A journey to the Land of Kings - PART 2: AMBER FORT

July 24, 2026

A journey to the Land of Kings - PART 2: AMBER FORT

Amber Fort

Jaipur means "The city of Jai", named after Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Jaipur itself has 2 parts- the old city (Pink city) and the New city. Our tourist destinations are inside the old city. Whenever I try to visualize Rajasthan in my mind, only endless deserts, people wearing colorful clothes and turban only came to my mind. But this trip changed that perception. Rajasthan is more than that. The abundance of a variety of bougainvillea flowers charmed me. And there were a lot of hospitals which grabbed my attention while I was in the cab and very easily noticeable "sharrab ki dookan" (bars/ alcohol supplying units). And last but not the least, too many cattle on the road, roaming around freely.

The view of Hawa Mahal from our cab

Our first destination was Amber fort which was built hundreds of years back by Man Singh I. This was a fort which shows off the Rajput architecture mingled with some Mughal works. We passed by Hawa Mahal, one of our tourist destinations on the way. Near Amber Fort, we saw some painted elephants passing by. Our driver was enthusiastic in arranging a session for painting elephants, but we both were not interested. We had to alight from cab a long distance away from the fort, as it would take more time by cab rather than by foot. We met our wonderful guide, Mr. Akshay Singh on the way. He took us by many shortcuts and alleyways and in between we hitched ride for some short distance in passing jeeps also. All thanks to our guide. He also charmed us with details of attractions on the way. The idea of vegetable paints and art work withstanding hundreds of years was marvelous.

Amber Fort

After about 30 minutes (actually, I'm not sure), we reached Amber Fort. Also known as Amer Fort, this sandstone and marble marvel was made more than 400 years ago. Also I came to know that I was in Aravalli hill range which I have only read in my Geography textbooks from school. At the base of the fort, there was Moata lake. We crossed the main entry- Suraj Pol (Sun gate) and entered the first main courtyard. Many Indian historic movies were shot in this palace and our guide filled our ears about those cinemas. We entered the next gate- Ganesh gate, and saw the steps to Shila devi mandir also. Animal sacrifices used to happen here.

Diwan-i-Aam or the Public Audience Hall

In the second courtyard we witnessed the Diwan-i-Aam or the Public Audience Hall, which is a raised platform with a double row of ornate columns and elephant designs. The King used to hear public pleas here. I don't remember from exactly where, but we got a magnificient arial view of the Maota lake, with its island of saffron garden. Apparently the king wanted to grow saffron for his queen, and had to make careful engineering adjustments to provide the proper conditions for the trees to grow... So sometimes love and money can make you do the impossible...

Arial view of Maota Lake and Saffron Garden

In the next courtyard, was one of the main attractions- Sheesh Mahal a.k.a The Mirror Palace. The ceiling and walls were fitted with mirrors, so as to bring the stars inside ... "din mein taare dekhne keliye...." Our guide proved to be an experienced photographer. He clicked some professional photos for us in our mobile. Even some other tourists around were asking him to click similar photos for them, which he did with a smiling face. He captured photos with our reflections trapped inside the mirrors on the wall and also did not miss the carvings on the wall.

Mirror works in Sheesh Mahal

Soon we entered another passage and there was a lush green garden before our eyes. The hexagonal garden had a fountain in the center. We came to know about the intricate water works in the palace, how water is being circulated between the palace and garden. We saw some marble bathing areas, where warm water, hot water, everything could be added in a sophisticated manner. Actually I don't remember the exact explanation, but I was definitely in awe when I first heard about it. While, we were seeing the garden, again Akshayji proved his talent by clicking some memorable couple photos.

The garden

We gradually entered the fourth courtyard where the Royal family women lived. Well, as usual the kings would have multiple wives/ concubines and there were multiple rooms for them. We even saw some "mature" old paintings on the walls...Well, one could say that they really considered pleasure as a necessity.. But still, did women really enjoy a life in which they had to live according to the rules of men?

On our way out we watched a puppet show for few minutes. Then Akshayji, took us to a perfume shop and we experienced the aroma of royal perfumes. And No, we didn't buy any of them as they were definitely out of our budget. And my hubby brought some magnet souvenirs and we bid bye to Amber fort. We got bike rides to reach down, and Thank God for that... because my legs were exhausted. On the way back down we brought some Rajasthani Sarees for our family. We bid our farewell to Akshayji and even clicked a photo with him... Thank You Akshayji, for your company...