India & Place
Founded by a warrior-astronomer king and painted the colour of hospitality, Jaipur is where royal ambition meets living craft ~ a city that has clothed the world for centuries.
A city conceived whole. Planned with mathematical precision. Painted the colour of hospitality. Nearly three hundred years later, Jaipur still feels remarkable.
FOUNDED 1727 ~ UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE 2019
Jaipur does not happen by accident. Unlike many of India's ancient cities, which grew organically over millennia along riverbanks and trade crossings, Jaipur was designed. Conceived whole. Planned with a mathematical precision that still feels remarkable nearly three hundred years later.
In 1727, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II ~ warrior, diplomat, and one of the most accomplished astronomers of his age ~ looked at the overcrowded hilltop fortress of Amber, where Rajput kings had ruled for centuries, and decided his people deserved something new. He commissioned the Bengali architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya to design a city on the plains below. What emerged was India's first planned city, laid out on a grid system inspired by the ancient Hindu architectural treatise, the Shilpa Shastra. Nine rectangular sectors. Wide, ordered streets. A geometry that balanced defensive practicality with an almost philosophical sense of order.
Jai Singh named the city for himself, and within a generation it had become one of the most prosperous and cultured courts in India. The Maharaja's own astronomical instruments ~ massive stone observatories called Jantar Mantar, designed to track the movements of stars and planets ~ still stand in the heart of the city. They are not relics. They are functional. The sundial at Jantar Mantar remains the largest stone sundial in the world and still tells the time to within two seconds' accuracy.
This is the city where Daughters of India's garments take shape. Not a place of mere manufacture, but a place where precision and beauty have been held together for centuries.
The question visitors always ask. The answer involves a prince, a tradition, and a colour that has come to define an entire city.
In 1876, Maharaja Ram Singh prepared for the visit of the Prince of Wales ~ later King Edward VII ~ and the Duke of Edinburgh. In Rajasthani tradition, the colour pink (more accurately, a warm terracotta) represented hospitality and welcome. Ram Singh ordered the entire old city painted in this colour for the occasion. The gesture was grand, theatrical, and effective. The visitors were charmed. The city had found its identity.
What might have been a temporary decoration became permanent. Municipal laws now require buildings within the old city walls to maintain the distinctive pink wash. The shade has shifted slightly over the decades ~ sometimes more orange, sometimes more rose ~ but the overall effect remains extraordinary. Walking through the old city of Jaipur is like walking through the inside of a sunset.
In 2019, UNESCO recognised Jaipur's walled city as a World Heritage Site, noting its unique urban planning, its architectural heritage, and the exchange of ideas ~ ancient and modern, Eastern and Western ~ that the city represents.
Landmarks
Jaipur's landmarks are not merely historical. They are active, inhabited, woven into the daily life of a city of over three million people.
The Palace of Winds is perhaps the most photographed building in Rajasthan. Built in 1799, its extraordinary facade ~ a honeycomb of 953 small windows ~ was designed so that women of the royal court could observe street festivals and daily life without being seen from outside. The building is only one room deep in places, essentially an ornate screen rather than a palace. It is architecture as veil, privacy as art.
Perched on the hillside above the city, Amber Fort predates Jaipur by centuries. This is where the Rajput rulers held court before Jai Singh moved to the plains. Its mirror palace ~ the Sheesh Mahal ~ is inlaid with thousands of tiny mirrors and coloured glass pieces that catch candlelight and scatter it like stars. The craftsmanship is breathtaking and speaks to the same tradition of patient, skilled handwork that defines Jaipur's textile artisans today.
City Palace occupies a vast compound in the centre of the old city. Part of it remains a private residence for the descendants of the royal family. Part is now a museum. The Textile Gallery within the palace holds a remarkable collection of royal garments, many featuring block-printed and embroidered fabrics that represent centuries of Rajasthani textile craft.
Jai Singh's astronomical observatory is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right. Its instruments ~ built from local stone and marble ~ were designed to measure time, predict eclipses, and track the positions of stars. They represent a marriage of science and craft that feels particularly resonant in a city where artisans still work by hand, still read materials and conditions by instinct, still rely on knowledge passed through generations.
Jaipur is not just where our clothes are made. It is where the idea of what clothing can be ~ handmade, honest, beautiful ~ has been kept alive for centuries.
DAUGHTERS OF INDIA
If the palaces and forts represent Jaipur's royal past, the bazaars represent its living present. The old city is organised around a series of markets, each traditionally dedicated to a particular craft or trade.
Johari Bazaar, the jewellers' market, glitters with gemstones. Jaipur is one of the world's great centres for gemstone cutting and polishing ~ roughly ninety percent of the world's emeralds pass through the city for processing. The skills required for gem cutting ~ patience, precision, an eye for the hidden beauty within raw material ~ mirror the skills of the textile artisan. Both trades transform rough material into something luminous through the application of human knowledge and steady hands.
Bapu Bazaar is where textiles come alive. Block-printed fabrics hang from shopfronts in cascades of colour. Scarves, bedspreads, clothing, yardage ~ the variety is overwhelming and beautiful. Walking through Bapu Bazaar, you begin to understand the scale of Jaipur's textile tradition. This is not a niche craft. This is an industry, a culture, a way of life that supports hundreds of thousands of families across the region.
Tripolia Bazaar connects the two and is known for its lac bangles, copperware, and traditional Rajasthani turbans. The interconnectedness of these craft traditions is important. Block printing does not exist in isolation. It sits within an ecosystem of making ~ alongside metalwork, pottery, jewellery, miniature painting, and leather craft ~ that has sustained Jaipur's identity and economy for nearly three centuries.
Did you know?
Jaipur is home to one of India's most distinctive craft traditions: blue pottery. Unlike most Indian ceramics, Jaipur's blue pottery uses no clay at all. Instead, it is made from a mixture of quartz stone powder, powdered glass, Multani mitti (fuller's earth), borax, and gum. The technique is Persian in origin, brought to Jaipur centuries ago, and the results ~ vivid cobalt blue designs on a white ground ~ are unmistakable. Like block printing, blue pottery relies on skilled hands and inherited knowledge rather than industrial machinery.
Just south of Jaipur's old city lies Sanganer, the district that has been synonymous with block printing for over five hundred years. This is where Daughters of India's printing workshops are located. This is where cloth becomes clothing, where design becomes garment, where ink meets fabric under the steady pressure of an artisan's hand.
Sanganer's printing tradition is distinctive. Compared to the bold, earthy dabu printing of nearby Bagru, Sanganer work is refined, intricate, and luminous. The tradition favours fine floral motifs ~ jasmine, marigold, lotus, and leaf patterns ~ printed on white or light-coloured backgrounds. The effect is delicate without being fragile, detailed without being fussy. It is printing that breathes.
The district's suitability for textile work is partly geographical. The Amanishah Nala, a seasonal river, provided the water historically needed for washing and dyeing fabric. The dry climate aids the critical drying stage between colour passes. And the concentration of skilled artisans ~ block carvers, dye mixers, printers, finishers ~ within a relatively small area creates an ecosystem where knowledge is shared, standards are maintained, and the tradition sustains itself.
Today, Sanganer is home to hundreds of printing workshops, ranging from small family operations to larger facilities like the one where Daughters of India's garments are made. The district faces challenges ~ competition from machine printing, changing water tables, the pull of urban employment drawing younger generations away from craft ~ but its output remains extraordinary. The block-printed textiles produced in Sanganer today are the direct descendants of cloth that once dressed Mughal emperors and fascinated European courts.
A Constellation of Making
Block printing may be Jaipur's most famous textile craft, but the city is a constellation of making. Understanding these neighbouring traditions helps to appreciate the depth of craft culture that surrounds and sustains textile work.
Perhaps Jaipur's most economically significant craft. The city is one of the world's largest hubs for the cutting, polishing, and trading of precious and semi-precious stones. Entire neighbourhoods are dedicated to the trade, with workshops often operating from the upper floors of residential buildings, lit by single bulbs, the cutters working with tools that have barely changed in a century.
A tradition that reached its zenith under Rajput and Mughal patronage, continuing in studios across the city. Artists work with brushes made from a single hair of a squirrel's tail, creating scenes of extraordinary detail on surfaces no larger than a playing card. The connection to textile design is direct ~ many block printing motifs draw from the same visual vocabulary of flowers, birds, and geometric patterns that define Rajasthani miniature art.
Made from a resin produced by lac insects, lac bangles are a Jaipur specialty. The bangles are formed, coloured, and studded with glass or stone by hand, each one unique. They are sold in towers of colour along Tripolia Bazaar and remain an essential part of Rajasthani bridal traditions.
The production of embossed and hand-tooled leather goods ~ juttis (traditional pointed shoes), journals, bags ~ represents another strand of Jaipur's craft identity. The tooling techniques share something fundamental with block printing: the patient, repeated application of a shaped instrument to a receptive surface.
For visitors drawn to textiles and craft, Jaipur offers a journey that few cities can match. A day spent following the textile trail might begin at the City Palace Textile Gallery, where royal garments display centuries of Rajasthani printing and weaving. From there, a walk through Bapu Bazaar offers immersion in the contemporary textile trade ~ the colours, the textures, the negotiation and discussion that are themselves a kind of craft.
The trail leads south to Sanganer, where visitors can watch block printing in action ~ the rhythmic dip and press of the block, the slow emergence of pattern across a length of cloth. Many workshops welcome visitors and are happy to demonstrate the process, from block carving to the final wash. It is one thing to read about block printing. It is quite another to stand beside a printer and watch a design appear, impression by impression, under their hands.
A detour to the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing in Amber ~ housed in a beautifully restored haveli ~ provides historical context. The museum's collection spans centuries and techniques, offering a comprehensive survey of Indian printing traditions. It is a small museum, but a deeply rewarding one.
The trail might end at one of Jaipur's many craft cooperatives or boutiques, where the finished products of these traditions are sold. Block-printed bedspreads, scarves, garments, and home textiles represent the final stage of a process that begins with a carver's chisel and a printer's tray of colour.
Daughters of India's relationship with Jaipur goes deeper than logistics or sourcing. It is a creative and ethical home.
Our workshop in the Sanganer district is led by Avneet, whose father started the business thirty-eight years ago ~ making it one of the first niche clothing exporters from Jaipur. Avneet grew up surrounded by the rhythm of printing, the smell of mixed dyes, the sight of cloth drying in the Rajasthani sun.
The workshop employs around one hundred staff, with an approximately equal split between men and women. It is SEDEX certified, reflecting a commitment to ethical working conditions. Workers manage their own hours without production deadlines ~ a practice that runs counter to the pressure-driven model of fast fashion manufacturing.
Born on the coast of Northern New South Wales, Australia, Daughters of India found its creative and ethical home in Jaipur. Every piece that carries the Daughters of India label carries Jaipur with it.
Plan Your Visit
October to March offers the most comfortable weather, with warm days and cool evenings. The Jaipur Literature Festival, held each January, draws visitors from around the world and offers a rich cultural programme alongside the city's permanent attractions. Summers (April to June) are extremely hot, with temperatures often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. The monsoon season (July to September) brings relief from the heat but can disrupt travel.
Jaipur International Airport receives domestic flights from all major Indian cities and select international connections. The city is well connected by rail ~ the Jaipur Junction railway station is a hub for trains from Delhi (approximately five hours), Mumbai, and other major cities. By road, Jaipur sits on the Golden Triangle tourist circuit connecting Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, each roughly 250-300 kilometres apart.
Buy from workshops where you can see the printing process ~ this helps ensure authenticity and means your purchase supports working artisans directly. Hand block-printed fabric will show slight irregularities in registration and colour depth; these are marks of authenticity, not defects. If a print looks perfectly uniform, it is likely machine-produced. Bapu Bazaar is the most accessible textile market; Sanganer offers a more immersive experience.
The Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing (Amber) provides the best introduction to Indian printing traditions. The City Palace Textile Gallery displays royal garments spanning centuries. Sanganer district workshops offer hands-on demonstrations. Bapu Bazaar and Johari Bazaar are essential for experiencing Jaipur's living craft economy. The Albert Hall Museum (Ram Niwas Garden) holds an eclectic collection that includes notable textile pieces.
Explore Further
Jaipur is the starting point for understanding the world of Indian textile craft.
All prices include UK duties and taxes — you won't pay anything extra on delivery. Our slow fashion garments are handcrafted in India and shipped directly to you.
We are a small team however we endeavour to process your order within 1-3 business days. Orders are shipped via DHL Express. You'll receive a tracking number by email once your order ships.
| Delivery | Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard · 5–8 business days | £15 |
| Express · 3–5 business days | £22 |
| Orders over £450 | Free |
Your order price includes all UK import duties and VAT — we handle customs clearance through DHL so there are no surprise fees at your door. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
You can find our full shipping policy here.
We want you to love your Daughters of India piece. If it's not quite right, we're happy to help — simply return within 30 days and we'll issue a Daughters of India Gift Card for the full value. Your credit never expires and can be used on any piece, including new collections.
You can find our full returns policy here.
All prices include UK duties and taxes — you won't pay anything extra on delivery. Our slow fashion garments are handcrafted in India and shipped directly to you.
We are a small team however we endeavour to process your order within 1-3 business days. Orders are shipped via DHL Express. You'll receive a tracking number by email once your order ships.
| Delivery | Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard · 5–8 business days | £15 |
| Express · 3–5 business days | £22 |
| Orders over £450 | Free |
Your order price includes all UK import duties and VAT — we handle customs clearance through DHL so there are no surprise fees at your door. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
You can find our full shipping policy here.
We want you to love your Daughters of India piece. If it's not quite right, we're happy to help — simply return within 30 days and we'll issue a Daughters of India Gift Card for the full value. Your credit never expires and can be used on any piece, including new collections.
You can find our full returns policy here.
