Amer Fort: Rajasthaan: Delhi-Ajmer Road

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Visited Amer Fort in Jaipur on my way back to Delhi from Pushkar.

The Fort: Built on the hilltop outside Jaipur, Amber Fort is a famous tourist attraction in Jaipur. Tourists often ride on the elephant back to the Singh pole and Jaleb Chowk. The construction of Amber Fort began in the rule of Raja Man Singh I in the 16th century and was completed by Sawai Jai Singh in the 18th century. The fort is a mix of Mughal and Rajput architecture and is built in red stone in white marble. Much of the interior, however, was constructed by Raja Man Singh only which beautifully exhibits the Hindu style of architecture. The fort offers magnificent views of the surrounding area.

Ganesh Pole: In the fort, from the Diwan-I-Am (house of commons), to enter the inner court a gateway called Ganesh Pole was constructed by Sawai Jai Singh. The fresco and the color on this gate are as old as the gate. It is said that the color is a special type which was obtained from flowers/vegetables etc. A painting of Lord Ganesh at the temple of the gate rationalizes its name. The top of the gateway is mounted by a pavilion called Suhag Mandir. Through its latticed windows the royal ladies watched ceremonial functions held in the Diwan-I-Am.

With its huge brass doors, the portal is one of the most impressive ones in the world. The snap above was taken just before entering Gan.

Sheesh Mahal: Having entered the Ganesh Pole, to your left in the Diwan-I-Khas (house of lords, see the snap above), is situated the world renowned Sheesh Mahal which is also know as Jai Mandir. Constructed by Jai Singh it has two big rooms. The second room has two smaller attached rooms with it. The entire set of rooms is surrounded with galleries. Everywhere in this Mahal, except for floor, you would see convex mirrors carved in the plaster which reflect any streak of light so as to illuminate the entire Mahal. The Mahal oozes with intriguing combination of emotions of calm, sensuality and love.

Shila Devi Temple: This temple in the fort is the most impressive mandir I’ve seen far. The doors are plated with silver with each one having impressions of nine goddesses with their associated mantras carved on it. Having entered the mandir you would find yourself surrounded with the best marble work you can imaging. The black stone goddess was brought here by Man Singh from Bengal. During kings rule, for a long time human life was sacrificed to propitiate the goddess, but it was latter replaced with animal sacrifice. This they say led to the goddess’s head tilting to the side and it is that way even to this date

You can explore the fort parking your own vehicle inside the fort, something that I recommend. Or you can hire a cab that you can package with a guide. Elephant ride, however, is the most interesting way of exploring the fort. Whichever ride you are taking, you will have to leave it after going a certain distance inside the fort. There is a lot to be explored in this awe inspiring construction, not all of which can be explored in a single day. A good guide is indispensable not only because its easy to get lost inside but also because a few spots can be seen only in their timings, like the Shila Devi Mandir. So you need a person acquainted with the schedules to be able to see maximum things and gather maximum information in your time.

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Photos

Amer Fort
Rajasthaan:Delhi-Ajmer Road

Elephant Ride
Elephant ride is the most interesting way of exploring the fort.