India Guide
Rajasthan
Amber
Address: 11km north of Jaipur
Price: Rs100, video Rs200, palace tours around Rs200
Opening time: Daily 8am–6pm
The Rajput stronghold of AMBER (or Amer) was the capital of the leading Kachchwaha Rajput clan from 1037 until 1727, when Jai Singh established his new city at Jaipur. Though Amber's palace buildings are less impressive than those at Jaipur, the natural setting, perched high on a narrow rocky ridge and fortified by natural hills, high ramparts and a succession of gates along a cobbled road, is unforgettably dramatic.
At the entrance to the palace complex, in the large Jaleb Chowk courtyard beyond Suraj Pole (Sun Gate), you'll find the ticket office and assorted official guides. To the left, the Shri Sila Devi temple – dedicated to Sila, an aspect of Kali – holds a revered statue of Sila Devi, framed by an unusual arch formed from stylized carvings of banana leaves.
Alongside, steep steps lead up to Singh Pole (Lion Gate), the entrance to the main palace. The architectural style is distinctly Rajput, though it's clear that Mughal ideas also crept into the design. Pass through to reach the first of three courtyards, on the far side of which the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), constructed in 1639, is an open-sided pavilion similar to contemporary Mughal audience halls in Delhi and Agra.
Diagonally opposite, the exquisitely painted Ganesh Pole leads into a second courtyard, its right-hand side filled with a miniature fountain-studded garden, behind which lies the Sukh Mahal. The marble rooms here were cooled by water channelled through small conduits carved into the walls, an early system of air-conditioning.
On the opposite side of the courtyard, the dazzling Sheesh Mahal houses what were the private chambers of the maharaja and his queen, its walls and ceilings decorated with intricate mosaics fashioned out of shards of mirror and coloured glass.
Regular public buses to Amber leave from outside Jaipur's Hawa Mahal (every 5–10min; 20–30min), stopping on the main road fifteen minutes' walk below the palace. Arrive early in the day if you want to avoid the big coach parties.