Amber Fort

Day 2 of our trip was supposed to be Amber Fort, City Palace and Hawa Mahal, but we got so mesmerized by Amber Fort, that that’s about all we did on that day

Amber Fort first grabs your awe by sheer size. As you approach you see this fort wall that seems to go on forever and ever, across several mountains, it’s apparently 16 kms long, and absolutely intact. And in the front is lake Maota, adding a beautiful picture card landscape to the fort…… . 

And the approach is through this quaint village with hand pumps and colorfully clad women, not to speak of the endless number of temples.

Picture Perfect

Into the village, and I was so drawn to this one temple that I wanted to stop, and go in. Our guide was like, 'if you stop to see temples, we’re in trouble as there are 364 temples in the area'. But this temple I just wanted to see, and said it would be my only temple stop, and as we go in, I was so blown when I hear him say that it is a  Meerabai and Krishna temple. 

Well, blown, because Meerabai holds a very special place in my heart and it goes back a long long way, like right from school, when I read about her in the amar chitra katha comic. She’s at one time the most esoteric, mysterious and sensual characterization I’ve known, Let's suffice it to say that while I don’t know what created that connect way back then, today I’d say she epitomizes the idea of finding and experiencing all that one wants, right within oneself. Love the idea and loved being in that temple. 

Exquisitely carved marble and standstone temple of Meerabai and Krishna

Entrance into the temple, and we were the only ones there, us and Meerabai

Now the Amber Fort itself; its actually a palace, an opulent and beautiful palace, with large ramparts, diwan-e-khas, diwan-e-aam, extensive gardens, sheesh mahal, intricate meenakari work, beautiful carvings, great architecture..... and I’ll let the pictures say the rest:

The frontal view of the palace

The gardens extending into the lake which were used for colder climate
gardening to offset the desert heat of Rajasthan
For those who've seen Jodha Akbar, the song Jashn e Bahaaraa  was shot here

The inlay work which still retains its beautiful colours

Intricate meenakari work on the wall

Entrance to Sheesh Mahal
Brought to life in Mughal E Azam's Pyaar Kiya tho Darna Kya

An inner courtyard. And yet again, the scene of the brilliant
and most sensuous sword fight sequence in Jodha Akbar

And this brings to an end my reminiscence of the trip !