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Introduction to Amber Palace and Fort :
Once the capital to the princely state ruled by Raja
Jai Singh 2 of Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs, old Jaipur
(the walled city called pink city) is one of the most
well planned of the pre-modern Indian cities. Built
in pink stucco resembling sandstone, the city has broad
symmetrical roads and streets giving it a very regal
and ordered look. The border of the city is marked by
a wall and two gateways. Jaipur is replete with reminiscences
of a gallant past, like the Hawa Mahal, City Palace,
and many more. The Amber Palace and fort, 11 km from
jaipur, used to be the capital of the Kachhwaha clan
until it was shifted to Jaipur in 1727. The Kachhwaha
clan captured Amber from the Meena tribes. It is now
one of the most famous and most frequently visited monuments
in Jaipur.
Amber Palace and Fort
The rugged Aravalli hills have time and again stood
guard to invaders trying to subdue the gallant Rajputs.
This is one of the reasons why the jagged stones of
the Aravalli have repeatedly served as the foundations
to invincible forts and citadels all over Rajasthan.
The sprawling Amber Palace and Fort happens to be one
of the best hilltop forts built by the Rajputs. The
construction of this fort was started by the famous
Raja Man Singh in the 1592 and completed by Raja Sawai
Jai Singh 1. Perched elegantly atop rugged rocks overlooking
a lake, the Amber Palace built in a blend of Rajput
and Mughal style, remains an architectural marvel till
date. The ramp that leads to the main gate can easily
be covered on foot but the real excitement lies in entering
the fort like a king on elephant back. The interiors
of the palace tell the story of a bygone era of patronage
and expert artistry. The exquisitely carved red sandstone
pillars that adorn the palace were later covered in
stucco plaster in order not to be subjected to the Mughal
Emperor Jahangir's rage as Amber outshone many of the
Mughal masterpieces.
Main Attractions :
Diwan-e-Am or the hall of public audience structured
with a double row of well shaped pillars.
Shila Mata Temple houses a black marble idol of the
goddess Kali brought by Man Singh in 1604 from Jessore.
Watch out for the finely carved silver gates of the
temple.
Jai Mandir or the hall of victory is adorned with the
famed mirror work ceiling. Wait for your palace guide
to light a match inside and you will suddenly find yourself
under a starlit sky.
Diwan-e-Khas or the hall of private audience is famous
for its colored glass work depicting Rajput legends
and Radh Krishna.
Ganesh Pol is the imposing to the south of the Diwan-e-am.
It is adorned with typically Rajput paintings and leads
to the Charbagh garden.
The Amber Fort is also a haven of marvelous frescos
in Rajput school of painting and intricately carved
casements with hanging cornices.
Access
The city of Jaipur is undoubtedly one of the most important
tourist destinations and hence well connected to the
rest of the country by rail, road and air. The NH 11
linking Bikaner and Agra passes through Jaipur. Jaipur
is connected both by the broad-gauge and meter-gauge
railway lines. Direct trains for Delhi, Agra, Howrah,
Lucknow, Bangalore, Myosre, Chennai are available. The
Jaipur airport has regular domestic and a few international
flights to London, Dubai, Singapore and Dublin. The
Amber Fort is 11 km from the city of Jaipur.Car rentals
and buses to Amber are amply available.
Indianholiday.com offer information about the Amber
Palace and Fort Jaipur and online booking for tour packages
to Jaipur. For more details please fill up the form
below.
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