Let's holiday!: Amer Fort

On the day we landed at Jaipur, we visited the Amer Fort located at Amer. Due to the Navaratri festival, Amer and the fort were crowded. Amer hosted stalls of sweet-meats and savories local to the place. People were walking all the way to the fort to visit the temple of Sila Devi; a lengthy queue awaited people. The parking area was overflowing with vehicles.

Amer Fort is spectacular. It sits like a crown on the hill. The fort has a stone ramp on which elephants can walk up to the fort, and enter through the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate). You can opt for elephant ride; costs Rs. 900 per person. You can also avail services of a guide; check at the ticket counter. We had a guide accompanying us from the airport. To know more about the history of the fort, read Amer Fort on Wiki.

From Suraj Pol, you enter the first courtyard - Jaleb Chowk. This is where the soldiers would assemble. There is an entrance to the main palace ground and to the Sila Devi temple. The Ganesh Pol is the gateway to the private palaces of the Maharajas.

The second courtyard is called Diwan-i-Am (Public Audience Hall). Here the Raja would hear and receive petitions from the public. The 27 colonnades have elephant shaped capital with galleries above it. You can see a fusion of Indian and Arabic style.

The third courtyard has private quarters of Maharaja and family. The entrance to this courtyard is through the Ganesh Pol. This is a beautiful gate; decorated with mosaics, paintings, and sculptures. The Mughal Gardens and Sheesh Mahal are the star attractions. The Sheesh Mahal has mosaics and colored glasses. The Sukh Mahal is famous for the marble inlay work and a piped water supply that keeps environment cool. They had a Jacuzzi!

The fourth courtyard was where the women from the royal family lived. There are several rooms in which the queens resided. The architecture is such that the queens could not find out at which room the king resided. Clever!

There is a light and sound show at evenings (7.00pm); please check the timings. The show is supposed to be good. At evenings, the fort is illuminated; would look awesome.

Also check out our hot air balloon safari at Jaipur!

Words of caution: Please get a government approved guide. If you are visiting the fort with kids, take extra care of them. Don't offer cash or kind to anyone. Beware of people who try to befriend you. Wear comfortable footwear; carry umbrella or wear a cap; carry bottle of mineral water. Use dustbins to dispose waste. Don't ever touch the artifacts!