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The Amer Fort, situated in Amber, 11 kilometers from Jaipur, is one of the most famous forts of Rajasthan. Amer, originally, was the capital of the state before Jaipur. It is an old fort, built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh. This fort is also very popularly known as the Amer Palace. The Amer Fort was built in red sandstone and marble and the Maotha Lake adds a certain charm to the entire Fort. Though the fort is quite old and may even look so from the outside, it is beautiful on the inside and boasts of various buildings of prominence like the 'Diwan-i-Aam', the 'Sheesh Mahal' and even the 'Sukh Mahal'. The Amer Fort has influences of both Hindu and Muslim architecture. This fort also has the 'Shila Devi' Temple and the 'Ganesh Pol' which is a gate that leads to the private palaces of the kings. The Amer Fort has many pavilions and halls of great interest and other popular attractions.
History of the Amber Fort
Raja Alan Singh, who once ruled the Chanda clan of the Meenas, was probably the first king to ever set foot on Amer. He set up his palace on top of the hill, which currently holds the Amber fort, and started to rule over his subjects in the new town. He named his town Khogong. One day, an old woman with a child approached Raja Alan Singh, seeking refuge in his kingdom. The king took them in openheartedly, and even raised the child who was named Dhola Rae. Dhola Rae was then sent to Delhi to spread the legacy of the Meena kingdom. Instead of obeying his king’s orders, he came back with a small army of his own, which comprised of Rajputs. The Rajputs then slayed everyone belonging to the clad of Meenas, without showing them any sign of mercy. It is said that the massacre took place on the day of Diwali, when the Meenas were conducting a special ritual known as ‘Pitra Trapan.’ Back then, it was customary for the Meenas to set aside all their weapons while performing ‘Pitra Trapan.’ The Rajputs, who were aware of this practice, took advantage of the situation and made Khogong their own. This act of theirs was considered as coward and despicable. The town along with the beautiful hill which held the palace like fort now belonged to the Kachwaha Rajputs.
Raja Man Singh of the Kachwaha house took over the throne from his predecessor in the early 1600s. He then started building the Amber fort after destroying the structure that was already built on top of the hill. The fort was further developed by the successor of Raja Man Singh, Jai Singh I. Over the next two centuries or so, the fort underwent continuous renovations and improvements under the reign of various Rajput Maharajas including Mirza Raja Jai Singh I. The present fort was completed in the late 16th century. In 1727, the Maharajas of Rajput decided to shift their capital from Amer to Jaipur, leaving no further changes to the appearance of the fort.
Construction
The construction of Amber Fort was started in 1592. It was modified on regular intervals by several rulers and the trend continued up until late 1600. The fort was mostly constructed using red sandstone and white marble. Though basically a fort, it also served as the main residence of the Rajput Maharajas. Hence, in its subsequent modifications, the fort was deliberately made to look more like a lavish palace. There is also another palace, which was constructed before the construction of Amber fort. The older palace rests on a valley behind the fort. This palace is one of the oldest in India.
Layout of the Fort
Four different sections combine to form the fort or the palace. Each section has its own gate and courtyard. The first gate, which is also the main entrance, is called Suraj Pol or Sun Gate. The gate faces east, witnessing the sunrise every morning and hence the name. This gate leads to the first courtyard named Jalebi Chowk. When the place was still being ruled by the Rajputs, the soldiers used to assemble and celebrate their victory in this very courtyard. This was a visual treat and was often viewed by women through windows. Since the royal dignitaries used to enter through the Sun Gate, the place was heavily guarded. The front courtyard of the fort complex is adorned with the splendid, pillared hall of the Diwan-i-Am, and the two-tiered painted gateway, Ganesh Pol. The entrance of the Amber fort is through the Dil-e-Aaram Garden, which is laid out in the traditional Mughal style. An impressive flight of stairs leads to the Diwan-e-Am (hall of public audience) which has latticed galleries and double row of columns, each having a capital in the shape of elephants on the top. This hall is laid on the second courtyard. To the right are steps that lead to a small temple of Goddess Sila Devi. The temple has massive doors made of silver.
There are two magnificent buildings laid out in the third courtyard. The buildings are situated opposite to each other. On the left, the beautiful Jai Mandir, which is also called Sheesh Mahal (palace of mirrors) is situated. As the name suggests, Jai Mandir was used to celebrate victories. Other celebrations too, were held in this building. The building opposite to Jai Mandir is called Sukh Mahal (Hall of Pleasure). This place was used by the royal family whenever they felt like they had to rest or spend some quality time alone. Towards the southern region of this courtyard, lies the famous palace built by Raja Man Singh I. This is the oldest structure in the entire fort as it stands today. The exit route from this palace leads directly to the town of Amer. The fourth courtyard is rather an interesting one. The royal women including the mistresses lived in this part of the palace. They were collectively known as the Zenana. Even the queens and queen mother lived in this part. This part of the palace was extremely secluded as the kings used to visit the queens or their mistresses without getting noticed by anyone.
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