Friends, I continue to share the sights of Jaipur, India, sometimes referred to as the "Pink City" due to its vibrant building facades. Today, we’ll travel 12 kilometers from downtown Jaipur to explore Amber Fort—a palace complex within a vast defensive structure.
A Bit of History
Construction of Amber Fort began in 1592 under Maharaja Man Singh, a contemporary and ally of Akbar, a ruler of the Mughal dynasty. Amber served as the residence of the Maharajas of Rajasthan. Interestingly, Jaipur was founded only in 1727, 135 years after the start of Amber Fort's construction.
Various sources refer to this site as a fort, palace, citadel, fortress, or castle. The name Amber (Amer) means "high," aptly describing its location atop a large hill, accessible via several roads.
We entered the complex through the Elephant Gate. The territory of Amber Fort consists of a series of interconnected structures, including a temple, halls for public and private audiences, a bathing complex, and various residential and palace buildings, although not all are open to tourists. All structures are linked by a system of passages and open courtyards.
At the end of our walk, we reached a long road flanked by tall walls. According to maps, this road leads to another defensive structure, Jaigarh Fort, but we decided to head back to the city instead.
Amber Fort: How to Get There
We took a taxi from Hawa Mahal Palace in northern Jaipur. Uber operates in the city, and the fare in summer 2024 was 206 Indian Rupees one way.
We arrived at the foot of the fort, where we could either walk up or take a jeep. We opted to walk. Guidebooks mention that tourists can ride elephants to the entrance, but that option wasn’t offered to us.
The entrance fee for the fort is 502 Rupees. A combined ticket for 1,100 Rupees might include access to other Jaipur attractions, but I didn't inquire further as I planned a short visit.
On our return, we chose not to go all the way back to Jaipur, stopping instead to see Jal Mahal. This stunning palace is located on an island in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. I will cover this attraction in one of my next articles.
Have a nice trip!
