate

Apart from the above 8 gates, another addition was made to the gates on the walled city called New Gate. The new gate is called so because this one was not in the original plan of  Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. It was constructed around the 1940s and some say inspired by the famous Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; I’m not sure if this is a legend or fact.  The design of this gate was toned down to align with the architecture of Jaipur. Before the one that we find now, earlier a very small gate used to exist in its place. This gate links Chaura Rasta Bazaar to MI Road and Ramniwas Garden and is in the Southern direction of the walled city. There is a popular belief that the New gate was built by the last king of Jaipur Maharajah Man Singh II to allow faster access to his new residential building, Rambagh Palace from Jaipur City Palace.

Location

Chaura Rasta/ MI Road

Locations of Jaipur Gate

This is how these gates were placed on the city map.

• North- Jorawar Singh Gate
• South- Ghat Gate, Sanganeri Gate, New Gate, Ajmeri Gate
• West – Chandpole Gate
• East- Surajpole Gate
• North-East- Gangapole Gate
• North-West- Samrat Gate

While all these gates are bound by a common design of floral motifs and color, each gate is unique in terms of architecture. With every passing day, Jaipur Havelis in the walled city are giving way to the new buildings and office complexes. These gates are great reminders of the rich architectural legacy of yesteryear. A good way to explore some of these gates would be on a self-guided free walking tour in Jaipur. Check out the Free Walking Tour in Jaipur.

At the same time, all these gates are part of the history of Jaipur. Some write-ups mention the 7 gates of Jaipur. There were 8 city gates in old Jaipur as per the original plan and another one was added in the middle of the twentieth century. A reference also needs to be made to Patrika Gate which embodies many of the architectural elements of these Jaipur Gates.  Read Patrika Gate |  A snapshot of Rajasthan Here is a picture of Patrika Gate.

The Four Gates of Jaipur

Apart from these gates, people are seeking pictures and information about the 4 gates of Jaipur. These have no connection with the old city gates. One can find these gates in Jaipur City Palace. These are one of the Instagrammable places in Jaipur.

What are the names of the four Gates of Jaipur?

The 4 Gates of Jaipurs are as follows:

1. Lotus Gate
2. Leheriya Gate
3. Rose Gate
4. Peacock Gate.

Here is a picture of one of the four Gates of Jaipur.

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