BEYOND THE BAZAARS: EXPLORING WAYFINDING DYNAMICS IN JAIPUR'S WALLED CITY

Abstract

The walled city of Jaipur, famous for its grid plan-based architecture and buildings constructed with the pink facade, was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in July 2019. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Jaipur walled city holds immense cultural and historical significance, attracting a large influx of both national and international tourists. Annually, Jaipur welcomes millions of visitors who come to immerse themselves in its rich heritage, bustling streets, and colorful festivals like the world-famous Jaipur Literature Festival. Understanding the wayfinding behavior of these visitors is crucial for ensuring their positive and memorable experiences within the city. The walled city of Jaipur, covering approximately 4 square kilometers, presents unique wayfinding challenges due to its intricate urban fabric, a result of centuries of historical evolution and cultural influence. Founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the city features a complex maze of narrow streets, alleys, and courtyards that reflect its rich history. The layout of its chokris includes rows of shops with columned fronts and neighborhoods organized in two distinct ways: linear street clusters with houses lined along small streets and spatial clusters with houses arranged around shared open areas. This intricate and charming design, while evocative of Jaipur's heritage, creates significant navigation difficulties for visitors. Effective wayfinding enhances visitor satisfaction, promotes cultural appreciation, and contributes to the sustainable management of the heritage site. As tourists navigate the narrow lanes of the walled city, they encounter a myriad of challenges, including deciphering complex intersections, distinguishing between similar landmarks, and finding their way amidst the hustle and bustle of market activity. This study aims at understanding navigation pattern in the walled city, by identifying and addressing the related challenges and then recommends a proposal for ease of wayfinding in the walled city. Through literature study, case study and site study various elements of architecture affecting wayfinding will be identified. This will be in form of a list of architectural elements. Keeping literature on mind, selected site was explored for data collection on existing wayfinding behaviour and existing elements influencing wayfinding. On site wayfinding exercises was conducted to understand navigation pattern and challenges posed by the unique character of the walled city. Then these results were be analyzed and later provided the basis for final proposal.