2026 INDIA
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE
ALUMNI TOUR
Allegheny College Faculty Co-Leaders:
Dr. Ishita Sinha Roy (Media & Cultural Studies) and
Dr. Brian Miller (History & International Studies)
Tentative Tour Dates: 13 May-01 June, 2026
Click here to go to the Allegheny College 2026 India Tour website
Jaipur
Jaipur, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is also known as the Pink City due to the color of the sandstone used in the historic buildings and monuments.
In 1876, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh I painted the city pink to welcome Prince Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales and son of Queen Victoria, to India. Pink was a symbolic color of hospitality at the time, and the Maharaja also passed a law requiring that any future buildings in the city be painted pink.
Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh, the Kachhwaha Rajput ruler of Amer, after whom the city is named. It is one of the earliest planned cities of modern India, designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. During the British colonial period, the city served as the capital of Jaipur State. After Indian independence in 1947, Jaipur was made the capital of the newly formed state of Rajasthan in 1949.
Elephant Retreat
Spend a day with rescued and retired elephants, learning how to massage them. Enjoy playing with these gentle beasts, before taking a break for a home-cooked meal with the family running the refuge
Jantar Mantar Observatory
The Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a set of some 20 main fixed instruments. They are monumental examples in masonry of known instruments but which in many cases have specific characteristics of their own. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations. This is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India's historic observatories. It is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince, Maharajah Jai Singh II, at the end of the Mughal period.
Heritage Culinary Session
Enjoy an evening with the descendants of a royal courtier, at their ancestral home or haveli that dates back to the 19th century. Learn how traditional and unique Rajasthani dishes are prepared and then sit back and enjoy the feast.
Street Walks, Jaipur
Walk the back streets and bazaars of Jaipur. Catch the color, excitement, and adrenalin rush of watching local entrepreneurship and craftsmanship in action.
Amber Fort and Palace, Jaipur
The Kachwaha Dynasty of northeast Rajasthan was one of India’s most extravagant royal families. Generations of Kachwaha maharajas filled their kingdom – centered on the area around modern-day Jaipur – with fortresses, temples and palaces during a rule spanning nearly 1000 years.
Of all their regal residences, the fabulous City Palace in Jaipur stands out for its opulence and the ambition of its design. This sprawling royal crib forms the centerpiece of a vast planned city bound by fortified walls – the brainchild of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who shifted his capital from Amber Fort to Jaipur in 1727.
Visit Jewelers to Maharajahs and Billionaires
See why the famed Jaipur gems and jewelry craftsmanship draw customers from across the globe. A private session filled with stories and fun-facts with a family member from this esteemed house of gems.
OUR HERITAGE HOTEL IN JAIPUR
With intricate latticework, glittering thikri and colorful murals beside the villa pools and hotel lawns, The Leela Palace Jaipur is every inch a palatial resort. The luxury resort lives up to its moniker, designed as a modern-day royal retreat complete with sumptuous rooms, hand-painted art, pool villas, marble fountains, live Rajasthani folk performances, and if you feel you are missing the elephants, there are several intricately carved marble statues of the pachyderms, playing their part in the overall theme. A profusion of beautiful frangipani and lotus scent the air as you walk around, while water features add to the soundscape, leaving the highway far behind. Leela’s location right within the ecosystem of the Aravalli hills is an added plus, making this a self-contained retreat from the city bustle but with easy access to Jaipur’s museums and markets. ~~ Conde Nast Traveler
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Inside Unseen Parts of Jaipur City Palace With Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh | AD India
Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh, the head of the Jaipur royal family, leads us through unseen parts of the royal City Palace complex—stepwells, terraces, havelis rich with the patina of age and time— and lays before us his ambitious project of revival.