Amer Fort Jaipur: UNESCO World Heritage Hill Fort (and Jaigarh Fort)

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Amer Fort — also spelled Amber Fort — sits just north of Jaipur and is one of the hill forts of Rajasthan on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The video’s verdict is blunt: “Amer is a must-do on a Rajasthan itinerary.” We’d agree. Here’s how the day goes.

Getting there: jeep up from the market

The easiest plan, straight from the video: park at the Rajasthan Govt Market and take a jeep up to the fort for Rs 550. On the way up, stop at Panna Meena ka Kund —

— a stepwell that the video says served as the queen’s private pool. And “consider hiring a guide for Rs 400 along with the jeep” — money well spent at a place with this much layered history. The jeep takes you up the cobblestone path to the entrance.

A quick history of the fort

The video gives the capsule version: the fort was built after the Rajputs’ victory over the Meenas, and “the fort was expanded over the decades.” There’s plenty of fusion between Rajput and Mughal architecture throughout. Eventually the capital was moved from Amer to Jaipur — and Sawai Jai Singh II later built Jaigarh Fort on the hill overlooking Amer, which we’ll get to at the end.

Inside: courtyards, Diwan-i-Khaas, Sheesh Mahal

Have the guide get your tickets from the courtyard, then head in to see the splendor. First stop: the Diwan-i-Khaas.

From there it’s on to the main palace entrance and the Sheesh Mahal — the Hall of Mirrors — with its “carved Belgian mirrors.”

The mirror inlay work is astonishing up close — thousands of tiny pieces set into plaster, throwing light around even the dimmest rooms.

The gardens and Maota Lake below

Outside, the Man Singh Palace courtyard has a manicured charbagh-style garden worth a slow walk.

And from the palace’s colonnaded terraces you get the views of the lake below — Maota Lake, with the Kesar Kyari (saffron garden) laid out in its neat geometric beds at the foot of the hill.

Lunch at 1135 AD

For lunch there’s a fancy restaurant called 1135 AD, set inside the fort complex — the video says it’s often booked by VIPs and celebrities, and there are lots of options, traditional Rajasthani included.

The order suggestion from the video: “try the gatte ka saag and ker saangri.”

The evening sound and light show

Stay into the evening and get tickets to the sound and light show at the fort. There are English and Hindi versions available, and they narrate the history over the years as the fort walls are lit up in shifting colors.

Jaigarh Fort and the Jaivana cannon

Don’t skip the second half of the day: there’s a road going up to Jaigarh Fort, and you can drive all the way inside to the top. The marvelous Aravalli views alone justify it —

— and from this vantage point you can see Jal Mahal, Jaipur city, and Amer all in one sweep.

The Jaivana cannon on display at Jaigarh is the star exhibit up here — a massive old cannon under its shelter, a reminder that Jaigarh was the military stronghold watching over Amer.

Practical wrap-up: jeep for Rs 550 from the Rajasthan Govt Market, guide for Rs 400, tickets from the courtyard, lunch at 1135 AD, and the sound and light show in the evening if you can stay. Two forts, one lake, and a stepwell — it’s a full day, and worth every minute.

Kumbhalgarh Fort: UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Longest Wall After China

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Kumbhalgarh Fort, in the Mewar region of Rajasthan between Udaipur and Jodhpur, is one of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan on the UNESCO World Heritage list — and it’s renowned for one superlative in particular: it has the second-longest wall in the world, after China. We drove up from Udaipur to walk it, and it lives up to the billing.

The second-longest wall after China

The video’s caption puts it plainly: the fort is “renowned for having the second-largest wall.” Built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha (the video’s caption spells it “Rana Khumbh”), the wall snakes for miles across the Aravalli hills — crenellated bastions running through dense jungle, wide enough in places to imagine elephants crossing it.

Drone shots show the wall at its most dramatic — a long crenellated ribbon winding through the green hills for mile after mile.

The fort’s silhouette alone is striking: the pale Badal (Cloud) Palace crowning the highest hill, ringed by the dark line of the wall — “architecture reminiscent of Athens’ Acropolis and Dubrovnik’s wall,” per the video.

Getting there: the scenic drive from Udaipur

It’s a “scenic drive from Udaipur” that “takes approx 3 hrs, with most of it off the highway” — so plan for a full morning behind the wheel. Two practical warnings from the video: “the last mile can have traffic jams” — “on weekends and holidays.” Go early on a weekend, or pick a weekday.

Arrival: the main entrance

The main entrance is a massive stone gateway — twin round bastions flanking a tall arched gate — with cars and auto-rickshaws clustering in front of it. This is where the visit starts.

The climb: cobblestone ramp and the Ganesh temple

Inside, “there’s a cobblestone ramp all the way” — a long, steady uphill walk that other visitors were doing in crowds on our visit. Along the way, stop at the “impressive Ganesh temple at the base” before you commit to the climb.

Tip from the fort’s own site map: “for a short trip, stick to the corner with the palace.” The complex is huge — if you’re tight on time, head straight for the Badal Palace corner rather than trying to cover everything.

The top: 360-degree views

The payoff at the top is worth the climb: “spectacular 360 views from the top.” From the palace terrace you look out over the whole fortified ridge, the wall threading through the hills on both sides, with visitors spread across the courtyard below.

Wrapping up

Kumbhalgarh pairs well with a Udaipur trip — and if you need a meal afterward, “many resort options in town for a lunch stop.” (We tried Kavish — slow service, per the video’s own caption.) A UNESCO hill fort with the world’s second-longest wall, a 15th-century palace on top, and a proper workout of a climb: well worth the three-hour drive.

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