It was a family trip to Rajasthan in December 2010. Jaipur was our first halt. That afternoon; after a good lunch in the old Jaipur city, we were on the way to Amer.
Jaipur as a city consists of 3 townships – Amer, old Jaipur and new Jaipur City. Amer or Amber (pronounced as um – bur which means Sky) Fort was originally built by Raja Man Singh I in the 15th century. Amer was the capital of Kachhawa rulers who ruled the region from here until Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur.
Our guide explained to us the significance of the word ‘Sawai’ that’s prefixed to Jaipur rulers. It seems when the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah on a hunting spree in the forests of this region was surprised that every Lion had a pierced nose. When he came to know that the Raja of Jaipur had performed such a feat, he proclaimed the king as ‘Sawai’. From then on, all the kings of Jaipur have a ‘Sawai’ prefixed to their names.
As we reached the foothills of Amer, I realised that it’s not just a small fortress but spans across a whole hilly region. One can see the fort boundaries around the many hill peaks and troughs. Amer is a whole fortified township with a separate governing body. Amer has an Amer Development Authority, much like our BDA (Bangalore Development Authority).
As the car drove uphill, we could see many old dilapidated havelis. Our guide mentioned that some of them were in litigation and hence the bad upkeep. He was pretty excited about a couple of heritage dwellings that Vasundhara Raje and Lalit Modi had bought in this heritage zone. Since then there was hue and cry the places were returned to the government, he continued.
We entered the main palace through the entrance that Kings used after a successful battle.A small temple of Kali stands here locked – not for public view. A Ganesha Idol, carved on a single piece of coral, is placed atop the door. The goddess, it seems, is a very fiery one and claimed human sacrifice when she was first installed. Since then there has always been animal sacrifice here.
Pol means ‘gate’ in Rajasthani. The courtyard can be entered through Suraj Pol and Chand Pol. A small staircase leads us to the inner courtyard. As we enter, on the left is Diwan-e-Aam, a place where the King used to hold meetings with the people. Since the Rajasthan rulers had made peace with the Mughals, the Hindu and Mughal friendship reflects in the architecture of this period in Jaipur.
Within the palace is a much beautiful Diwan-e-Khaas, the Durbar hall where the Kings met his ministers.
The Diwan-e-Aam is pillared and much simpler in style and architecture compared to Diwan-e-Khaas which blew my breath away. Bejewelled with Belgian mirrors, the hall is a perfect example to tout Rajasthani craftsmanship. The design has been immortalised in the set created for the Madhubala’s famous song (‘Pyar kiya toh to Darna Kya’) in the movie Anarkali. Movies, thankfully, are not permitted in the area.
In front of the Diwan-e-Khaas is a small garden with fountains. The entire palace area is very beautiful. While from outside it looks strong and sturdy as any fortified area is, the inside reflects the famous Rajasthani craftsmanship and paintings. But what I was really surprised and awed was the civil engineering of those times.
Some excellent examples are in the seasonal chambers for the Queens’ chambers.
Winter: The insides of these rooms are designed with Belgian mirrors that are slightly convex. In winter when the lamps are lit, the glass gets heated and provides much warmth in the room.
Summer: Ducts carrying rainwater are very strategically placed just above the thin curtain that covers the room. As the water drops on the cloth, the draft through the huge windows cools the wet cloth and creates a natural air conditioning to the place.
Spring: Perfumes are strategically placed in inlets that bring in monsoon water. As the water flows over these perfumes, the room suddenly becomes fragrant. The water flows further down and drains into a central garden.
Bathing area: Separate inlets carry hot and cold water into a common room that has a pit, a kind of a bathtub. The waste water can is then channelled through another outlet.
In such a hot place, especially atop a hill, water has always been a precious resource. From the small hunting lodge like Sajjan garh to a huge palace at Amer, the engineers have harvested rain water very skilfully. A common pit is constructed in the palace courtyard where all the collected rain water is streamed into. In those days, battles went on for months. The pit served as an excellent well to pack water for the soldiers.
As we left, our guide mentioned that we could ride up to the fort on an elephant like how they used to come in the old times– something that my four year old would have appreciated more than all the history. We then settled for a camel ride near Jal Mahal as a reward for putting up with his parents and a hot relentless December sun. (It was anything but cold here when we visited. We missed the cold wave by a week I think).
Fact File
Where: Amer is 13 km from Jaipur city
How to go: You can hire a cab/taxi from Jaipur. Vehicles can go until the top. Alternatively there are elephant rides from the foothill to the palace.
What to do: I would recommend a guide to accompany you. Audio guides are also available. Guides fee for the Palace can be around Rs 100 to 150/-
