An unpopular opinion I agreed with in 2022 and 2023, I don’t agree anymore in 2024. Climate change is real, and one of the best examples is massive flooding across the streets of Jaipur this year. If you’re planning to visit Jaipur in monsoon, I highly recommend sticking around to know what it is really like to be in the Pink City when it is all wet!
Unpopular opinions should remain unpopular sometimes
A travel blogger from India shared a reel before monsoons hit Jaipur suggesting that the city looks beautiful during this time. Well, she isn’t wrong, but she isn’t someone who lives here and can give you an innate experience of how crazy the weather has lately been.
Jaipur shows the true colors of rugged Rajasthan during the summer months. The trees are bear and leafless, the stray animals seek food, water and local assistance.
There is a stark contrast during the monsoon and the greenery is uncanny. You cannot make out how dry the city looks during the summers because as a traveler, you’re least likely to visit during this time. So, the first thought of Jaipur in monsoon isn’t that bad after all.
Pros and Cons of visiting Jaipur in monsoons
Let’s weigh the pros and cons to help you decide if you should visit Jaipur in monsoon or not:
Pros
The greenery
The lush greenery of Jaipur in monsoon busts all the jokes about Rajasthan not having enough water. Since the state is predominantly known for the Thar Desert, and it is believed that water is scarce, many assume Jaipur doesn’t have water too!
Well, Jaipur has Man Sagar Lake, Maota Lake, Tal Katora Lake and some more further away from the prime city area. The downpour fills life onto the city once summer is over and the single-fold mountains look lush green again.
The weather
Jaipur experiences an extreme climate because it isn’t close to rivers or seas. But you’d be surprised to know that the city is pretty cool during the evenings. Not just during monsoons but also during summers.
The dry weather of Jaipur cools the city as soon as the sun goes down. While we needed AC during summers, the monsoons are pretty chilly. There are nights we don’t need to turn the AC after a downpour as the temperature is cool enough to let that slide. If you want to experience the onset of winters during the monsoons in Jaipur, this is the exact experience you’re looking for.
Beating the scorching sun
Jaipur is located in a western state in India and has longer sunlight compared to eastern states. I come from Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, an eastern state in India. Most of my life, I have experienced the sun go down by 5:30 pm to 6 pm. During the summers in Jaipur, the sun shines brightly till 7:30 pm. I love extended sunlight, but it often makes exploration painful during drier times.
Luckily, Jaipur in monsoon makes the sun hide away amidst stormy clouds while giving you the right amount of sunshine you’d need. If you’re lucky to have cloudy days while the sun isn’t shining bright, you will get a favorable weather that supports your visits across forts.
Off-season benefits
Monsoon is off-season in Jaipur so you have an upper-hand while booking hotels and bargaining at local shopping areas. I came to Jaipur for a business meeting in July 2022 and I stayed in Pearl Palace Heritage hotel. The hotel has rooms with different city themes depicting the beauty and diversity in India. We stayed in the Kashmir theme for 3,000 INR, while it was luxury option that wouldn’t be less than 6,000 INR during the peak winter months.
Local markets like Bapu Bazaar and Johri Bazaar lets you get merchandise for competitive prices during this time. Low rush and comparatively reduced sales are perks that can come to your use. But most vendors in Jaipur are honest businessmen. As an Indian from another state, I have always been able to get the best price.
Eating sweetcorn at Nahargarh View Point
I have to add random facts that simply make the experience of being in Jaipur during monsoons delectable. One such experience is to enjoy sweetcorn from Nahargarh View Point overlooking the Jal Mahal seated inside the Man Sagar Lake. Some experiences are totally inexplicable but they add a special charm to our travel stories. One such scene is best described by me with the picture below.
Peacocks sound everywhere
Peacocks are unpaid voice artists and they brighten the feeling of living in Jaipur. While Indians are not allowed to pet peacocks, they are occasional visitors at Rambagh Palace and City Palace.
I saw peacocks up close on the way to Jaigarh Fort during monsoons. One of them had their feathers spread and I never imagined getting a glimpse like that without visiting a zoo.
Peacocks like to play games with me as I can hear them but often not see them in Jaipur. During monsoon, they enjoy the rain and make noise but most times you can only hear them and not see them within the city area.
You might also find yourself inside the conundrum, trying to locate their very existence. But trust me, the fun is to chase them as the voices get louder, even if you can’t locate them.
The terracotta hue of the Pink City
The Pink City is called pink but when you come here you’d realize the color tone is dark peach and not how we know pink is. The city was painted in this hue by Maharaja Ram Singh II to honor and welcome Prince Albert Edward during his visit in 1876. Since then, Pink City has remained as is, while the shops within the area have baby pink shutters.
The contrasting color combination becomes even more evident during the monsoon because the rains add depth and make the shade darker than it is. There is a terracotta vibe that takes prominence and creates a shade that we wouldn’t know the city could also look like.
Cons
Floods
Imagine drizzling rain for 24 hours and finding the entire city flooded. It is the same if it rains heavily for 2-3 hours straight. There is a lack of water management system in Jaipur probably because this was never a place that rained so bad. I was here during monsoons of 2023, but it wasn’t anywhere close to what it was like this year.
I don’t live near the Pink City, but as a tourist you are most likely to look for accommodation in this area. All the main attractions of the city locate in and around this place, and unfortunately it is also the most flooded area.
During the rains, water from the Man Sagar Lake overflow and come towards the main road. The area around Jal Mahal becomes hard to navigate and is detrimental for vehicles to sustain.
Bad Roads
The tourist’s area is well-planned in Jaipur but the place I come from has been the worst during the rains. You are most likely to not experience this but for me it is has been quite difficult to navigate around the vicinity.
I have been living in Sirsi Road area and it is currently developing. Honestly, this is also the place that gave me village-like vibes or what it is to live in a tier II city in India. While I have all amenities accessible, it still isn’t well-planned and maintained. The rains have had the roads in front of our apartment and around waterlogged.
It has been hard for me to go to the gym while trying to hop, skip and jump my way through. So, if anyone had to live in Jaipur, I’d definitely ask them to find out how their preferred location looks like during the rains.
For us, we would have been better off at Vaishali Nagar than be here in Sirsi Road. Yes! The rent prices were cheap here, but this isn’t something worth experiencing if possibly avoidable.
No drainage system
Most cities have a drainage system to manage rainfall, but that isn’t the case for Jaipur. The city either waits for the sun to dry up the rain waters or makes a make-shift arrangement.
The arrangement I saw in front of my house was filling up the water-logged area with brick, cement, and debris. While this did give us a temporary solution, the more it rained the worse it got.
Fear of potholes
When it rains heavily and there is water logging, the brown waters cannot possibly make you see where you foot is. Potholes are risky to encounter if you’re trying to walk through the rain.
Many auto-drivers feel scared to pass through water-logged areas as they aren’t sure if they’d encounter potholes or not. Getting their wheels stuck into a pothole might make them stop driving midway. Many times it is hard for them to get their vehicles out and then have it up and running.
Unavailability of transport
Me and partner went shopping at Bapu Bazaar yesterday, and it is around 8 kms away from our house. We were almost done when it suddenly started raining and we took shelter at LMB restaurant and had dinner. While the rains stopped by the time we stepped out, we couldn’t get a vehicle back home until another hour was over.
I’d recommend tourists to always stay near the Pink City, so they never have to face something we had to. But imagine being from another corner of the city and not getting an Uber back home.
If you’re here during the rains, it is best to keep a vehicle handy. Booking a car or auto for the whole day of your sightseeing expeditions will ensure there is someone always waiting to take you around.
Bathing multiple times for cleanliness
If you’re not from India, you should know that water-logging in Jaipur isn’t just about the rains. It is about cow urine, spit, and other dirty liquids coming in contact with the rain waters. If you have to pass through water-logged areas and get your feet dirty, you must take a bath once you reach your stay.
Best time to visit Jaipur and Udaipur
If you want to explore Jaipur and Udaipur back to back, you have three options – monsoons, autumn and winter. Ideally, winter time in Rajasthan is cold and perfect. But the true magic of Udaipur is best exhibited during monsoon.
If your bucket-list includes experiencing a leisurely time by a lakeside hotel in Udaipur, you have to visit during the monsoon. But it is best if you come early July to also make the most of Jaipur.
August and September weren’t pleasant for us because of the rains this year. But the entire experience of Jaipur in monsoon isn’t bad. It all depends on what time you choose to visit and the intensity of the rains you experience.
We’re almost approaching the second week of September and the rains haven’t stopped since August. Yes, there were a few lucky sunny days, but even if it rains continously for an hour or two, you’d find mini pools all around you!
We went to Udaipur on August 19, 2023 and it was quite pretty. We were luckily not caught in our hotels all the time, but it did kill an hour or two the day we had to explore most of the tourist’s places.
I think July is a good month to explore both Jaipur and Udaipur if you’re looking for monsoon visits. But I have to admit that coming to Jaipur in August or early September is quite risky as to what I see at present.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When not to visit Jaipur?
May, June, August and September are months to avoid in Jaipur. While summer sets in during April, it is bearable for Indians during the first one or two weeks. The peak summers kick in during May and stays throughout June.
2. Where to visit in Jaipur during rainy season?
July is a safe month to visit Jaipur during the rainy season. Neither the summers nor the monsoons create havoc and you can tick off your itinerary with ease.
3. Can I visit Jaipur in August?
You can visit Jaipur in August, but you have to be careful about where you stay and how you manage in case of floods.
While the waters soar up and die down eventually, times of continuous rains come with no solutions. It is important to note that Jaipur in August is quite a gamble and is best avoided according my personal experiences in 2024.
4. Is Jaipur worth visiting in July?
July is a calmer month to experience the lush greenery in Jaipur. If it doesn’t rain at all, you can experience receding summers. July is the onset of monsoon in Jaipur, and it is best if you visit this place between July 1 and 15. After mid-July the rains are more likely to get in the way of your travel plans.
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