Fairytale palace of Amber. India

Are you ready to go to India again and wander with us through the unexplored passages of the ancient fort? To be honest, Mishutka and I were not ready ourselves, but it so happened that quite by accident we taxied into the closed area of ​​the Amber Fort, where only maharajas now dine. This is all me in my search for somewhere to stick my nose, where it might be more interesting =)) But they not only didn’t drive us away, but on the contrary, they gave us a rather warm welcome, mistaking us for foreign journalists. Me and a three-year-old child... Well, what a strange bunch for journalists)) Well, okay, we fulfilled our duty as bloggers - we looked into every corner, filmed everything, and didn’t pay for anything. What else is needed for a good report? ;)

We drove up to the ancient walls of the Amber fortress ourselves as maharajas - in a taxi, and rented for the whole day. This was the first and only time in our lives that we even drove around India by car)

But a day earlier, we honestly tried, as usual, to move around Jaipur on our own and it was wildly expensive (Jaipur rickshaws are the only way to get money), wildly tiring (noise and exhaust fumes are everywhere), and wildly long (it turned out that the city is so big, that there is no way to walk at all). In general, when one driver offered to take us for 8 hours in a brand new car with air conditioning to all the popular attractions for only 1000 rupees (then it was ~550 rubles), I immediately agreed. In general, feeling at least like millionaires, we importantly drove up to the gates of the fort) You can enter them absolutely free. Inside, Amber Fort is a large area surrounded by walls.

(!) DISCOUNTS ON HOUSING IN INDIA

Below is our list of discount coupons and sites we always use to save on hotels and cabin rentals in India and other countries:
. The RoomGuru service helps you find best price per night at the hotel. The difference sometimes reaches several thousand rubles.
. for renting an apartment or house in Goa, Delhi and other cities in India and around the world. Applies automatically when booking over $69.

Indians/foreigners 25/200 rupees,
guide 200 rupees,
audio guide Hindi/English/other European languages/Asian languages ​​100/150/200/250 rupees;
8.00-18.00, last group at 17.30

Amber was built by the Kachwakh Rajputs, who were originally from Gwalior, now Madhya Pradesh, and ruled there for over 800 years. Using the loot from the wars, they financed the construction of the Amber castle-fortress, which was begun in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh, a Rajput and commander-in-chief of Akbar's army. Amber was later enlarged and completed by the Jai Singhs before they moved to Jaipur, to the plain below. Dominating the gorge, the fort provided a military advantage, but was not suitable for the direction of development of the capital intended for it by Jai Singh.

The road to Amber runs through the typical landscapes of Rajasthan, with sun-scorched hills around Lake Maota, where buffaloes lazily lie on the shore near the water. You might see a camel pulling a loaded cart.

This magnificent fortress is more like a city: built of pale yellow and pink sandstone and white marble, it is divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard. Amber Fort is also an exquisite example of the wealth of the Maharajas: artists sent by Emperor Aurangzeb worked on the columns and arches, and also decorated the gallery around the Public Audience Hall building.

You can trudge to the fortress from the road in about 10 minutes (soft drinks will only be available upstairs). Getting to the fortress by jeep costs 200 rupees. Riding on the back of an elephant is very popular (900 rupees for two passengers; 8.00-11.00 and 15.30-17.30).

On foot or on an elephant you will reach the fortress through Surazh Pol (Sun Gate) that lead to Jaleb Chowk (main courtyard), where the army returning from a campaign demonstrated its booty to the public - women could watch this through the curtained windows of the palace. The ticket office is located across the courtyard from the Sun Gate. If you come by car, you will get inside through Chand Pol (Moon Gate) on the opposite side of Jaleb Chowk. We highly recommend hiring a tour guide or taking an audio guide, as there are few explanations and many hidden passages.

From Jaleb Chowk there is a massive staircase up to the main palace of the Amber Fort, but first turn right along the steps that lead to the small Siladevi temple (Ciladevi Temple; photography is prohibited; 6.00-12.00 and 16.00-20.00). This temple is dedicated to Goddess Sila, the incarnation of the bloodthirsty goddess Kali. On the silver doors of the temple she is depicted riding various animals. Her statue was brought here from Bengal, where the cult of Kali is especially popular. Every day from the 16th century to 1980 (when the government banned this practice) A goat was sacrificed here.

Returning to the main staircase will take you to the second courtyard and Divan-i-Am (Public Audience Hall) with a double row of columns, each of which is crowned by an elephant, and on them are lattice galleries.

In the third courtyard of the Amber fort there are apartments of the maharadoka - entrance through Ganesh Pol (Ganesh Pol), decorated with mosaics and sculptures. Jai Mandir (Hall of Victories) famous for its Indian paneling and ceiling made of many mirrors. There are carved marble panels throughout the hall, depicting amazingly elegant patterns in the form of insects and floral motifs.

Opposite Jai Mandir is Sukh Niwas. (Pleasure Hall) with sandalwood inlaid doors ivory, and a channel through which water once flowed inside. From the Jai Mandir there is a wonderful view of the bastion and picturesque lake Maota.

Zenana (women's quarters) surrounds the fourth courtyard of Amber. The rooms were designed so that the Maharaja could visit the rooms of one of his wives and concubines without the others knowing about it; The chambers of each are not interconnected, but open onto a common corridor.

Anokhi Hand Printing Museum

Anokhi Haveli, Kheri Gate;
children/adults 15/30 rupees,
photo/video 50/150 rupees;
10.30-16.30 Tue-Sat, 11.00-16.30 Sun,
closed from May 1 to July 15

This interesting museum, where works of textiles with woodblock prints are collected self made, on display, is located just behind the Amber Fort, in the city of Amber.

Road to Amber Fort and back

There are frequent (crowded) buses to Amber from Jaipur, near Hawa Mahal (Hawa Mahal; 10 rupees, 25 minutes). Autorickshaw or taxi costs from 150/550 rupees for a return trip. Amber Fort is included in RTDC city tours.

Updated: Sep 25, 2019

Amber Fort is a famous palace complex consisting of many castles, temples, gardens and pavilions, the construction of which took almost 2 centuries. Appearance this building is very mixed impressions. On the one hand there are impregnable fortress walls, on the other - a real oriental oasis with marvelous arches, ancient mosaics, mirrors, fountains and an intricate labyrinth of passages hiding a great many secrets.

General information

Amber (India) is a majestic structure rising on a rocky cliff 11 km from Jaipur, the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Its history began in 1592 with the construction of an ordinary defensive bastion designed to protect the principality of Dhundhar from enemy attacks. Work on this truly grandiose project was initiated by Raja Man Singh I, but he was never able to enjoy the results of his work - the famous military leader died long before its completion.

For the construction of the fort, which remained administrative center from these regions down to the base of Jaipur, local sandstone was used. The walls, made of this light yellow rock, practically merged with the surrounding panorama. The effect was so strong that it was almost impossible to see Amber from afar. This decision was not made by chance - with frequent military attacks, it played a huge defensive role.

By the way, it is precisely because of this material that many guides claim that the name of the palace comes from English word"amber" - "amber". But, despite the fact that in the pre-sunset hour the walls of the fortress actually acquire an orange tint, this is far from the case. The fort is actually named after the Indian goddess Amba, also known as Durga.

Interestingly, fortified settlements at this place existed 1000 years before the events described. I. When the main road to Delhi was built past them, strengthening the approaches to the residence of the Dhundhars became a strategically important task. Moreover, the local rajah was so afraid of the troops of the Delhi Sultanate that another fortress was built next to Amber, connected to it by numerous underground tunnels. Together with Amber, it forms a powerful defensive structure, the walls of which stretch along the mountain hills for almost 20 km. For such impressive sizes local residents it is often referred to as the “Great Wall of India,” hinting at its similarity to the famous Chinese landmark.

Work on the fort was completed by Jai Singh I, who became the successor of the previous Raja. It was under him that the Amber Fort in Jaipur turned into a beautiful palace complex with 4 separate courtyards, man-made lake Maota, luxurious mosques and gardens. And even despite the fact that after the entire princely court moved to another city, the bastion began to fall into decay, for many years it continued to remain the most important fortification structure in Rajasthan.

Today, Amber Palace is part of the Golden Triangle of India and is one of the most visited attractions in the country. In 2013, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Structure and architecture of the palace

Despite centuries-old history of its existence, Amber Fort (Jaipur, India) continues to be the clearest demonstration of the beauty and luxury with which the medieval Indian rajahs surrounded themselves.

Created in the best traditions architectural style Rajput, which at that time was at the peak of its development, is distinguished by strict forms and perfectly proportional lines. However, behind the simplicity inherent in the external walls, there is hidden the richest interior decoration and various decorations that are inaccessible to the common man.

The internal buildings of the fortress are complemented by beautiful balconies, miniature gazebos arranged at the corners of roofs and awnings, arched columns made of snow-white marble, and barred windows providing an influx of fresh air.

Features of the fort structure

Like other structures built during the Rajput period, Amber has several characteristic features. If the central part of the complex was occupied by the prasada, the main residential building, consisting of several tiers, extensions and pavilions, then the rest of the territory of the citadel is divided into 3 different parts. The first is a zenana, women's rooms with open terraces and mini-parks. The second is courtyards with personal royal chambers, a palace forum and a study. Well, the third is the service yard, which housed stalls, warehouses and armories.

Gates, courtyards and rooms of the complex

The path to the fort begins on the banks of Maota, a small artificial lake, in the center of which is the picturesque garden of Dalarama. After traveling a short distance, visitors to the complex will find themselves in front of the Jai Pol, the central entrance gate. By the way, there is another path leading to them. We are talking about a stone staircase with unusually high steps, along which Indian horsemen moved in earlier times.

After passing through the large patio next to the first gate, tourists find themselves in front of the Suraj Pol or the Gate of the Sun. They open Jaleb Chowk, the same farm yard with barracks, sheds, stables and other service buildings. Following it, you can see the Moon Gate or Chandra Pol, leading to two sanctuaries - Jagat Shiromani and Narasingha.

Next comes the Singh Pol or Lion's Gate, through which you can access the Diwan-i-Am, a pavilion for business meetings and personal audiences, the vaults of which are supported by four dozen columns. Some of them are made of marble, others are made of orange sandstone. Interestingly, the upper part of these pilasters is shaped like elephants with their trunks raised up. They are the ones who act as supports for the ceiling. Divan-i-Am ends with a small open veranda framed by a beautiful decorative lattice.

The next gate of the Amber Fort (Rajasthan, India) is the Ganesha Pol, guarding the entrance to the cozy courtyard with the personal apartments of the rajas. In former times, only members of the palace had access to this part of the palace. royal family and the servants serving them.

If you look to the right you can see marble palace Sukh Nivas, whose carved doors are decorated with sandalwood and ivory. The building of this castle is cooled by water, which flows through a channel laid directly in the floor and flows into the Char Bagh, a small Islamic garden. In close proximity to this place is Jai Niwas, another castle, within the walls of which are located many amazing objects.

Among them, Yash Mandir (Hall of Fame), Sheesh Mahal (Chamber of Mirrors) and Diwan-i-Khas deserve the most attention. The walls and semicircular ceilings of the first two are decorated with a huge number of broken mirrors, gilded tiles and pieces of glass. All these elements are combined into a unique pattern that creates the effect of a starry sky even with a single lit candle. As for the second, its ceilings are decorated with a relief floral pattern, a border created from semi-precious stones, all kinds of designs and inlays made from ancient colored mosaics.

Almost under the very roof of Jaya Nivas, a special platform was equipped, where court meetings were held with the arrival of cold weather. The final element of the Amber Fort is the zenana, a complex labyrinth whose rooms were inhabited exclusively by the female half. Staying in this part of the complex, you can’t help but feel the presence of maharanis (queens) and kumaris (princesses), who led such a calm and secluded lifestyle that they could only be detected by the quiet chiming of their anklets.

From the numerous galleries and flat roofs of the palace, which are also used for promenades, a beautiful view of the ancient citadels, impregnable Mountain peaks, defensive towers and the calm waters of Lake Maota, stretching somewhere far below.

Practical information

• Amber Castle located at Devisinghpura, Amer, Jaipur 302001, India.
• Open daily from 08:00 to 17:30.
• The cost of visiting is about $7, but if you come here in the evening, you will pay only $1.5 for entry.

It should also be noted that at sunset, sound and light shows are organized on the territory of Amber, during which visitors are introduced to the history of the fort and significant events of Rajasthan. A ticket for an English-language performance costs up to $3, for a Hindi performance it is 2 times cheaper. This event lasts about an hour.

On a note! For those planning to spend at least a week in Jaipur, we recommend purchasing complex ticket, along which you can visit not only this fortress, but also 3 more palace complexes, the ancient Jantar Mantar observatory and the Albert Hall cultural and historical museum.

When going to Amber Fort, take note of a few important tips:

1. If you are going to climb the territory of the complex on an elephant, we recommend arriving right before the opening. Firstly, there is a huge queue for this “type of transport”, and secondly, the number of elephants is limited, so there may simply not be enough for everyone. In addition, each animal is only capable of making 4 trips, after which they are sent to rest until the next day.


2. You can also get to the fort by car, but due to the one-way traffic, there is a high probability of missing a cow that gets in your way. Of course, you will still get to the main attraction of Rajasthan, but it may take a little longer than you expected.
3. In India, it is customary to tip everyone - from waiters to doormen and maids. The fort workers - snake charmers, photographers, mahouts, etc. - will also be expected to receive a small reward. The latter receive 100 rupees from each animal.
4. At the entrance to the fortress, you will probably be offered to buy some kind of souvenir (usually one or several elephants at once). Don’t rush to agree - the same product will end up costing much less.
5. In general, you should be careful with street vendors in Amber. If you don't plan to buy anything, put on as detached a look as possible and try not to even meet their gaze. As soon as you enter into a conversation with at least one of these businessmen, others will immediately join him. This company will accompany you until you board the elephant, and if you do agree to buy something, they will also get under its feet.
6. Don't forget to bring a light snack and water. It will take at least 4 hours to explore the entire territory, and the air temperature in India rarely drops below +30°C.



7. Another feature of the fort is the local photographers. They click tourists throughout the climb, and then offer to buy these photographs for $8-9 (there are 15 pieces in the album, but it’s better to count them). But you shouldn’t grab the first offer you come across. First, look for photos taken from the most high points(they are very beautiful views), and then bargain well.
8. Other tourists will be a free alternative to local photographers. Make arrangements with those driving in front and behind you, and then exchange pictures via email.
9. It is better to walk around Amber Fort in India with a professional guide. There are so many loopholes, rooms and corridors that without it you will definitely miss something.
10. When arriving in Jaipur in December-January, be prepared for a gray haze to be present in all morning photographs. This is nothing more than fog mixed with smog. The reason for their appearance is strong differences in day and night temperatures.

Travel to Amber Fort by car:

Related posts:

One of the reasons why Jaipur is included in the tourist Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) is the nearby city of Amer, where the fortress is located. It is called either Amber Fort or Amer Fort. Initially, I thought that the fort was called Amber because of the color of the walls (from the English amber - amber), but in fact, it is named after the Mother Goddess Amba. Construction began in 1592 under Raja Man Singh, who was Akbar the Great's military commander. Construction was completed under Raja Jai ​​Singh.

1. Panoramic photograph of the entire fort from Lake Maota - when clicked, it will open in high resolution. The left corner unfortunately got covered up.

2. There are three ways to get to the fort: on foot, on elephants or by car. We abandoned the elephants - a trip to the big-eared ones in Thailand was enough; we went with our driver along a narrow road straight to the top.

3. The fort offers an excellent view of the surrounding area.

4. At the entrance we are greeted by Rajasthani men playing the Ravanahatha. Ravanahatha is a two-stringed musical instrument. It was the first instrument to be taught to princes in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. According to legend, Ravana played this instrument, thus serving Shiva. After his battle with Rama, Hanuman took Ravanahatha and brought it to northern India. This is how it became popular in this part of the country.

5. The only thing that spoils the impression a little is the stains on the walls. But this is a disease of many buildings in countries where it rains throughout the season.

6. Tourists who ride elephants are taken to this yard. On the left is the gate through which we entered. Above the gate there is a room where musicians sit and play local music. After looking at Wiki, I found out that there used to be a kindergarten in this yard.

7. Nearby is Diwan-i-Am - the place where the Raja communicated with his subjects. Pay attention to the corner columns - forked elephants.

8. Near the audience site there are offices of local aristocrats. There were 27 of them in total. As I understand it, the arches were covered with carpets.

9. Ganesha Gate to the closed part of the palace, access to which was previously allowed only to the Raja’s family and servants

10. "Peeping" balconies

11. In the neighboring courtyard of the fort there is a garden.

12. On the territory of the fortress there is a Mirror Palace.

13. Simply brilliant! :)

14. This is what the chambers for Raja look like inside. To the left of the sleeping places, there is a pipe for smoking tobacco.

15. While tourists are enjoying the beauty of the Mirror Palace, Indians are renovating the walls.

16. Garden at Lake Maota

17. Walls were also erected on the mountains around the fortress. Locals joke that this is their Great Wall of India.

18. And this is the part of the fortress where the servants lived. Below are pots in which food was cooked.

19. Another patio. Between each architectural element, under the canopy, there are drawings.

20. Drawings of various contents - from fairy-tale animals to poses from the Kama Tutra.

21. Restoration work is underway not only in the Mirror Palace, but also in another part of the fort. Workers earn money not only by repairing, but also by posing for tourists.

22. Turban in Rajasthani style. The rag around it is an optional element.

23. In the courtyard, craftsmen make souvenirs for tourists.

24. There is a museum of iron figures on the territory of the fort. This spider is used as bait.

25. When we left the fort and headed to our taxi driver, we observed a funny scene with this monkey. She jumped on the roofs of taxis, and calmed down only when they threw her a chapati.

26. I noticed another unusual temple from the parking lot.

27. From certain angles, the walls on the mountains really look like the Great Great Chinese Wall. After the fort we went to explore Jaipur itself.

Other photos from Northern India:

Jaipur is the city we liked most in India. In Jaipur, our driver buckled up and started paying attention to the traffic lights again. In Jaipur we first saw people sweeping the streets, for this reason it is much cleaner than Delhi or Agra. An elevated metro is being built in Jaipur. The Silk Road passed through Jaipur and its rulers quickly figured out how to make money from it. They built huge blocks of buildings with two-story shops on top of which were living rooms and rented them out to merchants for free. It is not surprising that the city quickly became shopping mall. Even now, the volume of those buildings is impressive. You can imagine how busy trade was here before. But the main attraction of Jaipur is still different.

Amber Fort

The main attraction of Jaipur on our list, Amber Fort is located 11 km north of Jaipur and is a beautiful complex of palaces, halls, pavilions, gardens and temples, built over two centuries.

Amber Fort is located on the slope of a mountain and to get to it you need to travel a long way from Lake Moata, located at the foot. Usually tourists are lifted on elephants, but this time there was some kind of holiday, so a countless number of local people came and there weren’t enough elephants for everyone.

After jostling in the queue, the guide made a wise decision to replace the elephants with jeeps and go up using gasoline traction.

Having fought off the annoying sellers, we hit the road.

Double headdress

At the same time, the tired elephants began to leave with us. It turns out that the poor animals used to work all day, lifting tourists up the mountain. It is clear that in this mode they worked for wear and tear. And after some time, an accident occurred when a tired elephant killed a tourist from Japan who approached him to take a photo. After this incident, the elephants were moved to half-time work. To be honest, even after half a day the elephants look far from cheerful.

Are they lined up by height or is it just me?

Unlike a jeep.

The lens sticking out of the jeep seems to remind us that there are still several gigabytes of unprocessed video on the disk.

The path to the fort lies along narrow streets along which hardworking Indian women hurry. By the way, the color of the sari differs in different parts of India. Here everyone wore mostly yellow. And not always with a bag on my head, there were also without bags.

Here, for example, without a bag

The fort is actually almost a palace. There was a lot going on there, except for the local rulers entertaining themselves in the absence of TV and the Internet. There are also rooms with heated floors. It would be more accurate to say a room inside a heated room for cold periods.

One of the courtyards

Rare group shot

Rooms for wives who watched their husbands' entertainment:

Those who, due to their status, should not have been seen by mere mortals had to be content with spying through such windows

According to the guide, this fort did not participate in military battles; the stone wall covering the nearby mountains primarily protected the predators that once lived in the jungle from the inhabitants of Jaipur. Now there is no jungle or living creatures on the mountain slopes. It is safe to say that the wall failed in its great mission.

Walking through the buildings of the fort, we noticed the low ceilings. For example, to go down to the basement where the water storage was located, you had to bend double!

Apparently Indians in those days were short. And they didn’t care about safety precautions. All the balconies had railings that barely reached the knees, and some stairs had no railings at all.

I will not retell everything stated by the guide, I will only note the following interesting fact. After India gained independence, numerous Indian kings and Shahs lost their wealth. Their real estate for the most part became state property, and the royal families were left with relatively modest houses. Some people opened hotels there to make a living; others rent out ancient buildings for parties, weddings and banquets. For example, we were offered dinner with the real royal family for only $200 per person. But for some reason we were not tempted...

And so that you don’t get the wrong impression about the difficult life of Indians, here are a couple more photographs. For example, this lady earns her living...

... not at all like sweeping the floor. 20-30 rupees per photo and the model is ready to pose for you as much as you like in any shot. Fixed at 35 mm. By the way, for those interested:

I didn't whiten my teeth.

In Jaipur we finished our journey through the Golden Triangle. To save time and not bother ourselves with a long journey by car, we flew to Goa on a direct flight from Jaipur. We flew with SpiceJet, but we were a little worried, since the Internet is full of various rumors about their carelessness. Like if there aren’t enough passengers, the flight can easily be cancelled. But since there were already 8 of us, we decided that the risk of cancellation due to no-show of passengers was minimal. For those who will buy tickets on their own, I would like to note that we were unable to buy tickets on the airline’s website, no matter how hard we tried. The card simply didn’t go through, that’s all. Therefore, we took tickets from one of the aggregators. Unfortunately, the aggregator did not allow us to immediately buy food on board, so we had to fight with the flight attendants during the flight.

The flight to Goa is not direct, but with an intermediate landing in Ahmedabad. It doesn't take long, and you don't have to get off the plane, transit passengers remain in their places.

This is where I’ll probably finish the educational part completely and move on to life in Goa. I’ve already touched on it partially, now let’s relax completely….

I almost forgot - the last photo of our guide, the coordinates were in . The best recommendations from us.