No trip to Jaipur is complete without a visit to the famed Amer Fort. Also called Amber Fort, it is the most important landmark in Jaipur and is one of the most magnificent forts in India. It was built in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh I, one of Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most trusted generals. The fort was the residence of the Rajput Kings until Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh built the city of Jaipur one and half centuries later.
We headed out to see the Amer Fort on our very first day in Jaipur. We made a day trip out of it and coupled our visit here along with Nahargarh and Jaigarh Fort. We decided to hire an Uber for the whole day which turned out to be a good decision in retrospect as it is difficult to get a return taxi from the fort to Jaipur city.
Amer Fort is situated at an hour’s drive from Jaipur in the town of Amer. When you reach here, you will be inundated with guides who will offer to show you around. Frankly, if you have done some research, the guides don’t add any value.
The fort was remarkably well preserved and walking around we let our imaginations fly pretending to be queens and princesses.
Things To See At Amer Fort
Amer Fort is remarkably well maintained and its architecture, stone inlay work and wall carvings make it a visual delight We entered the fort through Chand Pol gate which was supposed to be the entrance for the common people in the olden times. If you reach by car, this is the gate you enter.
Suraj Pol
If you plan to walk up the hill, you will enter the fort from Suraj Pol or the Sun Gate. This is the main entrance to the fort and faces east. As a result, the first rays of sun fall on the gate and hence its name. We found a local musician playing an ancient instrument called Ravanahaththa just outside this gate.
Jalebi Chowk
Irrespective of which gate you enter, you will walk in to a courtyard called Jalebi Chowk. Apparently the soldiers used to display their plunder here after winning battles. At the front of the courtyard, we saw the Hall of Public Audiences or or Diwan- E- Aam where the King used to address the general public as well as the Hall of Scribes or Sattais Kacheri which held the 27 administrative offices of the palace. The beautiful carved pillars demarcate each office where officials used to sit and people, tradesmen etc. could meet for official purpose. Interestingly, these could be the earliest examples of open office which are so much in vogue today. Sattais Kacheri overlooks the Maota lake. It’s a great view point for pictures.
Ganesh Pol
The main entrance to the palace is a majestic structure with beautiful carvings and paintings. Its architecture is a fusion of Mughal and Rajput styles. It is known as Ganesh Pol and is possibly the most photographed and recognizable part of Amer Fort. The beautiful paintings on the gate are made of natural colors extracted from vegetables, spices and flowers and in so many years, the colors have not faded.
Ganesh Pol gets its name from the exquisite painting of Lord Ganesh above the gate and it is strategically located adjacent to the Hall of Public Audiences and Hall of Scribes and was exclusively used by the King and members of the royal family. It leads to their private chambers. The top of the gate also has jharokas or small windows. These are called Suhag Mandir and were used as viewing windows by the women of the royal household as the were not allowed to be seen in public.
Diwan I Khas
As we walked through Ganesh Pol, we stepped into the beautiful Mughal Gardens called Aram Bagh or Chahar Bagh leading into the Hall of Private Audiences or Diwan I Khas. The top floor is known as Jas Mandir and is intricately decorated in mirror work in floral shapes. This was the King’s private chamber or you could even say his office. He met special guests, other kings, envoys etc. here. It was built by Raja Jai Singh. The complex also includes Sukh Niwas loosely translated as the Palace of Pleasure. This was the king’s private apartment where he retired to rest.
The most interesting thing we found here was the Magic Flower. I guess it’s the only place where we felt the need for a guide, since it’s not specifically marked. The flower is carved in a way that you can see seven different pictures by viewing the flower from various angles. You can see a fishtail, lotus, hooded cobra, elephant trunk, lion’s tail, a cob of corn, and a scorpion. Those old architects and designers were geniuses.
Sheesh Mahal
Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors is the most famous landmark inside Amer Fort. We were super excited to see this palace as we had seen it in the iconic song from the movie Mughal-E-Azam. It was built by King Man Singh in 16th century for his queen. It is said that the queen loved to see the stars while sleeping. However, in the olden days the queens were not allowed to sleep in open air. So the king ordered his architects to make a palace where the queen would be able to view the stars. The architects built Sheesh Mahal with precious stones and glass and at night the reflection of two candles in the glass looked like stars in the whole room. Whether you believe in the story or not, the beautiful mirror embedded walls are breathtaking. We also found two mirrors placed at an angle that if you look into one, you will see your reflection in the other.
Man Singh Mahal
While King Man Singh built Amer Fort, his successors continued to add to the fort. Man Singh Palace is the oldest structure in the fort and it was the king’s palace. In the middle of the courtyard is a Pavilion, also called Baradari. The structure has twelve doorways, three on each side. The design of the structure ensures the best acoustics and Mujra dances were possibly performed by courtesans here. Like most tourists, we took some much needed rest here since there is no space for sitting anywhere in the palace and the guards discourage any loitering.
Zenana Mahal
Finally, we entered the Zenana Mahal or the Queens Palace. This is last structure to see in the fort before you exit into the main courtyard after completing the tour. Zenana Mahal was exclusive to the women of the royal household. Other than the king, all other men had limited access to the palace. It is said that to avoid politics amongst the queens, each chamber was connected through a private passage to the palace of the king. The private passage could be used only by the King. So when the king visited one Queen, the others would not know.
In addition to the above, we also saw Sila Devi Mandir which is situated next to Jalebi Chowk and Kesar Kyari or Saffron Garden on Maota Lake, on the foothills of the fort.
Amer Fort draws lots of tourists. We were lucky to start early as later in the day; it gets very crowded. The whole tour took us the entire morning and noon and by the time we got out, it was time for lunch. Also, there are practically no places to stop and rest in the fort. So make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes and carry water with you. There is a light and sound show in the evening which is recommended on the Rajasthan tourism website. We didn’t return for the show as we were exhausted by the time we completed our tour of Nahargarh fort.
Altogether, Amer Fort was a great experience and we feel like we need visit again to collect more stories about this majestic fort.
Finally, we entered the Zenana Mahal or the Queens Palace. This is last structure to see in the fort before you exit into the main courtyard after completing the tour. Zenana Mahal was exclusive to the women of the royal household. Other than the king, all other men had limited access to the palace. It is said that to avoid politics amongst the queens, each chamber was connected through a private passage to the palace of the king. The private passage could be used only by the King. So when the king visited one Queen, the others would not know.
In addition to the above, we also saw Sila Devi Mandir which is situated next to Jalebi Chowk and Kesar Kyari or Saffron Garden on Maota Lake, on the foothills of the fort.
Amer Fort draws lots of tourists. We were lucky to start early as later in the day; it gets very crowded. The whole tour took us the entire morning and noon and by the time we got out, it was time for lunch. Also, there are practically no places to stop and rest in the fort. So make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes and carry water with you. There is a light and sound show in the evening which is recommended on the Rajasthan tourism website. We didn’t return for the show as we were exhausted by the time we completed our tour of Nahargarh fort.
Altogether, Amer Fort was a great experience and we feel like we need visit again to collect more stories about this majestic fort.
