Location: Jaipur District Map
Construction: 1592 by Man Singh I of Amber
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The Amber Fort
is a fortress located in Amer, a city 11 km. from Jaipur in the state of
Rajasthan in India. Situated on a hill, it is the major tourist
attraction of the Jaipur area. The city of Amer was built by the Meena
tribe, and later ruled by Raja Man Singh I (December 21, 1550 – July 6,
1614).
The fort is known for its artistic Hindu style elements.
With its large walls and series of gates and cobblestone paths, it
overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main water supply of the Amber
Palace.
Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the attractive
and opulent palace is spread over four levels, each with a courtyard.
These are the Diwan-i-Aam or "Public Audience Hall", the Diwan-i-Khas or
"Private Audience Hall", the Sheesh Mahal (palace of mirrors) or Jai
Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where it is artificially created a
comfortable climate produced by the winds that blow over a waterfall
inside the palace. It is also popularly known as Amber Palace. It was
the residence of the Rajput Maharajas and their families. At the
entrance to the palace, near the Ganesh gate, is a temple dedicated to
Sila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult, which was given to Raja Man
Singh, when he defeated the Raja of Jessore, Bengal in 1604 (Jessore is
now in Bangladesh).
This palace, along with Jaigarh fort, is
located above Cheel ka Teela (hill of the eagles) in the Aravalli range
of mountains. The Jaigarh Palace and Fort are considered to be a single
complex as they are connected by an underground passage. This passage
was considered an escape route, in time of war, to allow members of the
royal family and other inhabitants of the Amber fort to move towards the
safer Jaigarh fort.
The Superintendence of the Department of
Archeology and Museums reported that the palace is visited by 5,000
people a day, with 1.4 million visitors in all of 2007.
During
the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia, in 2013, Amber Fort, along with five other forts in Rajasthan,
was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the group of hill
forts of the Rajasthan.
Amber Palace is located on a wooded hilly promontory jutting out onto Maota Lake, near the city of Amer, about 11 km. from Jaipur city, capital of Rajasthan. The palace is close to the 11C National Highway to Delhi. A narrow street leads to the main gate, known as Suraj Pol (sun gate). The road is crossed by elephants carrying visitors.
Before the Kachwaha, Amer was a small place built by
the Meena tribe in the city they dedicated to Amba, the mother goddess,
whom they called Gatta Rani or queen of the pass. The fort is believed
to have been first built by Raja Man Singh in 967. In its present
structure, it was built on the remains of this earlier structure during
the reign of Raja Man Singh, the Kachwaha King of Amber. The structure
was greatly enlarged by his successor Jai Singh I. Even later, Amber
fort underwent improvements and additions by successive rulers over the
next 150 years, until the Kachwaha shifted the capital to Jaipur during
the reign of Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1727.
According to Tod it was
formerly known as Khogong. King Meena, Raja Ralun Singh also known as
Alan Singh Chanda of Khogong, kind-hearted, adopted a Rajput mother,
with her child, who had taken refuge in his kingdom. Later, King Meena
sent the boy, Dhola Rae, to Delhi to represent the Meena kingdom. The
Rajput, as a sign of ingratitude for these favours, returned with Rajput
conspirators and slaughtered the unarmed Meena on Diwali while he was
praying to Pitra Trapan, as it was the custom among the Meenas to go
unarmed to pray. So he conquered Khogong. This action by the Kachwaha
Rajput has been called as the vilest and most shameful in the history of
Rajasthan.
The first Rajput structure was started by Raja Kakil
Dev, when Amber became his capital in 1036, on the site of the present
Jaigarh fort. Most of Amber's present buildings were constructed or
extended during the reign of Raja Man Singh I in the 1600s. Notable
buildings by him include the Diwan-i-Khas in Amber Palace and the
elaborately decorated Ganesh Poll built by Mirza Raja Jai Singh I.
The current Amber palace was built in the late 16th century as a
larger palace than the existing one. The old palace, known as Kadimi
Mahal is known to be the oldest surviving palace in all of India. This
ancient palace is located in the valley behind the Amber Palace.
During the medieval period Amer was known as Dhundar (meaning a
sacrificial mount in the western frontiers) and ruled by the Kachwaha
from the 11th century onwards – between 1037 and 1727, until the capital
was moved to Jaipur. The history of Amer is indelibly linked to these
rulers as they founded their empire here.
Many of the old
structures from the medieval Meena period have been destroyed or
replaced. However, the impressive 16th century palace and the palace
complex built within it by the Rajput Maharaja are very well preserved.
The palace is divided into four main sections each
with its own entrance gate and courtyard. The main entrance is through
the Suraj Pole (sun gate) which leads to the Jalebi Chowk, the first
main courtyard. This was where armies held their victory parades as they
returned from battles, also watched by the ladies of the royal family
through the latticed windows. This door was guarded by an armed service
as the main entrance door to the building. It faces east and is struck
by the first rays of the sun, hence the name "gate of the sun". Mounted
royalty and their dignitaries entered through this gate.
Jaleb
Chowk is an Arabic word which means place for soldiers' assemblies. This
is one of the four courtyards of the palace, built during the reign of
Sawai Jai Singh (1693–1743). The Maharaja's bodyguard held parades in
this courtyard under the command of the Fauj Bakshi. Maharajas used to
routinely inspect their gatehouse. Adjacent to the courtyard were the
stables, and upstairs the quarters of the guards.
First courtyard
A grand staircase leads to the Jalebi Chowk the main garden of the
palace. Here, to the right of the steps is the Sila Devi temple where
the Rajput Maharaja used to sacrifice a buffalo, starting with Maharaja
Mansingh in the 16th century until 1980 when the animal sacrifice ritual
was discontinued.
The Ganesh Pol, or Ganesh Gate, named after the
Hindu god Ganesh who removes all obstacles in life, is the entrance to
the private palace of the Maharaja. It is a three storey structure, with
several frescoes, which was built by Mirza Raja Jai Singh (1621–1627).
Above this door is the Suhag Mandir from where the ladies of the royal
family watched, through grated windows, the functions that took place in
the Diwan-i-Aam.
On the right side of Jalebi Chowk is a small but
elegant temple called Sila Devi temple (Sila Devi was the incarnation of
Kālī or Durgā). The entrance to the temple is through a double door
covered in silver with a high relief. The main deity within the sanctum
sanctum is flanked by two silver lions. The legend attributed to the
inclusion of this deity says that Maharaja Man Singh invoked blessings
from Goddess Kali for her victory in the battle against the Raja of
Jessore in Bengal. The goddess appeared to him in a dream and asked the
Raja to recover her image of her from the bottom of the sea, place it in
a temple and worship it. The Raja, after winning the battle of Bengal in
1604, recovered the idol from the sea and placed it in the temple
calling it Sila Devi as it was made from a single stone slab. At the
entrance to the temple, there is also a sculpture of Ganesha, made from
a single piece of coral.
Another version of the legend says that
Raja Man Singh, after defeating the Raja of Jessore, received a black
stone slab as a gift which is said to have a connection with the
Mahābhārata epic story in which Kamsa had killed the elder brothers of
the god Krishna on this same stone. With this boon, Man Singh returned
to the kingdom after defeating the Raja of Bengal and used this stone to
carve the image of Durgā Mahishasuramardini, who had killed the demon
king Mahishasura, and inscribed it in the temple of the fort as Sila
Devi. This goddess was thereafter worshiped as the patron deity of the
Rajput family of Jaipur. However, their family deity continued to be
Jamva Mata of Ramgarh.
Another practice associated with this
temple is the religious rite of animal sacrifice during the Navrathri
festival days (a nine-day festival celebrated twice a year). The
practice was to sacrifice a buffalo and even goats on the eighth day of
the festival in front of the temple, in the presence of the royal family
and a large number of devotees. This practice was banned in 1975, after
which the sacrifice was held within the palace grounds in Jaipur,
strictly as a private event with only immediate family members
attending. However, now the practice of animal sacrifice has been
completely banned on the temple premises and the offerings made to the
goddess are vegetarian only.
The second courtyard, up the stairs to the first level, houses the Diwan-i-Aam or public audience hall. Built with a double row of columns, the Diwan-i-Aam is a platform with 27 columns, each topped by an elephant-shaped capital, with galleries above it. As the name suggests, the Raja (King) held public audiences here to hear and receive petitions from his subjects.
The third courtyard was where the Maharaja's private
apartments were located. This courtyard is accessed through the Ganesh
Pol or Ganesh gate, which is embellished with mosaics and sculptures.
The courtyard has two buildings facing each other, separated by a garden
in the manner of Mughal gardens. The building to the left of the
entrance gate is called Jai Mandir, and is embellished with inlaid glass
panels in the multi-layered mirrored ceilings. The mirrors are convex in
shape and designed to shine brightly under candlelight when they were in
use. Also known as the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), the mosaics of
mirrors and colored glass were a "shimmering treasure chest in the
flickering candlelight". Sheesh Mahal was built by King Man Singh in the
16th century and completed in 1727. This was also the foundation year of
the state of Jaipur. However, most of this work was left to deteriorate
during the 1970-1980 period, but restoration and refurbishment has since
begun. The walls of the hall feature carved marble bas-reliefs, and the
hall offers a panorama of Lake Maota.
The other building in the
courtyard faces the Jai Mandir and is known as Sukh Niwas or Sukh Mahal
(hall of delights). This hall is entered through a sandalwood door with
marble inlays. Running water flows in an open channel that runs through
this building keeping it cool, like an air-conditioned environment. The
water from this canal flows into the garden.
Magic flower
A
particular attraction is the "magic flower", a marble panel carved at
the base of one of the pillars of the Palazzo degli mirrors, depicting
two hovering butterflies; the flower has seven unique designs, including
a fish tail, lotus leaf, hooded cobra, elephant trunk, lion's tail, corn
cob and scorpion, each of which is visible by hiding part of the panel
with hands.
South of this courtyard is the palace of Man Singh I
which is the oldest part of the Fort. Its construction took 25 years and
was completed in 1599 during the reign of Raja Man Singh I (1589–1614).
This is the main building of the complex. In the central courtyard of
the palace is the Baradari pavilion built entirely on pillars; frescoes
and colored tiles decorate the rooms on the ground and first floors.
This pavilion (which had walls for the privacy of those who lived there)
was used as a meeting place with the Maharanis (queens of the royal
family). All sides of this pavilion are connected to several small rooms
with open balconies. The exit from this palace leads to the city of
Amer, a heritage city with many temples, palatial houses and mosques.
Garden
The garden, located between the Jai Mandir to the east and
Sukh Niwas to the west, both built on high platforms in the third
courtyard, was built by Mirza Raja Jai Singh (1623-1668). It was modeled
on the lines of the Chahar Bagh or Mughal garden. It has a hexagonal
shape and is crossed by narrow marble channels which flank a star-shaped
pool with a fountain in the centre. The water flows, in cascades through
the channels, from the Sukh Niwas and also from the cascading channel
called "chini khana niches" which originates on the terrace of the Jai
Mandir.
Porta Tripolia or three gates. It gives access to the palace from the west and is open in three directions, one towards Jaleb Chowk, another towards Man Singh Palace and the third towards Zenana Deorhi towards the south.
The Lion Gate was once a military guarded gate; it leads to the private rooms of the palace and is called the lion's door to underline its strength. Built during the reign of Sawai Jai Singh (1699-1743), it is decorated with frescoes; its alignment is zig-zag, probably for security reasons against the attack of intruders.
The fourth courtyard is the one where the Zenana is
located where the women of the royal family lived, including concubines
or lovers. This courtyard has many salons where the queens resided and
which were visited by the king at his choice, without it being known
which queen was visiting, as all the chambers open onto a common
corridor.
The queen mother and the consort of the Raja lived in
this part of the palace (Zanani Deorhi), which also housed their maids.
The queen mothers were particularly interested in the temples of Amer.
The Jas Mandir is a private audience hall, with raised floral inlays
of glass and alabaster and is also located in this courtyard.
Amber or Amer got its name from the Ambikeshwar temple situated on a
hill called the nearby eagle mound. The name Ambikeshwar is of the
form of Lord Shiva who is located in this temple, that is, the God
of Ambika. According to some local people and legends, Durg got its
name from the synonym Amba of Mata Durga. Apart from this, it has
also been known as Ambavati, Amarpura, Amber, Amradadri and
Amargarh. According to historian Colonel James Tod, the Rajputs here
consider themselves descendants of Kush, the son of Ayodhyapati king
Ramchandra, from whom he got the name Kushwaha, which eventually
became Kachwaha. According to the inscription of 1858 AD, according
to the inscription of Mirza Raja Jai Singh Kaal, the Mirza king
Jaisingh at Amber, located in Amber, it has been described as the
capital of the region of Findar by the name of Ambavati. This
inscription is preserved in the Museum of Archeology and History
Department of the Government of Rajasthan.
Most of the people here associate its origin with the name of
Vishnubhakt devotee Ambarish, king of Ikshvaku dynasty in Ayodhya.
According to their belief, Ambareesh had opened the stores of his
kingdom to help the oppressed. Due to this, there was happiness and
peace in the state, but the state's stores became empty day by day.
Asked by his father Raja Nabhag, Ambarish replied that these godowns
belonged to the devotees of God and should always be open for them.
Ambareesh was then convicted on charges of acting against the
interests of the state, but when the details of the shortage in the
warehouses began to be taken, the employees were amazed to see how
the warehouses which were lying vacant were returned again night
after night. Were filled Ambareesh called it the grace of God which
was a result of his devotion. On this, his father became King
Natmastak. Then thanks to the grace of God, Ambarish chose this
place on the Aravalli hill for his devotion and worship. In the name
of his name, Ambarish became "Amber", due to its abrasion.
By the way, both Toad and Cunningham have considered its name
derived from the Shiva form called Ambikeswar. This Ambikeshwar
Shiva idol is located near a pool situated in the middle of the old
city. In the history of Rajputana, it was once named Amradadri
because of its many mango trees in ancient times. According to
Jagdish Singh Gehlot the records of Maharana Kumbha's time in the
history of Kachhwahs refer to Amer as Amradadri.
According to the description received in the legends, Amba Bhakta
Raja Kankil, son of Dulharaya Kachhwaha, who died after the death of
Raja in 1093 AD, referred to it as Amer.
Six forts of Rajasthan, Amber Fort, Chittor Fort, Gagron Fort,
Jaisalmer Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort and Ranthambore Fort, were listed as
UNESCO World Heritage Sites during the 37th session of the World
Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh in June 2013. Recognized as a
cultural heritage and an example of Rajput military architecture.
The city of Amer, which is an integral and inevitable entry point of
the Amber Fort, is today a city whose economy depends on the large
influx of tourists (4,000 to 5,000 per day during the tourist peak
season). This city is spread over an area of 4 km2 and has eighteen
temples, three Jain Mandirs and three mosques. It has been indicated by
the World Monuments Fund (WMF) as one of the 100 endangered sites in the
world; conservation funds are provided by the Roberts Willson Challenge
Grant. As of 2005, 87 elephants lived within the Fort, but many of them
were said to be malnourished.
US $8.88 million worth of
restoration work has been undertaken by the Amer Development and
Management Authority (ADMA). However, these renovations have been the
subject of intense debate and criticism with respect to their
suitability for maintaining and preserving the historicity and
architectural features of the ancient structures. Another issue that has
been raised is the marketing of the place.
A film crew shooting a
film at the Amber fort damaged a 500-year-old canopy, demolished the old
limestone roof of the Chand Mahal, made holes for fixing equipment which
caused large quantities of sand to enter the Jaleb Chowk , in utter
contempt and violation of the monuments, archaeological sites and
ancient relics of Rajasthan.
The Rajasthan High Court in Jaipur
intervened by halting the shooting of the film with the observation that
"unfortunately, not only the public but especially the (sic) authorities
concerned have become blind, deaf and dumb, dazzled by the glitter of
money. These historic protected monuments have become a source of
income."
On the exploitation of elephants
Several opinion
groups have raised concerns regarding elephant abuse and trafficking and
have highlighted what some consider the inhumane practice of riding
elephants up to the Amber palace compound. The PETA organization and the
central zoo authorities have looked into this serious problem. The
Haathi gaon (elephant village) is said to be in violation of
domesticated animal control, and a PETA team has found elephants
shackled with painful spikes, blind, sick, injured and forced to work,
and with their tusks and ears mutilated.