Jaipur - The City of Gates

Jaipur features a number of palaces, artificial lakes and other architectural marvels. One such group of architectural marvels in Jaipur are the 7 gates that are located in different parts of the Pink City. These gates of Jaipur are built in the direction of different planets or heavenly bodies and feature a blend of different architectural styles.

These gates were established as a security measure to keep invading armies at bay. The Jaipur city gates have a height of 6 metres and have a thickness of about 3 metres. They were built using stones and other sturdy materials to provide an added layer of protection to the citizens. These city gates of Jaipur were usually closed at dusk and opened only after dawn. To ensure that all the citizens were within the gated premises, a small cannon would be fired as an alarm that would remind the citizens to return back to their homes at the earliest. The gates stand tall to this day and are among the many architectural remains that are a part of Jaipur’s history.
 

Suraj Pol, or ‘Sun Gate’, gets its name from Suraj, or the Sun. Since sunrise happens in the east, this gate is located on the eastern end of the walled city. This gate opens up a route that leads to the famous Sun Temple in Jaipur. It is one of the most renowned Jaipur city gates and can be identified by an illustration of two suns painted on it. Along with the main gate, there is also a secondary gate that was utilized for the movement of people from dawn to dusk.
 

Located diagonally opposite Suraj Pol, lies Chand Pol, which in local lingo means ‘Moon Gate’. This gate is located on the western side of the walled city and is situated along the east-west axis. A large Hanuman temple is also present in close proximity to the gate and it has a height of about 25 feet. There’s also a bazaar around the gate where guests can purchase a variety of merchandise. Chand Pol is the second of the 7 gates in Jaipur and features a large main gate and two smaller secondary gates that are located on either side of the main gate.
 

Dhruv Pol is named after Dhruv Tara or the north star. It has now been renamed as Zorawar Singh Darwaza and is located in the northern part of the walled city. It features some of the widest city gates of Jaipur and it connects to the town of Amer in Rajasthan. Guests who are travelling to Jaipur from Delhi have to pass through this gate on their journey.

 

Ajmeri Gate or Kishan Pol is one of the four Jaipur city gates that is located on the southern rampart of the walled city. This gate leads to the inner part of the city and leads towards Kishan Pol Bazaar, which is famous for its dye fabrics. This gate features a primary door with smaller doors on either side.
 

Naya Pol or ‘New Gate’, is the ninth gate that was constructed in the midst of the twentieth century. This gate was not part of the original part of the walled city of Jaipur and was built to replace a smaller gate that was called Chor Darwaza or secret gateway. The size of this gate was increased during the time of Sawai Ram Singh ll, who commissioned a bigger gate to be built using a blend of European and Mughal architectural styles. Like all the other city gates of Jaipur, this gate also features a large door that is flanked by two smaller doors that were used by people travelling on foot.
 

Sanganeri Pol is the third gate that is located on the southern rampart of the walled city of Jaipur. This gate leads to the southern rote that leads to Sanganer town. This gate is also called Shiv Pol because there is a Shiv Mandir that is located in close proximity to the gate. The royal family used to visit this temple every year during Mahashivratri. The design of Shiv Pol and Kishan Pol is quite similar and features a large primary gate and two smaller gates on either side.
 

Ghat Pol is the last of the four southern gates present in the walled city of Jaipur. Ghat Pol is named after the eastern road which connects Jaipur and the ghat known as ghat ki ghuni. This gate paves a way towards Ramachandra Ji Chowkri and Ramganj Bazar. This gate, therefore, is also known as the Ram Pol. It features the main gate and a smaller secondary gate.


Apart from these main gates, there are many smaller gates that are spread all across the city such as Samrat Pole, Char Darwaza, Ganga Pole and many more. Although these are internal gates, each of them carries a unique story that will enthral you. All of these gates features floral motifs and colours that are reminders of the rich architectural legacy of the bygone era.