The Amber Fort: A World Of Wonders

While in India in 2018, I stopped in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. I decided to visit the Amber Fort because it looked very impressive, colourful and mysterious. I had seen photos online and was impatient to know if the real thing was as beautiful. Well, I wasn’t disappointed.

Some Information About The Amber Fort

The Amber fort (also called Amer Fort) is a giant fortress located at the top of the Cheel ka Teela hill. When I arrived there, it seemed like it was pretty much the only thing existing there. In my mind, it looked like the fort appeared from nowhere in the middle of a desert land, like a mirage.

The fort is actually three forts: Amber, but also Jaigarh (North) and Nahargarh (South). However, they are considered as one because they are connected by many walls. In the event of a threat, an underground passage allowed members of the royal family to go from the Amber fort to Jaigarh fort, which had more weapons.

In 2013, the Amber Fort and five other forts of Rajasthan (Hill Forts of Rajasthan) were declared a UNESCO World Heritage.

Say No To The Elephant Ride To The Amber Fort

One of the main things to do there is to climb to the palace on the back of an elephant. The animals are painted and this may seem very beautiful. But tourists need to see beyond the colours and say no to this.

First, this is not natural for an elephant to carry a human on their back. Second, the training involves a lot of suffering and trauma for the animals. Finally, because the slope is steep and because they have to kneel on concrete, many elephants are injured and have health issues. I chose to drive to the entrance of the fort even though my guide insisted that it was super cool to ride an elephant.

A Giant Palace Full Of Wonders

The Palace is really big and you could definitely play a great game of hide and seek in it. It is composed of six sections, each having an entrance gate and a courtyard. Speaking of gates, I fell in love with a lot of gates in Jaipur. In the Amber fort, the Ganesh Gate is nicely decorated with frescoes and colours. I spent quite some time looking at it before entering. But the most beautiful gates I saw where in the City Palace. Truly, you should go visit it even if it’s only to see the Peacock Gate, The Rose Gate and the Lotus Gate… Such wonders!

Above the Ganesh Gate, there are small windows. From there, ladies of the royal family could look and watch what was happening in the palace. They didn’t have the right to participate.

Another place that will make you dream: the mirror palace (Sheesh Mahal). This small palace within the palace is covered with mirrors. The guide was telling me that they used to light the room with lamps or candles at night. Inside the Sheesh Mahal, the light would reflect on every mirror and give the impression of a starry night. Imagine that!

One Staircase To Meet Them All

In the 17th century, Raja Man Singh, the Kachwaha Raja of Amer, had twelve queens. Each of them had their own room that had a staircase leading to the Raja’s room. However, the queens didn’t have the right to go upstairs. Indeed, only the Raja could use the staircase and spend the night with the queen of his choice. This way, none of the others knew which queen he chose. This idea was meant to prevent jealousy.

To see more photos of India, you can visit the gallery India.