Amber
Fort - The erstwhile capital of the Kachwahas,
Amber was
built by Raja Man Singh I, Akbar’s trusted courtier and
commander-in Chief of the Mughal army in 1592. For over a century, and
till Sawai Jai Singh decided to relocate his capital to Jaipur, the
palace complex continued to expand. Located 11 km from Jaipur with the
Maotha Lake in the foreground, the Amber Fort embodies elements of
Mughal and Rajput architecture.
Constructed initially as a palace complex atop a hill, it is connected
to the outer periphery of the complex through fortified routes. Red
sandstone and marble have been extensively used in its construction. The
lofty citadels of the Amber Fort enclose interiors that are ornamental
and captivating, with intricate carvings and detailed mirror work, like
the Sheesh Mahal and the Jai Mandir. The Sukh Niwas or the Hall of
Pleasure has a unique cooling system using a channel of water for
keeping the summer heat at bay. In fact, the fort has an integrated
water harvesting system that stored 60, 00,000 gallons of water in one
of its three tanks!
Within the Amber Fort is the Shila Devi or the Kali Temple in which
silver has been lavishly used in the making of its doors and the lion
statues guarding it.
