Jawahar Kala Kendra

Jawahar Kala Kendra is Rajasthan's multi-arts centre on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg in south Jaipur, designed by the architect Charles Correa and completed in the early 1990s. Its plan follows the nine-square grid (navagraha mandala) on which Jaipur itself was laid out in 1727, with eight squares of buildings around a central open court, and each square carries a motif tied to the original city plan. The campus combines galleries, a crafts museum, a library, studios and theatres around courtyards of pale stone, and it is considered one of the notable examples of modern Indian architecture. Visitors walk between the squares, looking at exhibitions of painting, sculpture and textiles, and the crafts museum shows traditional work from across Rajasthan. Evening performances of theatre, music and dance are staged in the amphitheatre-style spaces, with schedules published by the centre. A typical visit takes one to one and a half hours, and longer for a performance. Weekday afternoons are best for a relaxed walk, and the centre is usually quiet outside festival and exhibition openings. Opening times are typically Tuesday to Sunday during daytime, with Mondays closed, and gallery hours vary with exhibitions, so checking before travelling is sensible. A small entry fee applies to the galleries, under about ₹100, while performance tickets are priced per show. The geometric courtyards and the contrast of strong shadows make good subjects for photographers, particularly in the late afternoon. It is about 20 minutes by app cab from the Old City, and the Jawahar Circle area nearby has a park and cafes. Architecture students and design-minded travellers form much of the regular audience.