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Jaipur in National Geographic's 'Best of the World 2027' list; the city turns 300 in 2027

22-10-2026 · English

Jaipur in National Geographic's 'Best of the World 2027' list; the city turns 300 in 2027

Topics: Art & Culture · 22 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

On 20 Oct 2026 National Geographic released its 'Best of the World 2027' list of 25 places to visit in 2027. It includes Jaipur ('Pink City'), the capital of Rajasthan. Reasons cited: the city, founded on 18 Nov 1727, marks its 300th year in 2027; the 20th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (14–18 Jan 2027, one of the world's largest literary festivals); and its palaces and crafts such as block printing, blue pottery and meenakari. The list also includes Vestland (Norway), Penang (Malaysia) and Luxor (Egypt); no other Indian destination is reported.

Key facts

ListNational Geographic 'Best of the World 2027' – 25 places; released 20 Oct 2026
FounderSawai Jai Singh II (Kachwaha Rajput ruler of Amber) – 18 Nov 1727
PlannerVidyadhar Bhattacharya – grid plan based on Vastu / Shilpa Shastra
Pink CityPainted pink in 1876 by Maharaja Ram Singh II for the visit of the Prince of Wales (Albert Edward)
UNESCOWalled City of Jaipur – 2019; Jantar Mantar – 2010; Amber Fort ('Hill Forts of Rajasthan') – 2013
JLFJaipur Literature Festival – 20th edition, 14–18 Jan 2027

Background

  • History: Amber (Amer) was the old Kachwaha capital. Owing to water shortage and a growing population, Sawai Jai Singh II built the planned city of Jaipur on the plains in 1727. A keen astronomer, he built observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura.
  • Planning: Bengali architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city on Vastu and Shilpa Shastra principles with wide streets, grid blocks (chowkris) and bazaars – one of India's earliest planned cities. Landmarks: Hawa Mahal (1799, Sawai Pratap Singh), City Palace, Jal Mahal.
  • UNESCO: the 'Walled City of Jaipur' became a World Heritage Site in 2019 (43rd session, Baku, Azerbaijan) – India's second World Heritage City after Ahmedabad. The forts of Amber, Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Gagron and Jaisalmer form the 'Hill Forts of Rajasthan' (2013).

Tamil Nadu link: TN's UNESCO World Heritage sites – Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984); 'Great Living Chola Temples' – Brihadisvara, Thanjavur (1987), with Gangaikondacholapuram and Airavatesvara, Darasuram added in 2004; Nilgiri Mountain Railway ('Mountain Railways of India', 2005); Gingee Fort ('Maratha Military Landscapes', 2025).

Source: CNN, TravelPulse, 20 Oct 2026; GKToday, Daily Jagran, 22 Oct 2026; UNESCO

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