Amber Palace is one of the most picturesque. India
We decided to allocate a whole day to visit the forts in the vicinity of Jaipur. We visited the famous Amber Fort, went through a secret corridor to the Jaigarh Fort and then went up the hill to the Nahargarh Fort. And from it descended directly to Jaipur.
Getting from Jaipur to Amber Fort is very easy. You can of course take a taxi or rickshaw, but you can also take a regular bus.
The bus to Amber Fort departs from Jaipur from the square near the Palace of the Winds. Route 29. Buses run quite often, cost 10 rupees. The journey from Jaipur takes approximately
20 minutes. The bus passes along the road at the foot of the hill on which the Amber Fort is located. And you still have to go up to it.
Amber Fort, or Amber Fort, was built in the 16th century for Raja Man Sigh I. The fort is located on a hilltop, 11 km from Jaipur. It is surrounded on almost all sides by a solid wall that stretches for many kilometers. The terrain around is hilly and covered with fairly dense vegetation, which was an additional plus in the defense.
There are three options for climbing to Amber Fort: on foot, by jeep, by elephant. The last two are quite expensive.
The ascent on foot from the road to the gate of the fort takes 10-15 minutes. You can enter the courtyard without a ticket, but to wander around the entire fort you need a ticket, for foreigners it costs 200 rupees or you can enter with a composit ticket.
Amber Fort is divided into 4 main parts, each with its own separate entrance and courtyard. The main entrance is located in the eastern part of the fortress, for which it received the name "Gate of the Sun". It was intended for the ruler and the nobility. The entrance leads to the courtyard, where the raja held a review of his personal guards. There was also a place for horses, the bodyguards' rooms were on the floor above. From this courtyard you can get to the temple of Sila Devi, in which, until 1980, sacrifices were made to the goddess Kali. You can enter the temple, but you will have to leave all ALL things and even take off your shoes. Near the entrance there is a specially trained person who will hold your camera, of course not for free. The temple does not represent anything sensible, we went in turn, because. leaving things to some Hindu without identification marks, without a receipt, etc. did not want. It is better to admire the view of the surroundings, which opens from the walls of the fort.
There are many interiors in the fort and it will take at least 1-2 hours to visit them all. All of them are interconnected by intricate corridors, stairs and passages. The second courtyard is Big hall with double columns. It was intended for meetings at which people could make requests or statements to the raja. 
Many balconies look out in all directions, from which you can observe the surrounding hills with fortified walls, the pond in front of Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort and a string of elephants with tourists going to the fort.
The third part of the fortress was assigned to the royal chambers, which can be accessed through the "Ganesha Gate". This place is most replete with all sorts of curiosities that attract tourists. Here you can see Hall of a Thousand Mirrors, "magic flower" and many other attractions. According to legend, the Hall of a Thousand Mirrors can be lit with just one candle, as its walls are covered with small mirrors.
Amber Fort has a tunnel that can be used to leave the fort in case of a siege. They say underground passages lead all the way to Jaipur, but they are closed, and only one passage is open to Jaigarh Fort. It was on it that we left the Amber Fort and moved towards the Jaigarh Fort.
Jaigarh fort much smaller and more modest than the Amber Fort and to visit it you need a separate ticket, the cost is 85 rupees and 50 rupees for the camera (but no one controls).
Even in the fort is the world's largest cannon on wheels, at least that's what the inscription next to it says.
The fort may appeal to nature lovers - there are many wild monkeys, chipmunks and parrots.
After the Jaigarh fort, you can go down and go to Jaipur, but this is not our case. We walked to Nahargar Fort. It’s only 5 km before it, the road goes along the ridge from where they open beautiful views to the neighborhood. On the way, tuk-tuks tried to pester us, but not much. On the other hand, we saw wild peacocks more than once, and once again an animal the size of a small fox, but gray with a dark tail tip, flashed by.
And here we are at Nahargar Fort. The fort almost hangs over Jaipur, so its walls offer an excellent view of the city, and in one place there is even a huge sand dune. There are also macaques, and there were langurs in other forts.
From the fort, the serpentine road descends directly into the city. It is fast and pleasant to go down it, but it is unlikely to go up.
And if you are going to the forts in the morning, do not forget to grab a windbreaker, here you are not Mumbai, it is much cooler here.
Elephant ride to Amber Fort
Elephant to Amber Fort
With the sights of Jaipur, my acquaintance began from the Amber Fort. He is 11 km from the city, recalls Lyudmila.
Amber Fort is also called the Amer Fortress-Palace. It used to be the capital of the state of Rajasthan. But since 1727, the state capital was moved to Jaipur.
The excursion began from the fact that in the morning a taxi guide came for me, says Lyudmila. Together with two Kyrgyz women who were already sitting there, we drove to the fort.
Immediately outside the city, the flat terrain gave way to hills with sparse vegetation. We didn’t drive for long, and soon we saw the ancient defensive structures. They settled on the hills, and many kilometers of defensive walls with towers curled along the ridges. If I were in China, I would think that the famous Chinese Wall is in front of me.
View of the Amber Fort from the town at the foot of the hill
At the very top of a large hill, the Jaigarh fort was firmly hooked. And on the slope, just below the middle, on the plateau, there is the Amber Fort, surrounded by powerful amber-colored fortress walls.
It is said that it got its name from a translation into English language words amber. But opponents claim that he was named after the goddess Amer. Whatever it was, but the walls of the fort are yellow, and they were built from local sandstone. They are very well reflected in Lake Maota, which is located below. And next to the lake, at the very foot of the hill, an ancient town sheltered.
Three roads led to the Amber Fort: one for pedestrians, another for cars, and a third for elephants. By the way, they came up with a very convenient idea - no one interferes with each other. The road is not difficult, it takes only 10 minutes to walk up. But where can we go on foot if we can ride on elephants!
Having stood in line at the ticket office to board such an exotic "taxi", and having paid 450 rupees, we perched on a device in the form of a rocking chair, which is on the back of an elephant, and swaying strongly, slowly set off on our way.
Not to say that it was a very pleasant walk, because of the corresponding smells, because a whole line of painted elephants rose along the road. But everything is so unusual! I remembered Thailand, I had my first experience of riding elephants there. At the end of the road, an Indian ran up at the gates of the fort, and with the dexterity of a juggler, he put a turban on our heads, of course, not for free, he immediately demanded 100 rupees for a headdress.
Turban worth 100 rupees - an attachment to an exotic taxi
Amber Fort is divided into 4 parts. Each part has its own gate and its own courtyard.
We entered the fortress through the main gate - Suraj Pol (Sun Gate), and got into the patio with ticket offices and a parking lot for elephants.
Taxi rank in the fortress
Here they dismounted, bought entrance tickets to the royal chambers for 150 rupees (these are the prices for tourists, for locals 25 rupees), passed through the three-tiered famous Ganesh Gate brightly painted with floral ornaments. Previously, only the Raja himself, his family members and servants passed through these gates, but now thousands of tourists crowd.
Above the very entrance of the gate there is a figurine of the elephant-like god Ganesh, because according to legend, it ensures good luck in all matters, eliminating various obstacles. The figurine is made by skilled craftsmen from solid coral.
Outside the gate, the entire palace complex opened up to our gaze. I was simply stunned by the beauty of the palaces that hid behind the harsh walls of a formidable fortress. The luxury and elegance were amazing. Architectural buildings, made of marble and red sand, showed off in mirrors and gilding! The buildings of the palace complex perfectly combined Hindu and Mughal architectural styles. Main palaces:
Hall of general audience - Divan-I-Am;
hall of private audiences - Divan-I-Khas;
Hall of Victory, or Mirror Palace - Jai Mandir;
entertainment hall, or Pleasure Palace - Sukh Niwas.
I was struck by the beauty of the Mirror Palace - Jai Mandir. These are the chambers of the Raja himself.
mirror palace
The walls of the palace are decorated with inlaid Indian panels of carved marble depicting flowers and graceful figures.
The vaulted ceilings are made of mirror mosaics. Thousands of small mirrors, gilded tiles and glass are laid out so that the slightest ray of light illuminates the entire hall and ignites the starry sky. The effect is amazing.
In those days when the hall was built, such mirrors were made only in Europe. They were expensive, and their delivery to the fort cost the rulers a considerable amount. There were legends about the wonderful view of the hall, many dreamed of visiting it!
In the hall of public audience - Divan-I-Am, beautiful double marble columns, with elephant heads at the top, surprise. Elephant trunks seem to hold the ceiling.
And nearby, 27 offices with snow-white marble columns. Here the local nobility sat.
Opposite the Mirror Palace is the Pleasure Palace - Suks Nivas, also an unusual building. It's all white marble rooms.
pleasure palace
Sandalwood doors with ivory inlays. In the walls of the rooms there are a lot of holes for cool air and gutters through which water flows, cooling the rooms. We can say that this cooling system is the forerunner of modern air conditioners.
Water cooling of the marble Pleasure Palace
In the women's quarters (zenana), the rooms are designed quite ingeniously. The Raja visited one of his wives or concubines in her room without being seen by the other wives.
On the third tier of the Ganesh gate there are gazebos that offer excellent panoramic views.
Panoramic view from the windows of the gazebo
From the windows of the pavilions, women had the right to observe the guests of the palace. Behind the beautiful openwork lattices, they were not visible from the outside.
Here I sit alone at the open window
In one of the courtyards is the royal garden of Char Bagh (Garden of Earthly Delights). It is completely different from the gardens we are used to. Once lush and beautiful, now it looked boring. Among the marble paths that divided the garden in a strict pattern, stunted plantings grew. They were once watered by a fountain, but unfortunately it did not work.
Garden at the Mirror Palace
Amber Fort left an ambivalent impression in my memory. On the one hand, this is a powerful fortification with outbuildings: with stables, elephants, large cauldrons, where food was cooked in the yard for the servants and the fort guards lived.
This is the kettle
On the other hand, it was the embodiment of an oriental paradise, where the nobility enjoyed peace and quiet, surrounding themselves with the luxury of palaces with graceful columns, openwork lattices, carved balconies, countless arches and secluded arbors on the corners of the roofs. different worlds- a different life.
From 1502 to 1728, the capital of the Kachvahs clan was located here. Sheltered by hills and high fortified walls, the palaces of Amber combine elements of Rajput and Mughal architecture. The construction of the complex began in 1592 under Man Singh I on the ruins of an 11th-century fortress. Most of the buildings of the fort appeared under Maharaja Jai Singh I (reigned 1622-1667).
You can get inside the fort either on foot, or in jeeps, or on elephants, which is the most interesting thing, of course.
Even the fact that you are sitting on an elephant at a height of about 3 meters does not bother the seller of peacock shoehorns. The price changes quite dramatically from 100 dollars to 100 rupees as the elephant moves away :)
The elephant rises slowly, I find it difficult to name the speed, just slower than the usual step of a person.
Many of our group were seriously afraid to ride an elephant, in fact, it's okay, it just sways slightly from side to side.
Amber Fort rises above the drying lake Maota, next to which are two Mughal-style gardens - Kesar Kyari Bagh and Dil-i-Aram (Dil-i-Aram, lit. "Relief of the heart"). The latter was broken in 1568 for the rest of the Mughal emperor Akbar on the road to Ajmer.
For hikers there is a separate path, probably no more than 5 minutes to go there.
While we were photographing enough, we were photographed by local photographers. We were offered ready-made photos in several stages, at first they tried to sell the album for $10 for each photo…
Of course, we refused))) The photographers proudly left, obviously expecting that we would immediately come to our senses. For a couple of hours we calmly examined the fort, when we again met with the masters of the camera and printer. Prices dropped significantly to 10-15 dollars per album. Some have bought. But the most lively trade began when we finally left the fort and climbed into jeeps. As a result, the album with pictures went for $ 5. One of them is at the end of the post.:)
Once inside, the elephants approach a special ladder to make it easier for tourists to get off. They climbed in the same way, so it will not be possible to boast of acrobatics.
Many call Amber Fort amber, because. the word "amber" is translated from English as amber, and besides, the walls of the fortress are yellow. But, they say that this is a coincidence and the legends of the fort connect the name of Amber either with some kind of Ambikishvara Shiva, or with the goddess Amba.
Behind the harsh walls of the Amber Fort is an exquisite Maharaja's palace, with magnificent decoration. Inside, the fort looks like an eastern oasis, only a small fraction of the luxury of which has survived to this day. Marvelous arches, mosaics, mirrors, fountains, many rooms and intricate passages, all this indicates the once greatness of the decorations of this place.
Amber is the place where you can safely spend the whole day walking along the walls of the fort, looking at the inner chambers, gardens, courtyards. The fortress seemed the most interesting for a trip to India, since there were not very many tourists here, in the season, of course, much more.
Gate of Ganesha to the closed part of the palace, access to which was previously allowed only to the Raja's family and servants.
Here they are up close:
Nearby is Divan-i-Am - the place where the Raja communicated with his subjects. The architecture is similar to Fatehpur Sikri, right?
Near the place of audiences are the offices of local aristocrats.
Which were separated from each other by carpets ...
The courtyard almost fit into the lens) A special charm of the fort is that there are many different ladders, turrets, niches and balconies from which a picturesque view opens. You can shoot all this from different angles endlessly, with good lighting (as it is now), in any case, it will turn out beautifully.
Already from above we observe the caravan of elephants with new tourists:
They also have a photo shoot:
The floors almost everywhere in the chambers of the Raja are finished with marble.
Inside is the famousSheesh Mahal -a mirror palace, a luxury unthinkable at that time:
Mirror mosaics were one of the techniques for decorating walls, columns and ceilings in Rajput palaces. The Rajput style (from "raj" - "prince", "put" - "son") was formed in Rajasthan during the reign of the Rajputs - princely families.
Restoration work is carried out almost constantly, very often tourists and locals leave a souvenir for themselves, breaking off pieces of a mirror mosaic. The vigilant guard tries to watch, but she is alone, and there are several rooms ...
The Raja's inner chambers are also beautiful!
The windows overlook a pretty courtyard:
Traditional "peeping" windows for the wives of the rajah:
and the view from the window:
The fort is located in an impregnable place and is very well fortified, so no one managed to capture it (or maybe they didn’t even try).
One of the many turrets-arbors:
This is clearly not a place for the rajah, but probably for the servants. There are 2 huge cauldrons in the center :)
Numerous terraces…
I have a lot of photos, but I feel it's time to wrap up)))
I can't help but show: the dome of one of the pavilions in the women's quarters
And finally, my mother and I are riding an elephant)))
India, so far, was very interesting!
amber fort
Amber Fort is located 11 kilometers from Jaipur. The fort-palace, a classic example of a romantic Rajasthani fort, stands on a terraced plateau at the southwestern foot of the mountain. At the top is the Jaigarh Fort (Victory Fort), guarding the approaches to both Amber and Jaipur, located on the other side of the mountain. Amber is surrounded on all sides by hills, along the ridges and peaks of which a fortress wall with ramparts and watchtowers winds like an endless snake for many kilometers. The construction of the fort began in 1592 by Raja Man Singh I, the commander of the Rajput units in the army of Emperor Akbar. Completed the construction grand structure a descendant of Man Singh - Jai Singh I. The fort was named after the goddess Amba, better known in Indian mythology under the name Durga, and built according to all the canons of the Rajput architectural style, which was developed in the state of Rajasthan in the Middle Ages. For the construction, only local material was used, which made it possible to achieve an unusual effect - it is almost impossible to distinguish between natural and man-made from afar.
With frequent military attacks in those days, this was of particular defensive importance. The Rajput architectural style is characterized by impeccable proportional lines, strict, clear external forms. However, the massive fortress walls hid rich interior decoration, exquisite workmanship and decorations that were inaccessible to the casual eye. Inside the fort, the buildings are complemented by many stone-barred balconies, thin columns, connected scalloped arches, small pavilions at the corners of roofs and awnings, and barred arched windows cut into the walls to enhance ventilation. In the palace, the dream of paradise found its true embodiment, giving delight to the soul and peace to the heart.
The Rajput forts were built but in a rather rigid scheme. The central part was occupied by a multi-tiered residential building - prasada, next to it - one- or two-story pavilions, isolated or representing wings of prasada. The territory of the palace complex was divided into three parts: the first - a service yard with stalls, warehouses, weapons storage, a palace square and a pavilion for official audiences. The second - one or two courtyards with private apartments, rooms for the treasury and a small home chapel. The third part housed the zanana (women's apartments) with terraces and gardens for walking.
The path to Amber begins on the shores of the artificial lake Maota with a small island in the center - Dalarama Garden (named after the architect of Jaipur). A wide road leads to the palace, along which elephants are still moving at a leisurely pace, delivering visitors to the first entrance gate - Jai Pol. There is also a staircase with unusually large steps for riders and their horses, and not for pedestrians. The huge courtyard is followed by the Suraj Pol (Gate of the Sun) to reveal the Jaleb Chowk, a service yard with barracks and stables. Chandra Pol (Gate of the Moon) leads to a temple dedicated to Narasingha (a lion-man, one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu), as well as to Jagat Shiromani (Treasure of the World) - a temple with a huge prayer hall.
After passing Singh Pol (Lion's Gate), visitors come to the pavilion for official audiences (sofa-i-am). Its vaulted roof rests on 40 columns, the central of which are made of white marble, and the side ones are made of red sandstone. It is noteworthy that the upper parts of the columns are made in the form of elephant heads, their raised trunks serve as a natural support for the roof vault. The sofa-i-am ends with a terrace framed by a decorative lattice, from which a grandiose panorama of the surrounding landscape opens up.
Behind the gates of Ganesh Paul begins a patio with a cozy little garden and personal chambers of the rulers. To the right is the graceful Sukh Niwas (Place of Joy), whose carved wooden doors are inlaid with ivory and sandalwood. The room is cooled by water flowing through a channel arranged right in the floor, which ends with a small waterfall that flows into the char bagh (traditional Islamic indoor garden). The floor of the channel is lined with alternating strips of white and black marble. Resembling a zigzag wave, this pattern further enhances the effect of flowing water.
Jai Niwas Palace is made of the purest white marble and with its elegant outlines resembles the famous pavilions of the Mughal emperors of the fort in Agra. Jai Niwas houses the Shish Mahal (Mirror Palace) and the Yash Mandir (Room of Glory), a divan-ikhas whose walls are almost completely covered with various designs. At the same time, the lower panels of the walls are decorated with floral relief patterns. Along the edges of the panel are framed with a border lined with semi-precious stones. The upper sections of the walls are either painted (which is typical of the Indian tradition) or inlaid with colored mosaics, pieces of glass or semi-precious stones (this is an Islamic cultural influence).
The path to the private apartments of the palace passes through the amazing beauty of the decoration of the gate - Ganesha Pol. Their facade is richly decorated with arches decorated with jali (carved stone lattices) and a bangaldar type roof (such a roof has low domed ends with cornices far forward, which makes it look like a hat). On the top floor of the gate is the Sohag Mandir - its specially designed windows allowed the women of the court to watch public audiences without being noticed. On the same floor is the Bhojan Shala (dining room) with murals depicting scenes from Hindu mythology and images of the sacred cities of India.
The Sheesh Mahal and the Yash Mandir above are the most impressive. Their walls and vaulted ceilings are inlaid with small mirrors, glass and gilded tiles, and the pattern is laid out in such a way that the light from even a single lit match creates a stunning starry sky effect.
At the very top of Jai Niwas is the Nat Mahal Terrace. On it, with the onset of winter, darbars were held - meetings of the court. Located near Jaya Niwas zanana is a real maze of bedrooms, closets, utility rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and covered terraces. Getting into this part of the palace, you invisibly feel the former presence of maharani (queens) and kumari (princesses). They led a secluded life, revealing themselves only by the gentle ringing of anklets that resounded in the depths of the zanana.
From the numerous open terraces and flat roofs of the palace (they were also used for walking), a breathtaking panorama of hills stretching beyond the horizon, ancient citadels and fortification towers. And far below you can see the calm expanse of Lake Maota, in which, like in a huge mirror, the impregnable harsh walls of Amber are reflected.
WIND PALACE
The Palace of the Winds (Hawa-i-Mahal) is the architectural gem of Jaipur, the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. The Pink City is the name of Jaipur for the unusual color of the buildings in the old, princely part. Pink is the color of the local sandstone building stone, from which the Hawa-i-Mahal is also built. It was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1799 for his harem and the women of the court, so that they could admire street processions and holidays without appearing in public. The five-story facade of the Air Palace, only one room deep, overlooks one of the main streets of Jaipur. The trapezoidal shape of the façade and original finishing techniques create the impression of lightness and aspiration upwards.
The palace has an unprecedented number of windows and lantern windows covered with carved stone bars - 953! The windows are intricately curved at the top, and the lanterns are crowned with small domes. All this, as well as many passages, balconies and ladders, leads to a comparison of the Palace of the Winds with lace.
Hawa-i-Mahal is an integral part of the Chandra Mahal palace complex - a red sandstone building and structures in the center of Jaipur. The Palace of the Winds has another unique feature: even on the hottest days, a cool wind blows through all its premises. This is facilitated by the unusual arrangement of barred windows (lattices enhance ventilation) and the thickness of the facade wall is only 0.2 m. They say that this is what prompted the name - the Palace of the Winds to the world-famous building.
The air palace is so peculiar that in recent years the opinion has spread that the building was actually decorative, not intended for habitation. Be that as it may, the Palace of the Winds continues to give people the opportunity to enjoy its unique beauty to this day.
The Water Palace (Jag Niwas), the summer residence of the Maharajas of Udaipur (Rajasthan, India), was erected on an island of Lake Pichola, about 250 meters from the shore.
Rajput architects were able to build princely palaces in the middle of lakes and ponds on natural or artificial islands, creating a complete illusion of a building literally growing out of the water. Such a technique made it possible to achieve two goals: firstly, the water space was an additional obstacle and provided defensive advantages; secondly, water created a special microclimate in buildings.
From afar, the white marble complex looks like a single whole, but in fact these are two palaces - Dilaram and Bari Mahal. They are connected to each other by gardens and charming courtyards with fountains and gazebos. famous traveler J. Tod, one of the first foreigners to see this architectural marvel, wrote: “The palace on the lake ... is built entirely of marble: columns, baths, water paths and fountains - everything is made of this material, in many places lined with mosaics, and some monotony is pleasantly dissipated by the rays of the sun passing through the glasses, colored with all the colors of the rainbow ... The walls are richly decorated with carved stone medallions, which depict the main historical events families ... Flower beds, orange and lemon groves, breaking the monotony of buildings, are framed by thickets of tamarind and evergreen trees. Special dining rooms with columns and extensive baths for the Rajput rulers are arranged on the very shore ... ".
Currently, Jag Niwas is one of the most romantic hotels in the world and gives visitors a unique opportunity to admire the water surface of the lake right from the windows.
The city was founded during the reign of Maharaja Bhagwan Dash as the residence of his second son Mado Singh and for quite a long time was a very prosperous Indian city. Gradually its influence decreased and after the famine of 1783 it became uninhabited.
According to one legend, the city was cursed by a magician named Bala Nath. Initially, he blessed the construction of the city on the condition that the shadows of the palaces that are built in it should not touch the place of his meditations, otherwise the city will be destroyed. But neither the raja nor his son listened to him and as a result the city began to collapse. Since then, when new houses were built, their roofs collapsed.
Today it is a deserted ruined place, where you can only be in the daytime. This is regulated almost at the level of law: at the entrance to the city, a sign from the Archaeological Survey of India is installed, which states that being in the city after sunset is prohibited.
Coordinates: 27.09470100,76.29060400
Amber Fort
Amber Fort, built in 1592, is considered one of the finest fortified structures in India. It is located on a hillside, and its walls are reflected in the waters of Lake Moata. Delivery of tourists to the fort is carried out in different ways - hikers can climb up on their own, comfort lovers can ride one of the tourist roads, and exotic lovers can go to the fort on an elephant. Inside the fort, in the first courtyard, there are many souvenir shops. A little further - the temple of Shila Devi, dedicated to the warlike goddess Kali. On the huge open terraces you can often see wild monkeys. If you move deeper into the temple, you find yourself in the Pleasure Hall, not far from which there is a canal that was previously used as a water storage. Their Jai Mandir temple next to the Maharaja's chambers offers a wonderful view of the entire complex and the lake below.
Another fort - Jaigar - is located above the Amber Fort. It was built by Jai Singh in 1726. well preserved observation towers this fort, and it is here that the world's largest wheeled gun is located.
Coordinates: 26.98430900,75.85119700
