Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

BEAUTIFUL MELANGE OF ARCHITECTURE

One of the top tourist attractions of Jaipur, the huge Amer Palace Fort sits atop a small hill, and is located at a distance about 11 km from the main city. The magnificent Amer Fort is an extensive palace complex that has been built with pale yellow and pink sandstone, and with white marble. The fort is divided into four main sections that are graced with their own courtyards.

As you arrive at the Amer Fort, you will enter through the Suraj Pol; unless you arrive by car, then you enter via the Chand Pol. Both these gates open into the Jaleb Chowk, which is the main courtyard, where in earlier times, returning armies used to display their plunder to the people. The fort has a number of sections, including the King’s quarters, the zenana (where the women lived), gardens, temples, etc.

There are a lot of attractions for one to see at the Amer Fort, including the diwan-e-aam, such mandir, and the Sheesh Mahal. Amer Fort is also home to some underground tunnels that connect Amer to Jaigarh Fort. A part of these tunnels has been restored, and is now open to public as well. Encompassing all this, the Amer Fort is a perfect example of Rajasthani architecture which is a must-visit.

The essence of Amer Fort is encapsulated by the beautiful light and sound show within the fort, where visitors get to see an astounding spectacle about the history of the fort. 

HOW TO REACH HERE

Buses to Amber Palace leave from Ajmeri Gate and MI Road and take around 40 minutes to reach. You can also hire a auto-rickshaw or car from anywhere in Jaipur, which is a more convenient option.

Amer Fort also known as Amber fort is a Fort situated in Amer, Rajasthan, India. Amer is a town with a location of 4 square kilometers (1.5 sq mi) located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Located high up on a hill, it is the tourist attraction destination in Jaipur. The town of Amer was originally built by Meenas, and later it was ruled by Raja Man Singh (December 21, 1550– July 6, 1614). Amer Fort is known for its imaginative Hindu design elements. With its large ramparts and collection of gates and cobbled paths, the Fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the major source of water for the Amer Palace. 

History of Amer Fort Jaipur – Rajasthan

Amer Fort (Hindi: अमेर किला) also known as Amber fort is a Fort situated in Amer, Rajasthan, India. Amer is a town with a location of 4 square kilometers (1.5 sq mi) located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Located high up on a hill, it is the tourist attraction destination in Jaipur. The town of Amer was originally built by Meenas, and later it was ruled by Raja Man Singh (December 21, 1550– July 6, 1614). Amer Fort is known for its imaginative Hindu design elements. With its large ramparts and collection of gates and cobbled paths, the Fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the major source of water for the Amer Palace.

Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the appealing, luxurious place is laid out on 4 levels, each with a courtyard. It consists of the Diwan-i-Aam, or “Hall of Public Audience”, the Diwan-i-Khas, or “Hall of Private Audience”, the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), or Jai Mandir, and also the Sukh Niwas where a trendy environment is synthetically produced by winds that blow over a water waterfall within the royal palace.

Amer Fort Jaipur

Thus, the Amer Fort is also popularly known as the Amer Palace. The palace was the residence of the Rajput Maharajas as well as their families. At the entryway to the palace near the fort’s Ganesh Gate, there is a temple dedicated to Shila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult, which was provided to Raja Man Singh when he beat the Raja of Jessore, Bengal in 1604. (Jessore is currently in Bangladesh).

This Palace, along with Jaigarh Fort, is located immediately above on the Cheel ka Teela (Hillside of Eagles) of the very same Aravalli range of hills. The palace and also Jaigarh Fort is considered one complex, as both are attached by a subterranean passage. This passage was indicated as an escape path in times of war to allow the royal family members and others in the Amer Fort to shift to the much more redoubtable Jaigarh Fort. Annual tourist visitation to the Amer Palace was reported by the Superintendent of the Department of Archaeology as well as Museums as 5000 visitors a day, with 1.4 million visitors during 2007. At the 37th session of the World Heritage Board kept in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2013, Amer Fort, together with 5 various other forms of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

Geography of Amer Fort

Amer Palace is situated on a forested hill promontory that juts into Maota Lake near the town of Amer, regarding 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) from Jaipur city, the capital of Rajasthan. The royal residence is near National Freeway 11C to Delhi. A narrow 4WD road leads up to the entrance gateway, Known as the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) of the fort. Elephant Rides are taken through the narrow Sun Gate.

Early History of Amer Fort, Jaipur- Rajasthan

A view of the fort at Amer in Rajasthan; a watercolor by William Simpson, c.1860 The settlement at Amer was founded by Raja Alan Singh, a ruler from the Chanda clan of Meenas in 967 CE. The Amer Fort, as it stands now, was built over the remnants of this earlier structure during the reign of Raja Man Singh, the Kachwaha King of Amer. The structure was fully expanded by his descendant, Jai Singh I. Even later, Amer Fort underwent improvements and additions by successive rulers over the next 150 years, until the Kachwahas shifted their capital to Jaipur during the time of Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1727.