|
 Situated at a distance of 11
kilometer near Jaipur, Amber dates back in history
more than the famous “Pink City”. The area
once was dominated by the "Meena" tribe till
middle of the 12th century but the Kachhwaha
Rajputs annexed it and then ruled it for more than
six hundred years. The history of Amber is in,
other words, the history of the Kachhawaha
dynasty. Nestled in Aravali hills the palace and
fort was built in 16th century by Raja Man Singh.
One of the rulers, Bharmall (A.D. 1573) recognized
the ascendancy of mughal emperor Akbar and had an
alliance with him. According to some historians
money poured in for rulers of Jaipur because they
fought and won many battles for the Mughuls.
Pleased by the feats Mughal emperor Akbar gave a
large share of booty to them. The liaison with
Mughals had its influence on the buildings too.
The forts and the palaces show a distinct blend of
Rajput and Mughal architecture.
The palace lies within the
ramparts of the fort. One can have an Elephant ride up
to jai Pol, the first gateway. Just ahead lies a
large courtyard. On entering the Singh pol, a
stair way on left leads to the Diwan-E-Aam, or
public audience hall with a double row of column,
each topped by a capital in the shape of an
elephant and latticed galleries. A little ahead is Sukniwas. A few steps to the right lead to a
beautiful temple of Shila Mata. The image is
carved out from one piece of stone. Above the
interior of the temple is the idol of Ganesha. The
gateway of the temple is decorated with mosaics
and sculptures, The Jai Mandir or hall of victory
have inlaid panels and glittering mirror ceiling.
Sukh Niwas or hall of pleasure, with a special air
cooling system is unique palace. A fine view of the
“Mawatha” lake can be enjoyed from the palace. Sheesh Mahal, Nat Mahal are other places of
interest.
Before you enter
the palace just towards the right is a sleep aisle
and a narrow staircase reaching up to Kali Temple
also called Shila Devi Temple famous for its
mysterious history and the huge silver lions. It
is a gorgeous temple featuring silver doors with
raised relief. According to a legend, Maharaja Man
Singh I had worshiped the Goddess for a victory
over the rulers of Bengal. The Goddess appeared in
the Maharaja's dream and ordered him to recover
her statue lying under sea near Jessore (now in
Bangladesh) and install it in a befitting Temple.
True enough, after subjugating the enemies the
Maharaja recovered the statute from the bed of the
sea. The temple is called after Shila Devi, "shila"
meaning stone slab. Like all temples this too has
an image of Ganesha on the doorway, but carved
from a single piece of coral.
Getting back from the
temple the main stairways lead to the second
courtyard of the fort. Here situated is the
imposing Diwan-I-Aam, the hall of public audiences
where the Maharaja received the populace and their
petitions. This is a pavilion of double row of
columns each capped by an elephant shape. There is
a lattice gallery also.
Behind the exquisite and fabulous Ganesh Pol, "pol"
meaning gate are located in the residential
apartments of the Maharaja. The Jai Mandir, the
Hall of Victory is famous for its inlaid panel and
dazzling mirror ceiling. Much of it had
deteriorated with neglect and is under
restoration.
On the other side is Sukh Niwas, the residence of
pleasure or pleasurable residence. The palace has
an ivory inlaid sandalwood door. A channeled laid
for flow of water is an inventive system of
cooling. The water flowing from the channel wasn't
wasted as it was allowed to
 flow
in the garden. From there you can also take
pleasure in viewing of the fort rampart and its
reflection in the Moata Lake.
The Zenana or the palace of the women are in the
forth courtyard. The rooms are though connected
through a common corridor are cleverly designed to
give each room privacy. |
