Amer Fort 🇮🇳

Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort or Amer Palace, is a prominent hilltop fortress located in the town of Amer, Rajasthan, roughly 11 kilometers from Jaipur near National Highway 11C. Situated on a forested promontory of the Aravalli hills known as Cheel ka Teela, the fort overlooks Maota Lake, which serves as the principal water source for the complex. Etymologically linked either to the local Ambikeshwar Temple dedicated to Shiva or to the goddess Amba, the landmark is a major attraction in the region and was inscribed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.

Originally constructed under Raja Man Singh I in the late 16th century on territory previously controlled by Meena chiefs, the complex was expanded over the following 150 years by successive Kachwaha Rajput rulers until the capital was moved to Jaipur in 1727. Built from red sandstone and marble, the fort displays a synthesis of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles. A subterranean passage links Amer Fort to the higher Jaigarh Fort, providing a historic escape route during wartime.

The layout of the fort is arranged across four main courtyard levels. Visitors enter through the eastern Suraj Pol, or Sun Gate, which opens into Jaleb Chowk, a grand courtyard historically used for military parades and bodyguard inspections. Adjacent to this area is the Sila Devi Temple, housing a single-stone idol of Durga brought from Bengal by Raja Man Singh in 1604. An impressive stairway leads from Jaleb Chowk to the second courtyard, which contains the Diwan-i-Aam, a public audience hall featuring a raised platform supported by 27 colonnades with elephant-shaped capitals.

The third courtyard is accessed through the decorated three-level Ganesh Pol. Inside lie the royal family's private chambers, including the Jai Mandir, also known as the Sheesh Mahal or Mirror Palace, famous for its convex mirror mosaics, glass inlays, and a carved marble panel known as the magic flower. Opposite the Sheesh Mahal sits the Sukh Niwas, cooled by an internal piped water channel. Between these edifices is a sunken, hexagonal Mughal-style garden featuring a star-shaped pool and fountain, while the Jas Mandir private hall sits on the upper level.

The fourth courtyard comprises the Zenana, the private residences for the royal women, structured with individual rooms opening onto a shared corridor. This section encompasses the Palace of Man Singh I, the oldest portion of the fort completed in 1599, built around a central pillared pavilion. Today, visitors reach the fort's entrance gate via a narrow road using four-wheel-drive jeep transport.