Why it looks like this

Jaipur was drawn on paper before it was built. In 1727, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and his architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya planned the city as nine large squares, following the Vastu tradition, with wide bazaar streets crossing at right angles. One corner square could not be built because hills were in the way — so it was moved diagonally, a small break in the pattern you can still find on the map.

The famous pink colour came later: the old city was painted rose in 1876 for a royal visit, and the colour is now protected by law.