Travel: Jaipur-Amber or Amer Palace and Jal Mahal

Good day ppl !
Here is the fascinating tourist spot of Jaipur: The Amer Palace.
I have given tipsalertstrivia wherever necessary.

The Amber palace on the other side of the mountain. The guards used to use torches to signal from one fort to the other.
My most awaited spot Amber Fort finally arrived, but it was getting sundown time. So we had to rush. Thankfully the driver had arranged for a Proper guide, a history professor-Mr Tiwari.

Entry to the Amber Palace
 Its a massive fort-palace complex. This palace is named after the Goddess Amba and the town Amber. Coincedentally it is also amber/yellow coloured. Its massively built in Hindu-Muslim style with red sandstone and white marble.
Tip:
You can get an elephant ride up the palace but you need to arrive early in the morning, else by noon the elephants are over. We drove till the base of the fort. Little hike to the entrance. But pleasant. I was 5months pregnant and the day long roaming was catching up on me, but the beautiful fort made up for it.


The court where the king saw audience, comman man problems.

The entrance to the Palace, beautifully carved with marble and glass work.
The windows at top (forgot what the guide called it, something Vijay.. meaning victory. Where the queens used to shower the kings with flowers when they returned from wars)

The entire palace is known for its high walls which cannot be scaled, narrow passages which a single guard can guard, windows at the highest level.
While the exterior is forbidding, the interiors are lavish which will put our modern day 5-7star hotel to shame.

Dil-e-Aaram garden.In Mughul style.

Hot Jacuzzi for 4 people, in those times !
This must have brought the idea of Jacuzzi to its popularity. The guide showed us a room behind which had a huge fireplace which heated water, which was supplied by pipes to this tub. The tub had 4 seats, 1 for the king, 2 for whichever queen he wished to see and a masseur. The entire room was dimly lit by oil lamps in hidden recesses. The windows had khaas curtains which brought in sweet scented breezes. Perfect to Destress, What say ;)

Bathrooms could double up as Saunas  !
 Star attraction - Sheesh Mahal. Entire mahal made of glass pieces. It has been now cordoned off for public as miscreants were destroying it.
This palace is based on the forty pillars and the pillars are beautifully constructed and built with thousand pieces of mirrors.

This was pictured in Mughal-e-Azam

Bottom to top view. Pic courtesy- Our guide who knew the perfect spot and angle to get the entire view.
The King used to shift to this Mahal in winter. They say a small lamp used to be lighted, the mirrors reflected the light and made it warm inside.

Small corridors with stair like ridged ramps. They say the queens ghaghras or skirts used to be so heavy, they were moved around in wheelchair kind of chairs and to make that easy, these ramps were made.



The Wheelchairs for the queen

 

The window from where the queen viewed the king's darbar with the common man and showered the kings, army with flowers on return from war.

View of the darbar and mountains beyond.


Char Baugh garden is typically Mughal styled landscape garden within the palace

Sukh Niwas
 The Sukh Niwas or the Palace of Pleasure was sort of the king's Summer Palace. Its entrance doors are made of Sandalwood. The rooms had curtains made of  'khas' a perfumed type of grass. There is a pipe kind of facility on the roof, which carried water, keeping the palace cool & the Khas curtains wet.
Another Jacuzzi

This is in the Movie: Jodha Akbar.
 These are the chambers where the Queens resided and no Male expect the King was allowed in. The Queens had maids or eunuchs as servants, to keep the King & his lineage intact.

On top floor the Kings rooms, Ground floor was for the Queens
 The Chambers were so designed, that the King had access to each of the Queen's rooms but without the other Queens having knowledge who the King was with. Each room had an access from the Kings floor without anyone being none the wiser ;)



The walls were beautifully painted with Krishna Leela scenes
The walls had some erotic paintings in different unfathomable positions :|


The backdoor exit or Chand Pol. Loved the chandelier as usual

This is again in the Movie: Jodha Akbar where Jodha cooks for Akbar

Suraj Pol, the Sun gate
 Unfortunately it was closing time when we reached it.

Jaleb Chowk
There is a highly revered temple of goddess, Shila Devi here. They say the goddess idol was found at the bottom of the sea and recovered when the goddess came in the King's dream. This godess brought stability & prosperity to this region.

Jal Mahal. Sorry for the blurred pic

The Jal Mahal is a truly beautiful Water Palace in the Man Sagar Lake. Again there is a lot to see inside this. Read more here


Other locations in Jaipur:
Travel : Jaipur visit in 1 day
Travel: Jaipur- Albert Museum and Birla Temple
Travel: Jaipur- Hava Mahal and Jantar Mantar
Travel: Jaipur-City Palace and Jaigarh Fort/Jaivana Canon
Travel: Jaipur-Amber or Amer Palace and Jal Mahal
Travel: Jaipur-Bapu Bazar

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