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 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. The visitors are left to make guesswork. Here is all that you need to know about this highly sought after place among female travelers.

History of Patrika Gate

Patrika Gate derives its name from 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, the southern end of JLN Marg which connects Ramniwas Garden on the north side and Jaipur International Airport on the Southern end. Here is a picture of the Patrika Gate when it was built in 2016; it wasn’t open to the public then. The project was supervised by Raghunath Singh from Rajasthan Patrika team.

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

Inspiration

The idea of building this gate is linked with the old city gates of Jaipur 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 like the walled city, numeral nine plays a critical part in the making of the Patrika Gate. There is a total of nine pavilions. Each pavilion is 9 feet wide. The width of the gate is 81 feet and height 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 the architecture students and art lovers to visit for inspiration.

The building facade is pink in color which is many shades lighter than the famous Jaipur pink- terracotta pink. 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 states 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 arrive 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 are 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 representing Pali, Jalore, and Sirohi districts.
• Ajaymeru region representing Ajmer, Pushkar, Kishangarh, and Beawar region
• Marwar region 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 of Bharatpur and Karauli
• Mewar region representing Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh, and Chittorgarh
• Vagad region containing Dungarpur and Banswara
• Hadoti region represented by Bundi, Jhalawar, and Kota

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

The images and elements of Rajasthan are brought alive in Patrika Gate through its hand-painted walls and ceilings. Each pillar and column depict the 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.

There’s famous Bani Thani painting, Jal Mahal, Mehrangarh Fort, Srinathji, legendary rulers to name a few. It is impossible to enumerate everything here.

Apart from these, the artists have also depicted the scenes from daily lives that were popular subjects of ancient and medieval paintings. In sum, 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 the walkers, joggers, and kids. The area around Jawahar Circle has been beautifully landscaped as the road leads to Sanganer International Airport of 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 of the Patrika gate. Therefore, it cannot be clubbed with old Jaipur Gates. To summarize, the importance of Patrika Gate to Jaipur is similar to the relevance of Gateway of India to Mumbai and India Gate to New delhi. It is an iconic place; a beautiful amalgamation of the art and architecture of Rajasthan.

I find Patrika Gate an outstanding place to witness the rich & vibrant architectural and cultural legacies of Rajasthan. It is not merely a splendid place for photographic opportunities. One should expend adequate time to enjoy each of the painted panels. Patrika Gate reminds me this quote- “Find a beautiful place and get lost”. Here is another befitting quote “Sometimes you need a break in a beautiful place.”

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 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.

Timings

Patrika Gate is open 24 hours but 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, the parking is free too.

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