Amber Fort

hermion
hermion
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Editor Pick

The Amber Fort, a Monument to Lost Mughal Glory

  • July 2, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by francelvr from Cary, North Carolina
The Amber Fort, a Monument to Lost Mughal Glory

A monument to the awesome power of the Mughal princes who once ruled great swathes of India, the Amber Fort, located a few miles outside Jaipur in the Aravali Hills, was the ancient citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber. The fort was this region's capital before it was shifted to present day Jaipur.

Known for its unique artistic style, which blends both Hindu and Mughal elements, and its ornate and breathtaking artistic mastery, the fort borders the Maota Lake and is a must-see if you're visiting Jaipur. It was built in 1592 and was initially a palace complex within the original fort of Amber that today is known as Jaigarh Fort. Connected to Amber via fortified passages, Jaigarh Fort sits on a hill above the Amber complex and is still reputed to be a treasure vault. (Our guide told us that rumor was that Indira Ghandi had once hid ill-gotten funds here.)

Like the entire fort complex, Amber Fort is constructed of white and red sandstone. The fort is unique in that its outside, an imposing and rugged defensive structure, is quite different from its inside, which is ornate and lavish, showing influences of both Hindu and Mughal styles of ornamentation. Its interior walls are covered with exquisite murals, frescoes, and paintings depicting scenes from daily royal life. Other walls feature intricate carvings, mosaic, and minute mirror work.

Though now markedly deteriorated, in its heyday, the Amber Fort was obviously an absolutely opulent place to live and govern from. We were particularly struck by the emperor's apartments, which are situated on a higher terrace beyond a two tiered decorative gateway, covered with elegant frescoes and pavilions having fascinating jali (lattice worked) screens.

The 'Jai Mandir' (hall of victory) features a glittering ceiling ornamented with mirror pieces on stucco and elegant inlaid panels. The 'Diwan- E- Khas' or hall of private audience is similarly decorated and the 'Seesh Mahal' or "Hall of Mirrors", which is known for its craftsmanship in mirrors, is the most spectacular of the lot.

Thousands of mirror pieces adorn the walls and the ceiling so that any streak of light makes them sparkle and illuminates the entire room. When the Mughal rulers lived here, at night when illumination was needed, a single candle would brighten the entire room, as it was reflected in all of the tiny intricate mirrors, giving a romantic illusion of twinkling stars on a clear night.

In front of the Jai Mandir of Rajasthan is the 'Sukh Niwas' (hall of pleasure) with a door made of sandalwood and inlaid with ivory. A channel runs through here, which formerly carried cool water that acted as an air cooler in hot weather. (Rajasthan has blistering hot summers with temperatures frequently in triple digits Farenheit.) It's humbling to consider that at the time the Mughals built this ingenious "air conditioner", aqueducts and running water had not been seen in most of Europe since the Roman Empire.

The zenana or the women's apartments and frescoes depicting scenes from Krishna Leela's life surround a spectacular courtyard. Here you will see private chambers from where the royal women could watch the proceedings of the court in privacy.

For a real treat, visitors can take elephants up from the base of the hill to the fort itself. Make sure you hire a knowledgable guide to take you through the Amber Fort. Doing so will add immeasurably to the experience of visiting this unique Rajput monument that evokes bygone splendor on an almost unimaginable scale.

The fort is open from 9:30 a.m.- 4.30 p.m. and admission is 10 rupees for Indian nationals and 50 rupees for others. Photography charges are extra, levied at 25 rupees for Indians and 40 for everyone else. There is also a three for one admission fee of 100 rupees for Indians and 150 for foreigners, which covers admission, still camera, and video cam fees.

From journal Jaipur, the Heart of Proud Rajasthan

Editor Pick

Amber Fort

  • April 10, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by MichaelJM from Nottingham, England
Amber Fort

We made our way up to the Amber Fort on the back of an elephant and were paraded into the grand gardened courtyard that has from day one been the elephant "car park." Dismounting was easy, and although we’d been advised to give no more than 100 rupees as a tip to the "driver" he seemed to be disappointed. No matter, our guide was waiting for us and we ascended to the summit of this mountain top fort, built in 1592 by Maharajah Man Singh and later extended by Jai Singh (of observatory fame).

Guides are available and I would think it’s well worth the effort as there’s a maze of buildings and a qualified guide (at around 200 rupees) will allow you to get the best out of the trip. There are some superb views from the top of the fort and the fortification walls weave their way, in a way that resembles the Great Wall of China, across the landscape. It is clear that the Maharajah was a stickler for detail and the well-preserved buildings are a testament to the high standards set by this ruler.

Although the layout was pretty much standard to other palaces that we’d see (i.e. Hall of Public Audiences, Hall of Private Audiences, the royal view gallery for the female members of the court etc.), there was nothing standard about the buildings themselves. The Diwan-I-Am (Hall of Public Audiences) was a magnificent columned building with superbly lavish stone carvings. The entrance to the private quarters, accessed by a short staircase, was beautifully preserved and there was evidence of the original wall frescoes in the corridor (no attempt has been made to "touch up" the artwork, so what you see is all original).

The "secret" viewing gallery was unusually on two levels with the lower one, with the best views, being reserved for the royal wives and the upper level for the female members of the royal court.


The maharajahs were really keen on ensuring comfort and the Sukh Niwas chamber is a prime example. In the height of summer a channel, running through the room, would have carried cooling water. Maintaining the flow would have been a full time job because servant would have to be pouring the water from the upstairs to ensure the waterfall effect. Another room had a wall of water in full flow during the full heat of the day. The Jai Mandir (hall of victory) would have been spectacular in its day with a mass of mirrors (convex and concave), mosaics of coloured foils all reflecting the flickering lights of the candles. It would have been an extravagant festival of light. Today, although some of the mirrors are missing or broken, it is a tribute to the design ability of its architect.

There’s loads to see here with brightly painted and well-manicured elephants, street entertainers, incredible architecture and superb views of the surrounding countryside. A must see in my view.

From journal Jaipur - the Pink City

Editor Pick

Amer Fort

  • May 7, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by phileasfogg from New Delhi, India
Amer Fort

A moated fortress, Amer is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. It stands atop a hill, and you can ascend by car, on foot, or atop a richly painted elephant. We walked up and reached the Bhairon Gate (elephant dung all over!) and beyond that, the Suraj Pol ("Sun Gate"). Amer’s stone exterior is boring, but once past Suraj Pol, you realize why Amer is considered one of India’s loveliest forts.

Amer was made by Maharaja Man Singh in 1590 and added to by his successors right up to Jai Singh in 1724. A 12km boundary wall with eight watchtowers surrounds palaces, pavilions, courtyards, and gardens. In the centre is the parade ground, surrounded by stables and a drum house. Below are underground water tanks; Kesar Bagh ("Saffron Garden"), where they once tried to grow saffron (!); and a maze of 140 servants’ quarters connected by 560 paths.

We hired a guide, who took us up a wide staircase into a courtyard, where the Hall of Public Audience, the Diwan-e-Aam, stands. It’s a pavilion of red sandstone and white marble, with a double row of elegant columns and lovely latticework. Beyond it is the intricately painted Ganesh Pol gate, dedicated to the elephant-headed Hindu god. Our guide showed us how the gate’s frescoes were created, with the design painted in vegetable dyes on wet lime, allowed to dry, and then repainted onto a second layer of lime, and so on, making it sun-proof.

After the Ganesh Pol, a beautiful door of sandalwood, ivory, and buffalo horn, (supposedly copied from a Persian carpet gifted by the Mughal Emperor Jehangir) leads into the palace. The palace has ramps instead of staircases because the Maharanis here wore such heavy brocades and jewellery that they had to be wheeled around in rickshaws! The rickshaw of Maharani Chandramukhi is displayed here -- she reputedly wore 23 kg of finery!

On the ground level, the main hall is Sukh Niwas ("Abode of Happiness") with white marble and painted lime -- delicate channels are carved into the floor for water to flow and cool the room in the scorching summers.

Beyond that, up the ramp and on the upper level is the Maharani’s summer palace, with its pretty white marble jaalis (filigree windows). Part of this was a Queen’s "swing room," where she’d sit on a swing, attended by her handmaids.

The Sheesh Mahal below this room was the Maharaja’s Sheesh Mahal, and was also known as Jai Niwas, Jai Mandir, or Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audience). Used by the Maharaja and his senior courtiers, this is the largest of its kind in India -- an exquisitely decorated hall of convex mirrors, lime-plaster, stucco, glass and gold leaf, and Belgian stained glass, with a white marble and black stone dado. Amer is worth seeing just for this.

Entrance fees to Amer are Rs 20 per person (foreigners) and Rs 10 (Indians).

From journal A Weekend in the Pink City

Amber

  • March 14, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Ivanhoe from Beveren, Belgium
The Amber palace is located some 10 km from Jaipur. It actually is a former palace of the Jaipur Rajput, who moved later on to the city itself.

The Amber palace is situated on a hill. To get there, you can make a ride by elephant. Down the hill they are waiting (400 rupees + fee for the driver), and bring you in ten minutes to the top. On the way up, they try to take pictures of you which are sold later.

The palace is very nice - even better than the palace in Jaipur - and on top of it, you have nice views. The famous silk route was passing by this palace over the hilltops and still can be seen here.

In this palace, you can admire the typical decorations for this region, and there are some very nice gardens in the complex, with water surrounding it and small fountains.

The way back goes on foot. It hardly takes a quarter to get back down the hill.

From journal Jaipur, the pink city

Editor Pick

Amber Fort

  • November 8, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by hermion from Milton, Massachusetts
Amber Fort

This fort sits on top of a hill which is the first line of hills demarking the end of the Rajastan desert. It was never actually used in defense of the city. The fort is generally approached on an elephant. (see picture - it's the only one I have as a print, all others are slides-sorry). After a shaky ride up-hill you can wander through the palace. There is a small, private temple where you can enter after you take your shoes off. Also there is a wonderful glass palace (Jai Mandir) which is pitch dark until the guide lights one candle and the whole place lights up.

From journal The Pink City of India

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