Built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, the city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its
streets which are laid out into six quarters separated by broad streets 111 ft (34 m) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex (the Hawa Mahal, or palace of winds), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. Another noteworthy building is Sawai Jai Singh's observatory, Jantar Mantar. Jaipur, with its rich and colourful past, resplendent with tales of valour and bravery is now one of the most important heritage cities in India, and is a must-see for tourists coming to India.

 Jaipur is considered by many urbanists to be one of the best planned
 cities. Almost all Northern Indian towns of that period presented a  
 chaotic picture of narrow twisting lanes, a confusion of run-down
 forts/temples/palaces and temporary shacks that bore no resemblance at
 all to the principles set out in Hindu architectural manuals, which calls for
 strict geometric planning. Thus, for Sawai Jai Singh II and the 
 Bengali Guru Vidyadhar (who was a 'Shaspati' - Hindu Priest Architect), the founding of Jaipur was also a ritual and a golden opportunity to plan a whole town according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory. The town of Jaipur is in fact, built in the form of a nine-part Mandala known as the 'Pithapada'. Nine in-fact signifies the nine planets of the ancient astrological zodiac. It is also known that Sawai Jai Singh II was a great astronomer and a town planner and hence the 'Pithapada'. Also, the commercial shops designed are multiples of nine(27) and then having one cross street for a planet.

In the 19th century the city grew rapidly and became prosperous and the city's wide boulevards were paved and lit with gas, it had a population of 160,000 in 1900. The city had several hospitals, its chief industries were in metals and marble, which are fostered by
a school of art founded in 1868, the city also had three colleges, including
a Sanskrit college (1865) and a Girl school (1867) initiated under the
reign of the enigmatic Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. There was
also a wealthy and enterprising community of native bankers,
particularly the Jains and the Marwaris. The city also has a vibrant
and healthy Muslim population.