Urvi Shah
Amber also known as Amer is a small town close to Jaipur, Rajasthan. Amer originally belonged to the Meenas tribe and was later captured by the Kachwahas. Some parts of the Amber fort were built during the rule of Raja Mansingh 1 and later expanded to its original form during the reign of the very intelligent Raja Jaisingh 1. The fort is a mesmerizing example of Rajput Mughal Architecture. For all historians and travellers, its a must visit place. Here's a list of what all to see in Amber fort.
Suraj Pol or the Sun gate is the main entrance of this fort. This is the one from where the soldiers were welcomed after winning a battle. The ornate latticed windows on this gate were specially for women who used to watch their husbands after they came from the battle field. This entrance is still open and people can get an elephant ride till here. There are four other gates viz. Chand Pol/ Moon gate, Tripolia Gate, Lion gate. From the Suraj Pol, one enters the Jaleb Chowk.
Jaleb Chowk ( Main Courtyard ) is the place where the returning armies would rest and also display their arms and ammunitions also featuring what they won from the rivals in war. The women could view this place from the veiled windows all around the chowk. The Jaleb chowk shows way towards the famous Goddess Siladevi temple and also toward the Ganesh Pol.
The steps downwards on your right from Jaleb Chowk lead you to Siladevi temple. The temple has beautifully carved silver doors with relief work featuring the Goddess of victory along with two lions. As per the tale, Maharaja Man Singh had prayed to the goddess in Bengal for victory. After he won the battle he found a statue of the goddess which he brought with him and this statue was placed in this temple since then. Since this is a private property of the Raja sahab of Jaipur, photography is strictly prohibitted in these premises.
Ganesh Pol is the gate from where the royalties were welcomed after winning the battles. This gate is a mesmerizing example of Rajput- Mughal architecture featuring beautiful carvings in marble with inlaid colorful stones. It is said that the beauty of this gate is enhanced when exposed to water during rains, it shines like never before. Above the gate is the Suhag Mandir.
Above the Ganesh Pol is the Suhaag Mandir which was strictly prohibitted for widows as they were considered as inauspicious. From the Suhaag Mandir the married women would shower fresh flowers on their husbands after they came home from war.
The Diwaan-e- aam or The Hall for Public Audience is one classic example of intricate architecture. It has forty pillars which divide the hall in three parts. The structure is built in Red sandstone and covered with shell plaster which makes it look like marble. It has a raised platform for the Raja to sit from where he could address the people. The Diwaan-e-aam was built in a way that the Ranis could watch the proceedings from their Zenana Quarters. This structure has the famous albaster work and intricate carvings.
The Diwaan-e-khaas or the Hall of Private Audience is a part of the third courtyard. It is also known as the Jas Mandir. The Third courtyard is the most beautiful of all the courtyards as it was the personal space of the Maharaja which comprised of the Sukh Nivas, Sheesh Mahal and the beautiful gardens inspired from Mughal Architecture.
Sukh Nivas or Sukh Mahal also known as Hall of Pleasure is a space for residing in the summers. The doors that open upto this space as made in sandalwood with intricate carvings and perforations that help in ventilation in the space. There are tanks for storing rose water behind the windows which facilitate the flow of air in the hall as the wind blows in that direction and keep the environment fresh and rejuvenating. The floor has a channel for rose water to flow towards the garden. This channel was used by queens to place their feet while the days were hot. The water tank which stored rainwater beneath the floors kept the floor cool. Opposite to the Sukh Nivas is the Sheesh Mahal.
Sheesh Mahal is also known as the Mirror Palace. It is the most beautiful Mirror Palaces built in Indian History. This was a space built for the winters. The beautifully inlaid and patterned mercury glass used in the palace make the entire area sparkle. The mercury glass used to reflect the light from the oil lamps which made the entire place warm and elegant. This palace also has amazed all Indians when some parts of the song 'Pyaar kiya toh darna kya' from Mughal-e-azam movie was shot here. We all have witnessed its beauty.
There are various such frescos of flowers and butterflies around the mirror palace. These frescos have seven components which can be seen by partially hiding the flowers with the hand. The seven elements are an elephant's trunk, fish tail, a hooded cobra, a lotus, a lions tail, a cob of a crab and a scorpion.
The Kesar Kyaari is a Saffron garden also called as Dilaram Bagh. The garden was viewed by the ladies of the palace from their harem/ quarters. Since the concept of Garden came from Persia. This garden is a blend of Persian and Rajput architecture. This was built upon the Maota lake which supplied water to the palace. The scientific reason why the garden was built on the lake was that saffron grew in cooler places and the climatic conditions of Rajasthan did not allow that hence it was built in water to keep the environment cool to facilitate its growth.
This is the fourth and the last courtyard of the fort. This was built for the king's queens, mistresses and concubines resided. There were many living rooms for them to live in. Each room had a stairway and the king would visit any of his women in their quarters without letting any other woman know about it. The queens, mistresses and concubines were not allowed to talk to each other. If they had to converse for any reason it would be in presence of the security who would record the conversation and let the king know about it. The security in the zenani quarters also included no men. Only the king could enter this part of the palace.
This was the palace where Raja Bharmalji, grandfather of Raja Mansingh 1 and father of Jodhabai resided. You can view it from the entrance of Chand Pol.
The light and sound show at Amber fort is an hour long show. It sweeps you off your feet. Its a must do while in Amber. There are two show timings in English and Hindi. The Hindi show has a lot of rush as the ticket costs Rs.100 and the attraction is the voice of Mr.Amitabh Bachchan , who plays the narrator.
This is passage which leads to the Jaigarh fort from Amber fort built for army and other purposes.
24, NIDian, Toy Designer by profession and artist by passion. I love reading, writing, cooking and travelling. Life is about using the whole box of crayons!
