Have you ever wanted to visit a place with a beautiful amalgamation of architecture and art? If yes, then you need to visit Jaipur. Patrika Gate in Jaipur is one such place. It is the most Instagram worthy place in Jaipur. This magnificent building features high on the list of Instagrammers, travelers, and fashion bloggers. Consequently, it is one of the most popular places for photo-shoots in Jaipur.  The perfect symmetry of the building and an assortment of pastel-colored interiors are just right for a beautiful photographic opportunity. There is little doubt that people instantly fall in love with this building.

Patrika Gate Guide

Information on Patrika Gate is limited. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that no information board is put up at the site. Visitors are left to make guesswork. Here is everything you need to know about this highly sought after place among female travelers.

History of Patrika Gate

Who made Patrika Gate? Patrika Gate derives its name from the newspaper and media company Rajasthan Patrika. It was built by Rajasthan Patrika in association with JDA – Jaipur Development Authority. The gate is built on Jawahar Circle near Sanganer International Airport, at the southern end of JLN Marg, which connects Ramniwas Garden on the north side, and Jaipur International Airport on the southern end.

In what year was Patrika Gate built? Patrika Gate was completed and inaugurated in 2020. Here is a picture of the Patrika Gate while being built in 2016; it wasn’t open to the public then. The project was supervised by Raghunath Singh from Rajasthan Patrika team.

How old is Patrika Gate? It is not very old as the construction of the gate started in 2015.

Patrika Gate was formally inaugurated virtually by the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, on 08 September 2020 even though it was thrown open to the public much earlier.

About Patrika Gate

The idea of building this gate is linked with the old city gates of Jaipur’s walled city. When Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II founded the pink city in 1727 AD, he secured the perimeter with a wall and eight gates. The city was founded on the principles of Vaastu and Shilp Shastra. As per a distinctive feature of the layout, key buildings and temples were built on the same axis; namely Garh Ganesh Temple, Govind Dev Ji Temple, Jaipur City Palace, Triploia Gate, New Gate, and the Albert Hall Museum.

Both New Gate and Albert Hall were added much later, they were not part of the initial plan. Jaipur City Palace was the nucleus of the layout plan. This was the North-South axis while the East-West axis was defined by Chandpole Gate and Surajpol Gate with historic temples on both ends.

The role of Nine, a cardinal number

It is being claimed similar to the walled city, numeral nine plays a critical part in the making of the Patrika Gate. There are a total of nine pavilions. Each pavilion is 9 feet wide. The width of the gate is 81 feet and the height is 108 feet which coincides with the width of principal markets in the walled city. Some experts claim it to be 111 feet and not 108 feet. Patrika Gate is being touted as the ninth gate of Jaipur.

Adopting this concept, Patrika Gate is inspired by the old architectural legacies. The facade is inspired by the traditional architecture and features Jharokhas, Pols, Pavilions, and Chhatris. Look closely, and you can clearly recall some of the prominent buildings of Jaipur like Hawa Mahal, Jaipur City Palace, and a few temples.

Architecture & Interiors

Each architectural element and design in the gate is unique and not repeated. It makes for a remarkable place for architecture students and art lovers to visit for inspiration.

The building’s facade is pink in color, which is many shades lighter than the famous Jaipur pink- terracotta pink. The golden color is also used to highlight some areas of the facade. The facade is flanked by figures of elephants, horses, and soldiers. These are important elements associated with the valor of the princely state of Rajasthan. Battles and wars comprise an integral part of the history of princely Rajput states.

Looking at the architecture of the Patrika Gate, it is evident architect has devoted a lot of time to arriving at the final design. It is hard for a layman to comprehend the painstaking efforts required to design this masterpiece.

Unraveling the design elements

For example, in the above picture, the design of each of the nine arched entrances or gates is unique and denotes regions of Rajasthan. The following regions of Rajasthan have inspired the arched gateway facade, starting from east to west direction.

• Gorwar region represents Pali, Jalore, and Sirohi districts.
• Ajaymeru region representing Ajmer, Pushkar, Kishangarh, and Beawar region
• Marwar region is represented by Jodhpur, Jaiselmer, and Nagaur
• Shekhawati region is composed of Sikar, Nawalgarh, Mandawa, Jhunjhunu, etc.
• Dhundhad region comprising Jaipur, Tonk, Dausa, and Sawai Madhopur
• Braj region comprising Bharatpur and Karauli
• Mewar region representing Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh, and Chittorgarh
• Vagad region containing Dungarpur and Banswara
• Hadoti region is represented by Bundi, Jhalawar, and Kota

Who designed Patrika Gate? Patrika Gate was designed by Jaipur-based architect Anoop Barataria. He has also designed the World Trade Park in Jaipur.

Images and elements of Rajasthan are brought alive by Patrika Gate through its hand-painted walls and ceilings. Each pillar and column depicts scenes from various regions of Rajasthan. One gets a glimpse of the rich architectural and cultural legacy of the state. The wall panels and ceilings are beautifully painted with intricate motifs and colors.

Featured above is a panel dedicated to Jaipur depicting the late Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, Maharani Gayatri Devi, traditional handmade jewelry, and the famous blue pottery There are famous Bani Thani paintings, Jal Mahal, Mehrangarh Fort, Srinathji, and legendary rulers to name a few. It is impossible to enumerate everything here.

Apart from these, the artists have also depicted scenes from daily lives that were popular subjects of ancient and medieval paintings. In summary, it is an impressive visual experience for the artistically inclined. Do note panels have been covered with transparent plastic sheets to preserve the work of art.

The Patrika Gate leads to the Jawahar Circle garden. It’s a popular morning place in Jaipur among walkers, joggers, and kids. The area around Jawahar Circle has been beautifully landscaped as the road leads to Sanganer International Airport in Jaipur. Jaipur Development Authority has claimed Jawahar Circle is Asia’s biggest roundabout, I’m unsure if that is true anymore!

Since Patrika Gate is not painted in terracotta pink which is synonymous with Jaipur, every time I see this building, it nudges me of Gajner Palace in Bikaner. The pink color of Gajner Palace and its facade is similar to this gate. Here is a picture of Gajner Palace which is presently a heritage hotel.

It was a hunting palace during the days of royalty. One of the most famed rulers of Bikaner, Maharaja Ganga Singh was fond of Gajner and would utilize every convenient opportunity to visit here. If you have never been to Gajner, someday you should.

Even though Patrika Gate is being touted as the ninth gate of Jaipur as mentioned above, I find it a bit queer. In my opinion, it is just a marketing ploy. The last gate to be built by Jaipur Royalty was New Gate. The old city gates of Jaipur served a specific purpose- restricting movement in & out of the city as well as providing security.

There is no functional purpose for the Patrika gate. Therefore, it cannot be clubbed with old Jaipur Gates. To summarize, the importance of the Patrika Gate to Jaipur is similar to the relevance of the Gateway of India to Mumbai and the India Gate to New Delhi. It is an iconic place; a beautiful amalgamation of the art and architecture of Rajasthan.

Why visit Patrika Gate?

Patrika Gate is an outstanding place to witness the rich & vibrant architectural and cultural legacies of Rajasthan. It is also a splendid place for photographic opportunities; a reason why one finds many pre-wedding photoshoots at the gate and a popular place for Instagrammers. Each architectural element of Patrika Gate is unique and makes for an inspiring visit for art and architecture lovers. One should expend adequate time to enjoy each of the painted panels of the gate to understand its context. Patrika Gate reminds me of this quote- “Find a beautiful place and get lost”. Here is another befitting quote “Sometimes you need a break in a beautiful place.”

Photoshoot

Patrika Gate is one of the most sought-after places in Jaipur for photo shoots, especially for pre-wedding photoshoots. A considerable number of travel bloggers and influencers hire a photographer for the photoshoot at Patrika Gate. It is not uncommon to discover a large number of couples waiting for their turn, especially during the morning hours.

Isn’t it super that a traveler flying in and out of Jaipur can spare a few moments to visit Patrika Gate and get an architectural and cultural glimpse of Rajasthan? A snapshot of Rajasthan! 

Here’s a little trivia for you. Can you guess what this is and its significance?

How to reach?

It is not difficult to reach Patrika Gate but rather effortless to club your visit to Patrika Gate if you are flying in or out of Jaipur since it is just a kilometer from the airport. If you are using the Uber/Ola app, set your destination address with Jawahar Circle.

Is Patrika Gate open? What are the Timings?

Patrika Gate is open 24 hours but is best visited from morning to evening with enough sunlight. Visitors often report that the worst time to visit this place is during sunrise or sunset when pre-wedding photographers and couples swarm this place.

Entrance Fee

There is no entry fee to visit Patrika Gate. It is free for everyone, both Indians and foreigners. As of now, parking is free too.

Follow Jaipurthrumylens!! on Facebook Twitter Instagram