Jaipur fort amber jewelry precious stones. forts of jaipur
Of course, I still associate the word “Amber” with “Chronicles of Amber” by Roger Zelazny, but now I will probably have to slightly adjust my ideas.
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. The grandiose construction was completed by the 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 was 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 - natural and man-made is almost impossible to distinguish 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 the rich interior decoration, exquisite workmanship and decorations that were inaccessible to casual glance. 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.
Rajput forts were built according to a fairly 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-i-khas 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 Hindu tradition) or inlaid with colored mosaics, pieces of glass or semi-precious stones (this is an Islamic cultural influence).
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.
Numerous open terraces and flat roofs of the palace (they were also used for walking) offer 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.
Tourists usually get to the fort along the so-called "elephant road", along which ammunition and provisions were delivered to the fort at one time. Before boarding the elephants, we were surrounded by numerous vendors offering wooden souvenirs. You can buy cute wooden elephants and camels from them for cheap. Locals start bargaining with 3 figurines for 1000 rupees, but with special perseverance, you can reduce the price to 10 figurines for 1000 rupees. These figurines are made somewhat roughly, but as souvenirs for friends and acquaintances, they are quite suitable.
They immediately warn you that if you buy anything else before landing on the elephant, then the merchants will follow you for a long time, getting under the feet of the elephant and shouting out more and more profitable offers. We still bought several elephants and funny rag dolls of maharajas and maharashis from one of these molesters.
It is better to buy souvenirs on the way back. There they will be cheaper and you will not have to carry them with you all the time. Before landing, you can choose an elephant for every taste and color ... Big or small, formidable or good-natured, decorated with painted patterns or richly decorated with bright fabrics and unusual decorations.
A separate attraction here is a staircase with special wide steps for the convenience of horse riders. Through the Jai Pol gate, visitors to the fort enter a huge courtyard, followed by the next gate - Suraj Pol (Gate of the Sun). These, in turn, lead to the service yard of Jaleb Chowk, where the military barracks and stables were located.
After the Gate of the Sun, Chandra Pol - the Gate of the Moon follows, which leads us to the Narasingha temple. In Indian religious mythology, this is a lion-man, one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu. The temple of Jagat Shiromani (Treasure of the World) is also located here, with a spacious prayer hall.
After passing the Lion's Gate, the guests of the fort get to the pavilion (sofa-and-am), in which official audiences were held. The vaulted roof of the pavilion rests on forty columns of red sandstone and white marble. The capitals of the columns are made in the form of elephant heads, and the upturned trunks are a support for the roof. The pavilion adjoins a terrace surrounded by a decorative lattice. The terrace also offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape.
Tourists pass through the Ganesh Pol gate into the inner courtyard, where the rulers' residential chambers stand and a small cozy garden is located. One of the rooms has a telling name - the Place of Joy (Sukh Niva). Wooden carved entrance doors are inlaid with noble sandalwood and ivory. The room has a water cooling system, with a marble channel and a small waterfall that falls into the inner garden.
A separate attraction of the Amber Fort is the elegant Jai Niwas Palace, built of snow-white marble. It houses the Shish Mahal Palace of Mirrors and the Yash Mandir Hall of Fame. There is also a sofa-i-khas, a separate room, the walls of which are completely covered with picturesque drawings and patterns.
The lower panels of the walls are framed along the edges with a special border trimmed with semi-precious stones. Well, the upper sections of the walls are painted and inlaid with mosaics, fragments of semi-precious stones, gilded tiles, glass, and mirrors. In the evenings, tourists enjoy lighting candles or lighters and admiring the unexpected effect of the starry sky created by thousands of reflections.
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. The windows are covered with carved marble gratings (jali), which enhance ventilation in the rooms, as well as create a pleasant twilight and protect the rooms from direct sunlight.
indoors amber fort coolness and twilight reigned in contrast to the sun-drenched open courtyards. Perhaps, by European standards, the chambers make a somewhat gloomy impression. But this was the only way to escape from the ruthless, scorching sun for most of the year. As in the old days, to Jai Pol (the main gate Amber Fort) you can ride on an elephant. Dalarama Garden is located on a small island in Lake Maota and is named after the first architect of the city of Jaipur. The path to the private apartments of the palace amber fort passes through the amazingly beautiful decoration of the gate - Ganesha Paul. Their facade is richly decorated with arches decorated with jali (carved stone lattices) and a bangal-dar 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 terrace of the Nat Mahal, located at the top of the Jai Niwas, served in the past as a place where the ceremonial meetings of the court were held. And zanana is a living area, which is a maze of bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, pantries and covered terraces. Here, in seclusion, lived the queens and their daughters, young Indian princesses.
Graceful balconies, thin columns and stone lattices, numerous arches and gazebos at the corners of the roofs, numerous decorations of the Amber Fort give the impression of a real oriental paradise, created for quiet enjoyment of beauty and peace.
Initially, the fortress, now known as "Amber Fort", was only a palace complex, an appendage of a military fortress, now known as "Jaigarh Fort". Jaigarh and Amber were ( yes to this day) are connected by protected passage walls and underground tunnels… Between Amber and Jaigarh lies a whole block of ancient houses and buildings, only a small part of which is inhabited. The rest are picturesque ruins scattered along the slopes of the hill ...
If you have come to Jaipur for more than one day, then you can safely devote a couple of days to a walking tour of the old walls and turrets of the neighboring rocky ridges. The views that will open up to you from there will be 100% unique, which will not be available to any "organized" tourist. By the way, about the name of the fort, and indeed the city in general - there are at least 2 versions of the origin of the name, with which the guides will stuff you: (1) You will be shown towards the town that somewhere there ( the guide's finger makes a circle covering an area twice as large as the several thousand inhabited Amber) stood a great temple in which there was a statue ( I don't remember who, sorry) from a single piece of amber ( Amber in English amber, just in case someone does not know); (2) You will come across a very stupid guide who will say that the amber is yellow and the palace is yellow sandstone, so the type was named as amber. You can believe in these versions only if you believe in Santa Claus ...
water palace(Jag Niwas), the summer residence of the Maharajas of Udaipur (Rajasthan, India), was erected on an island of Lake Pichola about 250 m 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 structure literally growing out of the water.
This approach served two purposes:
1. The water area was an additional obstacle and provided defensive advantages;
2. 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. The famous traveler J. Tod, one of the first foreigners who saw this architectural miracle, 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 the monotony is pleasantly dissipated by the rays of the sun passing through the glass, colored with all the colors of the rainbow ... The walls are richly decorated with carved stone medallions, which depict the main historical events of the family ... Flower beds, orange and lemon groves, interrupting 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.
Are you ready to go back to India and wander with us through the unknown 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 eat. This is all me in my search for where to stick my nose, where it can be more interesting =)) But we were not just not driven away, but on the contrary, they gave us a rather cordial welcome, mistaking for foreign journalists. Me and a three-year-old child ... Well, a strange bunch for journalists)) Well, okay, we fulfilled our blogging duty - we looked into every corner, filmed everything, did not pay for anything. What else do you need for a good report? ;)
We drove up to the ancient walls of the Amber fortress ourselves as maharajas - by taxi, but rented for the whole day. It was the first and only time in my life when we even rode around India by car)
But the day before, we honestly tried, as usual, to move around Jaipur on our own and it was wildly expensive (Jaipur rickshaws take money only in this way), wildly tiring (noise and exhaust gases from everywhere), and wildly long (it turned out that the city is so big, that walking at all in any way). In general, when one driver offered to take us for 8 hours in a brand new air-conditioned car to all popular attractions for only 1000 rupees (then it was ~ 550 rubles), I immediately agreed. In general, feeling like at least millionaires, we drove up to the gates of the fort importantly) You can enter them absolutely free of charge. Inside, Amber Fort is a large walled area.
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India, Amer, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302001, India
To show on the map 300 rupees, photo and video shooting are paid additionallyIn India, only rupees are accepted. Mon-Sun 09:00-16:30general information
“Amber Fort”, “Great Indian Wall”, as soon as the locals do not call the huge citadel, located 11 km from the Pink City of Jaipur. The fortress stands on the very top of a rocky hill. This creates an amazing contrast between the clear lines and strict forms of the formidable walls of Amber Fort in the Rajput architectural style and the light water surface of the artificial lake Maota.
From the height of the fortress walls opens beautiful view on hills, city, ancient ruins. In the XII-XVIII centuries, the fort was the capital of Jaipur. Now it is a popular attraction in India, in which about half a million tourists annually climb along the wide stone road in jeeps, on elephants or just on foot.
How to get to Amber Fort
The flight from Delhi to Jaipur takes about 30 minutes or 6 hours by train, about the same time it takes to walk to the massive gates of the fortress. The bus will take you to the very walls of Amber in 5.5 hours, the cost of such a transfer from Delhi will be at least 500 rupees.
Attractions of the Amber Fort
The interior of the citadel reveals to the guest complex patterns in a mixed style, characteristic of the entire architecture of India: there are elements of traditional Mongolian architecture, and traces of Hindu and Muslim influence.
Inside the fortress, the buildings are richly decorated with thin columns, stone lattices, balconies, arches and pavilions, many mirrors and paintings carved from solid coral.
Chamber of Mirrors
This architectural complex, also called the Sheesh Mahal Palace, no doubt evokes the strongest emotions in visitors. All rooms of the Chamber are decorated with floor-to-ceiling mirror mosaics. In the hall you can see complex drawings with floral motifs, with a monochromatic sheen, as well as interspersed with colored glass.
Fort Jaigar
The name of the citadel is translated as "fortress of victory". It is located just above the Amber Fort, but within its walls. Once it was a protective bunker at the main fort. Because here you will not find special luxury in the design.
A museum has been opened in the fort, here you can see one of the largest wheeled cannons in the world - the 50-ton Jaivan cannon.
Audience rooms
The complex is represented by two spacious pavilions: Diwan-e-Am (Diwan-e-Aam) or "Public Hall" and Diwan-e-Khas (Diwan-e-Khas) - "Hall for a private audience." Both rooms are located under vaulted roofs, each supported by 40 columns.
The public hall has an extension in the form of an open terrace with a panoramic view of the surroundings. The walls of the private audience hall are decorated with ornate carvings, and on the ceiling you can see a unique mirror mosaic surrounded by traditional Indian stucco.
Indians/foreigners 25/200 rupees,
tour guide 200 rupees,
audio guide Hindi/English/ other European languages/Asian languages Rs 100/150/200/250;
8.00-18.00, last group at 17.30
Amber was built by the Kachwah Rajputs, who were originally from Gwalior, now Madhya Pradesh, and ruled there for over 800 years. With loot from the wars, they financed the construction of the Amber Fortress, which was started in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh, a Rajput and commander-in-chief of Akbar's army. Amber was later enlarged and finished by the Jai Singhas before they moved to Jaipur, on the plain below. Dominating the gorge, the fort offered a military advantage, but was not suited to the direction Jai Singh intended for the development of the capital.
The road to Amber runs through the typical landscapes of Rajasthan, with sun-scorched hills around Lake Maota, where buffaloes lazily wallow on the shore, near the water. Perhaps you will 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 building of the Hall of Public Audiences.
You can trail to the fortress from the road for about 10 minutes (soft drinks can only be bought at the top). It costs 200 rupees to get to the fortress by jeep. Elephant back riding 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 get to the fortress through Suraj Pol (Solar Gate) that lead to Jaleb Chowk (main courtyard), where the army returned from the campaign demonstrated its booty to the public - women could watch this through the curtained windows of the palace. The ticket office is 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 from Jaleb Chowk. It is highly recommended to hire a guide or take 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 on the steps that will lead to the small temple of Siladevi (Ciladevi Temple; photography is prohibited; 6.00-12.00 and 16.00-20.00). This temple is dedicated to the goddess Strength, the embodiment of the bloodthirsty goddess Kali. On the silver doors of the temple, she is depicted sitting astride 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 the practice) a goat was sacrificed here.
If you return to the main staircase, you will be taken to the second courtyard and Divan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) with a double row of columns, each of which is crowned by an elephant, and on them are lattice galleries.
Maharadoka's apartments are located in the third courtyard of the Amber Fort - entrance through Ganesh Pol (Ganesh Pol) decorated with mosaics and sculptures. Jai Mandir (Hall of Victories) famous for Indian panels and a ceiling of many mirrors. Panels of carved marble throughout the hall are depicted on them with amazing graceful patterns in the form of insects and floral motifs.
Opposite Jai Mandir is Sukh Niwas. (Hall of Pleasure) with sandalwood doors inlaid with ivory and a channel through which water once entered. Jai Mandir offers a wonderful view of the bastion and the picturesque lake Maota.
Zenana (women's quarters) surrounds the fourth court of Amber. The rooms were designed so that the Maharajah could visit the rooms of one of the wives and concubines and the rest would not know about it; the chambers of each are not interconnected, but open onto a common corridor.
Anokha Handprinting 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 1 May to 15 July
This interesting museum, where handmade woodcut fabrics are exhibited, is located just behind the Amber Fort, in the city of Amber.
Road to Amber Fort and back
There are frequent (overcrowded) buses to Amber from Jaipur near Hawa Mahal (Hawa Mahal; 10 rupees, 25 minutes). Auto rickshaw or taxi cost from 150/550 rupees for the return trip. Amber Fort is included in the city tours from RTDC.
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 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.
Struck by beauty 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 marble palace pleasures
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, different life.
