Diggi Palace Hotel
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India[0.7 miles]
Characterful and charming heritage hotel in central Jaipur – a haveli, or mansion, originally built for a wealthy noble family. Excellent value for money.
Official star rating:
Bucket list experience:
Raj Mandir Cinema
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Credit Shutterstock.com/Memories Over Mocha
Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Commonly referred to as ‘Bollywood’ and mainly centred on Mumbai, the Indian film industry is huge and probably the world’s largest. Its staple themes of romance and melodrama are famed above all for their elaborate, frequently surreal, song-and-dance sequences. In this ever-popular genre, reality and pure escapism live side by side, one blending into the other. Seeing a Bollywood movie is thus an authentically ‘Indian’ experience.
If you only venture into one Indian cinema, this should be it. Opened in 1976, it immediately became a landmark for its size and design – a flamboyant confection of late art deco style with lobby chandeliers, ornamental ceilings and floral scent piped through the air-conditioning. Seating is divided into Pearl, Ruby, Emerald and Diamond zones reflecting its owners’ gem dealing business which helped fund its construction.
Although movies are not in English, Bollywood stories are usually very easy to follow, and simply sitting among an all-Indian audience, who tend to clap, cheer and sing their way through movies, is an experience in itself.
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Destination Guide >Price from: £1
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
Frequency: daily
When: 4x Daily
Duration: 90+ minutes
Getting there & doing it
Standing in down-town Jaipur just south of the Old City near Ajmeri Gate, the cinema is easy to reach and find. Every taxi and rickshaw driver knows it. Chandpole and Chhoti Chaupar metro stations are closest to the cinema – about 10-15 minutes’ walk.
Virtually all screenings are Bollywood movies in Hindi or other Indian languages. Expect an interval, sometimes two, and plenty of cheery audience participation at key moments of drama.
Tickets are bookable on-line (but there are anecdotal reports of cloned card details so might be best to turn up and pay in cash).
When to do it
Typically, there are four screenings per day and being a popular cinema it’s almost always busy, particularly at weekends.
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Rambagh Palace
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India[1.9 miles]
Formerly the Maharaja of Jaipur’s palace, this superb heritage hotel boasts luxurious and characterful rooms, coupled with impeccable service and charming gardens.
Official star rating:
Samode Haveli
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India[3.3 miles]
A beautiful boutique hotel combining heritage and romance in an atmospheric corner of the Old City.
Official star rating:
The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India[8.5 miles]
A top-end, spacious reinvention of a Rajput fortress with beautiful gardens spread over 32 acres, with accommodation in elegant Maharajah-style tents or luxurious villas.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
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India’s cultural essence combined with its most iconic sights and greatest bucket list experiences, all distilled into one compact, diverse and vibrant region.
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Jaipur
Rajasthan, India
Rajasthan’s state capital is a compelling blend of huge hillside forts, extravagant palaces, bustling bazaars, memorable heritage hotels and almost comically thronged streets.
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Johari Bazaar
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Jaipur, Rajasthan, India[1.8 miles]
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Palace of the Winds
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India[1.9 miles]
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Best for ages: 13+ | £1
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Amber Fort
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India[8.8 miles]
One of Rajasthan’s great maharaja fortress-palace complexes, dating back to the 16th century, set amidst a spectacular backdrop of stark hills.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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Bhangarh Fort
Bhangarh, Rajasthan, India[51.3 miles]
A small, part-ruined medieval ‘ghost-town’ – reputedly one of India’s most haunted places – in picturesque countryside near Sariska Tiger Reserve.
Best for ages: 13+ | £1
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