Jaipur is a melting pot of colour and craft, and also the creative hub where we work closely with skilled artisans to handcraft our products. We spoke with our founder, Ellie, for her insider tips on how to experience the city like a local.
You’ve spent a lot of time in Jaipur - what kind of traveller are you when you visit?Ellie: Honestly, I’m not someone who’s massively into traditional sightseeing. There are LOADS of amazing forts and castles and palaces in Jaipur, but my personal favourites are more about atmosphere, craft, and everyday life. So this isn’t a ‘must-see’ list, it’s more of a ‘what I love most’ list.
Where should people go first? Ellie: Patrika Gate, without a doubt. It’s all hand painted and I just love how extra it is. Even in 2016, India is still building these gorgeous structures and paying artists to hand paint them! I love it, and I adore the commitment to making it all by hand. It’s a key location for engagement and wedding shoots, so half the fun is visiting and seeing all the BEAUTIFUL wedding parties having their photos taken with the gate as a backdrop. Jaipur is building a similar structure that is solid marble and all carved by hand nearby and I am excited to see it take shape!
Are there any local experiences you’d recommend? Ellie: The flower market is one of my favourite places. It’s very much a locals’ spot where all the flowers for the varmala or ‘mala' fresh flower garlands (that are worn around people’s necks) are sold. You’ll see piles of marigolds, roses, and jasmine, and the smell is amazing (and very welcome in a busy city!). These garlands are used for everything from daily worship and festivals, to welcoming guests and showing respect to visitors. Also for sale are huge piles of rose petals, for sprinkling in water and for decoration like creating mandalas on the floor. It’s best to go at dawn because once the heat kicks in, the flowers start to wilt and the market shifts more toward fruit and veg. It’s chaotic, colourful, and completely beautiful.
Where should people shop for textiles? Ellie: Anokhi is a block printing HEAVEN! They have such beautiful homewares and clothing, and I can genuinely spend hours in the shop. It’s a lot more expensive than the bazaars and markets, but in my mind it's worth it as everything is fixed price and really, really good quality. It’s also slightly more curated and traditional than a lot of the market stalls that sell the same stuff with much more trend driven prints. Anokhi prints are generally more classic and in more considered colour palettes (still wild and colourful!). They carry a wide range of sizes, and I can confirm from personal experience they are happy to pack up and post your stuff back if you buy a little more than anticipated! There is a small but delicious little café attached to the shop, selling fresh juices, salads and sweet treats made using products grown on the company’s smallholding. I actually have the manager’s WhatsApp number from being such a frequent shopper!
Maybe my best little Jaipur secret is BR Fabrics, which is a multi-levelled shop tucked away in the back lanes of the old city and is basically a maze of fabric - piles and piles in every colour and print imaginable. I spend hours selecting the fabrics I like and then the tailors linked to the shop will make clothing or homeware to your specification from the fabrics you’ve selected. They will ship over or generally complete within a few days so you can collect before you leave the city! They also have rooms of pre-made jackets/bags which are nice, but nothing beats the FUN of having your own things made exactly how you’d like them!
What about the famous bazaars? Ellie: All of Jaipur’s bazaars are behind the famous pink city walls, and there’s multiple ones each selling different types of products. You have to go feeling hydrated and calm because they are pretty crazy, and particularly in Johari and Tripoli you will be hassled to shop! It’s best to go early to avoid crowns, and bargain hard if you are shopping. Each bazaar has its own specialty:
Johari for jewellery
Bapu for fabrics and leather goods
Tripolia for bangles and gifts
Sireh Deori for fabric goods
Kishanpole for handicrafts
My personal favourite is Indira Bazaar as it’s mainly household goods and honestly, the quality of those gorgeous brass homewares is unbeaten! I also love the copper water jugs, used because Ayurvedic medicine (widely used in India) teaches that the copper naturally purifies the water.
How should people get around the city? Ellie: Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would travel round the city in a car when you can use a Tuk-Tuk. They are generally faster because they can zip round tiny spaces and through city gates far easier than cars, and they don’t need air-con because the open sides mean a constant fresh cool breeze! They allow you to truly see everything up close, and even if you have nowhere to go they always lead to an amazing sightseeing tour because you are seeing the city up-close. Also, the drivers often have the best recommendations so get in and ask to be taken for mango juice, or a cardamom ice-lolly and just enjoy the ride and see where you end up! Yes, they might occasionally try to take you shopping, but that’s all part of the experience. You kind of have to embrace the chaos!
Any hidden gems? Ellie: Sanganer is really special. It’s about 15km outside of Jaipur and is where a lot of the block printing actually happens. It’s not a typical tourist destination - it’s more like a mix of industrial area and creative workshop space. You can just wander around and peek into different places to see people carving wooden printing blocks, printing fabric, making jewellery, crafting furniture. It’s incredibly inspiring if you’re into design or making things. I’d happily just stroll around here for hours!
And one spot you can’t skip? Ellie: You literally can’t be in Jaipur and not see the Hawa Mahal - it's within the walls of the old city (the famous pink city walls) and truly looks like an iced cake, it’s BEAUTIFUL! And on a very central road so if you are visiting the bazaars at any point you will see it. You can walk around within it (my memories of this is it’s very busy...tiny windows!) or have a nice cold drink at one of the many rooftop cafés facing it.