Lost Tales of Jaipur: How Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, The Astronomer King, Built India’s First Planned City Nearly 300 Years Ago

If you’ve recently scrolled through Instagram reels of Jaipur — the pastel pink façades, symmetrical streets, and perfectly framed palace corridors — you’ve probably noticed how modern the city looks,

despite being nearly 300 years old. There’s a reason your favourite influencer’s Jaipur content looks like it belongs in an urban design journal — the city was planned to perfection long before Google Maps or civil engineering degrees existed. And the man behind it all wasn’t just a ruler; he was a stargazer, a mathematician, and an astronomer with a vision that extended beyond the skies.

The Pink City That Blends Science, Art, and Politics

A pleasant hue of pink still bathes the city’s walls as you walk through its meticulously structured roads. Just 280 kilometres from Delhi, Jaipur — the capital of Rajasthan — remains a living example of how science, art, and politics came together to create one of the world’s earliest examples of urban planning. The design was so precise that even today, historians marvel at how Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II mapped every street, courtyard, and gate with mathematical accuracy — centuries before “smart cities” became a global buzzword.

From Amber’s Hills to Jaipur’s Plains

Before Jaipur rose in its rosy splendour, Amber (or Amer), nestled amid the Aravalli hills, was the capital of the Kachwaha Rajputs. But by the early 1700s, the region was struggling with droughts and famines. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, whose name itself means “one and a quarter” — a compliment from Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb for being stronger than one man — began looking for new ground to establish a capital that could sustain his growing kingdom.

A Diplomat, a Thinker, and a Dreamer

At the time, the Mughal empire was crumbling in the north while the Marathas were sweeping across western India. It was a tricky political terrain to navigate. Yet, Jai Singh II was not just a warrior; he was a thinker. Rather than chasing conquest, he sought wisdom — and stars.

The King Who Read the Skies

A passionate astronomer, Jai Singh II realised that the astronomical tables of his time didn’t match real observations. So, in a move that would make any modern scientist proud, he decided to fix the problem himself. He built five observatories across India — in Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, and Mathura — creating instruments that could precisely calculate celestial movements. The most famous of these, the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Designing a City by the Stars

Armed with this scientific curiosity, Jai Singh decided to design his capital in harmony with cosmic principles. He enlisted the help of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, an architect and scholar from Bengal, to translate his astronomical vision into architecture. Together, they conceptualised Jaipur as a nine-grid city — each square representing a planet in the solar system. Two blocks were reserved for the royal palaces and state buildings, while the others were dedicated to citizens, artisans, and traders.

A City Built on Geometry and Grace

The walls of Jaipur rose nearly 20 feet high, pierced by seven grand gates (later expanded to nine). Each gate had a symbolic alignment: Suraj Pol faced the rising sun, Chand Pol the setting moon, and Zorawar Singh Pol looked toward the old capital of Amber. Every street ran perfectly north-south or east-west, allowing sunlight to filter beautifully through the day — a touch that modern architects still envy.

The Vision Beyond Walls

Jai Singh even considered comfort. The bustling bazaars — now famous for their block prints and gemstones — were designed with covered arcades to shield shoppers and merchants from the blazing Rajasthani heat and winter chill. According to UNESCO, the Maharaja went so far as to invite merchants and bankers from across India to settle in his new city, tempting them with tax breaks and plots of land for grand courtyard homes, or havelis.

Blueprint to Brilliance in Just Four Years

It took just four years for Jaipur to emerge from blueprint to brilliance. When it was completed in 1731, it wasn’t just a new capital — it was an architectural revolution. A city built on astronomy, geometry, and diplomacy — designed by a king who looked to the stars for answers and brought them down to earth in the form of streets, gates, and palaces.

The Legacy That Still Shines

Three centuries later, the magic of Sawai Jai Singh II’s creation continues to shine. Jaipur isn’t merely a tourist’s delight or an influencer’s backdrop; it’s living proof that great design never goes out of style. It’s a city where science met soul — and together, they painted the world pink.