How Jaipur got the Name Pink City?

It’s no mystery that Jaipur is popularly known as the ‘Pink City’ of India. However, few people know the actual reason behind this name. You may have noticed that major portions of the city are found to be painted in pink which immediately gives an indication behind the term, but there’s more to the story.

Taking a tour of the capital city reveals that most of the buildings within the walled historic centre flaunt a terracotta pink paint job. Sparing a few areas, the city reflects a uniform pattern of pink colored-walls. So, what was the reason behind this particular color? Let’s explore.

Back in 1876, the Prince of Wales, Lord Albert Edward, and Queen Victoria came to India for a tour. Seeing this as an opportunity to strengthen his ties with the Britishers, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh of Jaipur thought of an idea. He gave out orders to paint the city in Pink as it denotes hospitality and signifies a welcoming gesture.

This was the same time when Albert Hall was built in the honor of the Prince. The paint was developed using a calcium oxide compound. It’s quite durable in the arid conditions of Jaipur. Since then, the city has always remained pink till date.

You may wonder how the city has managed to retain the same color scheme; here lies the answer. It’s believed that Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh’s favorite wife adored the color and insisted on keeping the color intact.

Consequently, in 1877, the law was passed that no other color was allowed to be applied to the walled city. This is the reason that the older portions of pink city Jaipur still reflect the old-age heritage of the royal times.