The current Amber Palace was created in the late 16th century, as a larger palace to the already existing home of the rulers. Among the chief building is the Diwan-E-Khas in Amber Palace of Rajasthan and the elaborately painted Ganesh Poll built by the Mirza Raja Jai Singh I. Much of Amber's current buildings were started or expanded during the reign of Raja Man Singh I in the 1600s. The first Rajput structure was started by Raja Kakil Dev when Amber became his capital in 1036 on the site of present-day Jaigarh Fort of Rajasthan. Even later, Amber Fort underwent improvements and additions by successive rulers over the next 150 years, until the Kachwahas shifted their capital to Jaipur during the time of Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1727.
The structure was fully expanded by his descendant, Jai Singh I. The Amber Fort, as it stands now, was erected over the remnants of this earlier structure during the reign of Raja Man Singh, the Kachwaha King of Amber. The town of Amber and the Amber Fort was built by Raja Alan Singh Chanda belonging to a sub clan of Meenas in 967 AD, later ruled by Kachwahas. It is now considered much more ethical for tourists to take jeep rides up to the fort, instead of riding the elephants.Ī view of the fort at Amer in Rajasthan a watercolor by William Simpson, c.1860 A narrow 4WD road leads up to the entrance gate, known as the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) of the fort. The palace is near National Highway 11C to Delhi. Geography Īmber Palace is situated on a forested hill promontory that juts into Maota Lake near the town of Amber, about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Jaipur city, the capital of Rajasthan. However, local folklore suggests that the fort derives its name from Amba, the Mother Goddess Durga. Ambikashwara is a local name for the god Shiva. Īmber, or Amer, derives its name from the Ambikeshwar Temple, built atop the Cheel ka Teela. At the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2013, Amber Fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Annual tourist visitation to the Amber Palace was reported by the Superintendent of the Department of Archaeology and Museums as 5000 visitors a day, with 1.4 million visitors during 2007. This passage was meant as an escape route in times of war to enable the royal family members and others in the Amer Fort to shift to the more redoubtable Jaigarh Fort. The palace and Jaigarh Fort are considered one complex, as the two are connected by a subterranean passage. This palace, along with Jaigarh Fort, is located immediately above on the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the same Aravalli range of hills. Raja Jai Singh had only one queen so he built one room equal to three old queen’s rooms. Each room had a staircase connected to the king’s room but the queens were not to go upstairs. Raja Man Singh had twelve queens so he made twelve rooms, one for each. At the entrance to the palace near the fort's Ganesh Gate, there is a temple dedicated to Shila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult, which was given to Raja Man Singh when he defeated the Raja of Jessore, Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) in 1604. The palace was the residence of the Rajput Maharajas and their families. After invading Meena kings, the fort was captured by Kachwaha (a clan of Rajput) kings. Hence, the Amber Fort is also popularly known as the Amber Palace. It consists of the Diwan-e-Aam, or "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-e-Khas, or "Hall of Private Audience", the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over a water cascade within the palace.
Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the attractive, opulent palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. Mughal architecture greatly influenced the architectural style of several buildings of the fort.
With its large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main source of water for the Amber Palace. Amber Fort is known for its artistic style elements. Located high on a hill, it is the principal tourist attraction in Jaipur. As meenas were devotees of Amba Mata, they named their fort after her as Amber Fort. Amber is a town with an area of 4 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi) located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.The town of Amber and the Amber Fort was built by Raja Alan Singh Chanda belonging to a sub clan of Meenas in 967 AD. Amber Fort or Amer Fort is a fort located in Amber, Rajasthan, India.