Jaipur - Amber Fort

The first stop on my sightseeing trip in Jaipur was the Amber Fort (also known as the Amer Fort) located about 11km north of Jaipur.

The fort was the citadel of the ruling Kachhawa Rajput clan (1600 - 1727) before the capital was shifted to present day Jaipur. The fort is actually a palace and is a great example of Rajput architecture blending both Hindu and Muslim elements. Its construction was started by Maharaja Man Singh I in 1592 and completed by his son Jai Singh I (note: the city name Jaipur literally means "city of Jai").

The name of the fort has nothing to do with the color of the stone used to build it -- instead the fort was named after the goddess Amba.

The fort houses Jai Mandir, a famous temple which has Sheesh Mahal, a beautiful hall of mirrors that are so artistically set that even a tiny ray of light gets reflected in the mirrors and illuminates the entire hall.

It's a bit of a hike up to the fort from the town, and the touristy thing to do is to ride an elephant to the top -- I passed on that and just took the car up to the fort.