Amber Fort, Jaipur: The pride of India, immense fortification with unexpected beauty and charm.
The Amber Fort is located on a hill surrounded by beautiful Aravalli mountain ranges in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Just 11 kilometers from the city of Jaipur, the Amber Fort is a major tourist attraction in India. The fort is built by Raja Man Singh in the rocky hill of Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles). The scenic marvel stands on top of an easily scalable mountain and situated right next to the beautiful Maota Lake.
Amber fort presents the finest example of Indo-Islamic architecture with unexpected beauty and charm. The Fort was constructed in 1592 AD by Raja Man Singh, the Rajput commander of Badshah Akbar’s army. Later it was expanded and renovated by Raja Jai Sigh I. The fort is built by using red sandstone and white marble which gives fort’s majestic appearance. Its geographical advantages also make for a special Fort in India.
Amber or Amer Fort: The pride of India
Raja Alan Singh, who belongs to Chanda clan of the Meenas, was probably the first king to set foot on Amer. He made palace on top of the Hill of Eagles and started to rule over his new town. The town along with the beautiful hill took over by Kachwaha Rajputs, Raja Man Singh in early 1600.
He then started building the Amber fort after destroying the structure that was already built on top of the hill. The fort was further developed by the successor of Raja Man Singh and Jai Singh-I. In the next two centuries, the fort underwent continuous renovations and improvements under the reign of various Rajput Worriers. The present fort was completed in the late 16th century.
The splendid of Fort
The marvelous fort has four different sections which combine to form the palace. Each section has its own gate and courtyard. The first gate, Suraj Pol or Sun Gate is the main entrance of the fort. The gate faces east, witnessing the sunrise every morning and hence the name. This gate consist courtyard named Jalebi Chowk. When the palace was being ruled by the Rajputs, the soldiers used to assemble and celebrate their victory in this courtyard.
The second courtyard is the Diwan-i-Aam or the Public Audience Hall. The courtyard is built with a double row of columns, each of which is mounted with an elephant-shaped capital, with galleries above it.
The beautiful Jai Mandir, which is also called Sheesh Mahal (palace of mirrors), is situated in the third courtyard. As the name suggests, Jai Mandir was used to celebrate victories. Other celebrations too, were held in this building.
The fourth courtyard is actually an interesting one. The queen including queen mother and the mistresses lived in this part of the palace. They were collectively known as the Zenana.
Fort Conservation
At the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2013, The Amer Fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
Light Show
To tell the story on the history of Jaipur and the fort, every evening the light show takes in the fort. The show runs for 50 minutes in both Hindi and English. Explore the architectural beauty of Amer Fort and his itinerary which is specially designed to explore the history of the fort.
How to reach
The fort is situated about 20 minutes northeast of Jaipur. Take the frequent buses that depart from near the Hawa Mahal in the Old City. Or take a cab to reach the destination.
Source-Cultural India, Tourmyindia
