Page 372 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

370  WESTERN INDIA

Exploring Amber (the Old Capital) saffron (kesar) flowers, while
Dilaram Bagh, built in 1568 as
Crowning the crest of a hill, Amber Fort offers a panoramic a resting place for Akbar on his
view of Maota Lake and the historic old town at the base of way to Ajmer, is a clever pun
the hill that was the early seat of the Amber kings before on the name of its architect,
they made the fort their capital. Several havelis, stepwells, Dilaram (“Heart’s Ease”). A small
Archaeological Museum is
and temples can be seen below the fort, pointing to the located nearby. The farthest
existence of a self-sufficient township, where the Mughal and oldest end of the fort was
emperor Akbar used to stop on his annual pilgrimage to converted into the zenana
Ajmer (see p380). (women’s quarters), with screens
and covered balconies for the
seclusion of the royal ladies in
purdah. Faint traces of frescoes
are still visible on the walls. In
the centre of the courtyard is
a pavilion with 12 pillars,
the Baradari.
The Township
The Chand Pol (“Moon Gate”),
directly opposite Suraj Pol, leads
to the old town outside the fort.
The beautiful Jagat Shiromani
Temple, with its remarkable
torana (gateway), is one of the
many temples that lies along
Sattais Katcheri, where the revenue records were written this route. It also has a water
tank, Panna Mian ka Kund. To
The Fort Complex Aam, the space for public the east lies Sagar, a popular
The main entrance to the audience. Near it is the picnic spot with two terraced
historic Amber Fort is through Sattais Katcheri, a lakes. The Jaipur–Delhi
the imposing Suraj Pol (“Sun colonnade of 27 (sattais) Highway cuts across
Gate”), so called because it pillars, where scribes the town, and Amber’s
faces the direction of the rising once sat to record main market and bus
sun, the Kachhawaha family revenue petitions. stand are located on
emblem. The gate leads into The magnificent this road. Further north
a huge courtyard, Jaleb Chowk, Ganesh Pol is the stands the Akbari
lined on three sides with souvenir gateway to three Mosque, built by
and refreshment shops. A flight pleasure palaces, each Marble carving of Emperor Akbar in
of steps leads to the Shila Devi with special features, a Hindu deity 1569, while towards
Temple, which has silver doors, built around a Mughal-style the east is Bharmal ki Chhatri,
silver oil lamps, grand pillars garden, Aram Bagh. Maota a walled enclosure containing a
carved to look like banana trees, Lake, which provided water to group of memorials. This was
and contains the Kachhawaha the fort, is surrounded by two the old cremation site for the
family deity, a stone (shila) exquisite gardens. The Kesar rulers of Amber until a new
image of the goddess Kali. The Kyari Bagh has star-shaped spot was chosen at Gaitor
next courtyard is the Diwan-i- flower beds once planted with (see p367), near Jaipur.

Kesar Kyari Bagh, named after the rare saffron flowers once planted in its star-shaped flower beds
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p699 and pp712–13

370-371_EW_India.indd 370 26/04/17 11:46 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm