Have you ever wondered which are the best places to celebrate Diwali in India? If you are traveling in India during Diwali, May I suggest Jaipur? Jaipur Diwali is considered one of the best Diwali celebrations in India; it is one of the few places in India where Diwali is celebrated with enthusiasm & zeal. Among all festivals celebrated in Jaipur, perhaps Diwali is the only festival that transforms the city into a glitzy avatar. This is a reason why the pink city ranks high among the best places to visit in India during Diwali

Read  Will Diwali shine on people this year?

Fancy lighting can be seen everywhere –  dwelling units, markets, malls, buildings, and monuments. People flock to markets hunting for gifts and deals. Everyone is in a festive spirit. Read Diwali Gifting Mithai Vs Chocolates

Diwali marks the start of the festive season. As soon as Diwali ends, the wedding season starts, therefore there are many wedding oriented exhibitions & shows during this period. Diwali parties especially the card parties and get together catches on around two weeks before Diwali. Most of these parties run well past midnight. Although this is completely an urban phenomenon, the festive mood is everywhere.

History of Diwali in Jaipur

For a long time, Jaipur has followed a tradition of observing a 5 day Diwali celebration. Here is information on 5 days of Diwali.  It starts with Dhanteras on day one, Roop Chaudas on day 2, Diwali or Lakshmi Puja on day 3, Goverdhan Puja on day 4 and Bhai Duj on day 5. So for the first 3 days, markets and establishments are all decked up with the lights.

Read this post in continuation of Will Diwali shine on people this year?

Traditionally, Diya made of clay were used to light up the houses. This was later replaced by candles. Imported  Chinese LED lights in the last few years have kind of taken over all the buildings. While Diya or Deepak is no match for these LED lights when it comes to illumination & light effect, traditional Diya evokes a different feeling. Diwali is synonymous with Diya; it is not the case with cheap LED lights that we see all around. However, this year saw a big come-back of the Diya made by the potters, locally.

This is how these Diyas end up for the Diwali decoration!

Where is Diwali celebrated in Jaipur

Many tourists visit Jaipur to witness & experience the Diwali celebrations, both from abroad as well as India. Jaipur is a popular destination among the Gujarati and Bengali tourists during the Diwali vacations. The Diwali celebrations in Jaipur take place throughout the city, however, some of the popular landmarks are specially decorated for the festival. You will find many monuments and buildings in Jaipur all lit up for Diwali. These two pictures were shot at Statue Circle Jaipur which has a statue of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, founder of Jaipur.

Read post on Statue Circle: Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II | The Founder Of Jaipur

Following are the pictures of the beautifully lit up  Albert Hall Museum built in Indo-Saracenic architectural style by Samuel Swinton  Jacob in 1887 AD. Albert Hall Museum is a very popular tourist attraction in Jaipur and features an Egyptian mummy as one of its key attractions. The foundation of this building was laid by the  Prince of Wales, Albert Edward in 1876 AD during his Jaipur Visit.

Diwali Traditions

While a lot of Diwali traditions are common across the country, only a few are specific to the city. What makes them even more unique is the context and the place. Here are scenes from the Bazaars in Jaipur on Diwali selling items for the Lakshmi Puja.

• Buying sugarcane for Diwali Lakshmi Puja

Sugarcane sellers can be spotted everywhere in Johari Bazaar, Jaipur. People well conversant with traditions believe sugarcane is an offering made to the elephants associated with Goddess Lakshmi.

• Marigold Flowers For Decoration

The marigold flower sellers swarm all over the walled city markets in Jaipur on Lakshmi Puja day. A large number of them are from the nearby villages looking at making quick money since everyone buys these flowers for decoration. Owing to huge demand, the prices for flowers go up.

• Idols of Lakshmiji and Ganeshji

People buy idols or printed images for Diwali Lakshmi Puja.

• Pujan Samagri

Pre-packed Pujan Samagri for Lakshmi Puja is also in high demand. Traditionally, people would buy them individually going as per the Pujan Samagri list from the shops but owing to lack of time, these packets are preferred choice.

• Special Diwali Rangoli

Rangoli art is an important part of Diwali decoration and celebration. Rangoli is a colorful pattern made on the floor that is very popular and can be seen in almost every household. Women make beautiful designs of Rangoli for Diwali. Colored powder and fresh flower petals are often used for making new Rangoli designs.

Some people use Rangoli Stencil instead of a free hand to create Rangoli patterns on the floor. Stencils enable easy Rangoli design for Diwali.

Here is a Rangoli pattern created with a stencil.

How to make Rangoli for Diwali? 

Simple Diwali Rangoli, step by step pictures.

Where to witness the Diwali Celebration in Jaipur?

Diwali decoration is what everyone loves to witness in Jaipur. Apart from this, there is special Diwali Puja in temples. In some temples, it is held on Dhanteras day whereas in others it is on Diwali or Kartik Amavasya.

• Diwali Aarti in Jaipur

Before anything else, one should experience special Diwali Puja. The Diwali celebrations and Aarti at Sri Ramchandra Temple in Jaipur is famous as the temple is dedicated to Lord Rama.

• Diwali Decoration in Jaipur

The Diwali decoration in Jaipur attracts many travelers and tourists. Jaipur is one of the few cities where the city decks up for the Diwali celebrations. Read on to know about places for Diwali decoration in Jaipur.

Popular places to see the Diwali decoration in Jaipur

1. Johari Bazaar 

   

2. Albert Hall Museum 

   

3. Chaura Rasta 

   

4. Tripolia Bazaar
   

5. Jal Mahal 

   

6. MI Road 

   

7. Statue Circle, C Scheme 

8. Jaipur View From Nahargarh Fort

The Jaipur view from Nahargarh Fort on Diwali is spellbinding. Do note that many times police blocks the road leading to the fort because of drink and drive menace. Your best bet is to visit Nahargarh for sunset and enjoy the sunset view along with Diwali lighting.  Nahargarh Fort restaurant Padao is the preferred choice for the Jaipur views.

Diwali celebration in the holy city of Varanasi is also very popular. It has religious importance due to the presence of many Hindu temples & river Ganga. The Ganga Aarti and lighting at the ghats in Varanasi on Diwali is a mesmerizing experience.  Jaipur is surely not in the same league.

Diwali in Jaipur, on the other hand, has a much more glitzy avatar. There’s a unique blend of culture & religion in Diwali celebrations in Jaipur. Where else can you experience the eclectic mix of the modern and traditional way of celebrating the festival of lights? People who have witnessed Diwali celebrations across various cities claim that the Diwali celebration in Jaipur is one of its kind. Therefore Jaipur is the best place to celebrate Diwali in India. The city surely knows how to celebrate Diwali and spread good vibes all around. You should experience the festival of lights in Jaipur, at least once in your lifetime. This is the reason why Jaipur is considered to be the best places to visit in India during Diwali

Also, read  Will Diwali shine on people this year? Read more from similar posts here.

Follow me on Facebook      Twitter     Instagram