Here you can see the photograph of the Amber Palace courtyard and the Gate, two canons have been placed at the gate, as per the customary royal tradition! Some portion of the Aravalli Hills is also visible in the back-ground. With the sky also in the photograph -- a complete picture for you!
Apart from the well planned palaces the Maharajas did have the pragmatic thinking of facilitating interaction with the general public. They had well planned Tax-Collection centers. People used to gather at these centers, there was a roof above their heads and the structure had nice open space to ensure proper air circulation.
In the previous post you saw the larger view of the gate. This is a closer view brought exclusively to you via this blog. Here you can see the magical artistry in full bloom. The image of a deity can be seen at the top of the opening. Each flower and leaf has been carved and there are precious stones embedded into the slots. It's a tel tale story of Indian artistry!
The ground floor of the palaces houses the dwellings of the Maharana and his queens. The Maharana had nine queens and in order to maintain peace and harmony he got nine separate dwelling spaces, one for each of his queen. All the nine dwelling spaces of the queens were identical so ensuring there was no heart burning. We will take a look at these dwelling spaces from the terrace. We will take the stairs to go upstairs. All the photographs have been brought exclusively to you via this blog. Take a look at the photograph you can see a staircase opening into the terrace. Take a closer look at the side-walls.... the plaster is glittering which is an example of the excellent knowledge of the designers about the building materials and also the skill of the artisans. The shine on the plastered surface is remarkable.
Nahargarh fort is located at a height of approximately 700 feet, it is a 15 -17 kM drive from the city of jaipur. This fort is one of the must visit locations of not only Jaipur but also the whole of Rajasthan. If you are really interested in finding out about ancient India and its glory you must visit Rajasthan. The photograph posted below shows the inside of the palace, you can see there a fireplace, captured in the photograph. There are a number of racks on the walls. The painting on the walls and the sides of fireplace tells you about the love for art which was prevalent in that era. The colors used in the paintings are all natural organic colors. Even though there is some wear and tear still the walls and the pillars look beautiful!
Nahargarh Fort was built by Maharana Sawai Jai Singh II mainly in the year 1734. The fort is located on Aravalli Mountain range. This fort along with Jaigarh fort, built later, formed the formidable defense system for the city of Jaipur. This fort was built almost 100 years before the Jaigarh fort. The fort doesn't have the grandeur of Amber fort but is strong enough to match the strength of Jaigarh fort. The building materials used are comparatively primitive. The photograph posted below shows the courtyard of the palace, as you enter you will be somewhere around this location. The walls are made of bricks and lime. In those days there was no cement, people used lime and powdered bricks to make a paste to joint the bricks. Look at the geometry..... there hardly any flaw. Even after 300 years the building stands tall on the top of the Hills.
This photograph has been brought exclusively to you from Jaigarh Fort - Jaipur, Rajasthan, India! What you see here in the foreground is a huge pool which is a part of the rain-water collection system. The photograph was clicked just after rainy season, therefore, you can see some water in the pool. There is a layer of green weeds, floating on top of the water, this pool has a filtration system underneath which allows only filtered water to trickle down into the Large underground storage tanks built during the era of Maharajas. The 'rain water harvesting' may sound to be one of the modern day concepts but it is fascinating to see these systems were in use in India even 300 - 350 years ago.
The water storage tanks, below the collection area shown here, have a capacity to store enough water for a year for people who lived at the top of the Hill, in those times.
You can see the how the Fort look from outside. The roads from the city to the Forts are excellent you can reach there with 45 - 55 minutes from the city and enjoy the natural beauty of Rajasthan...
The Canon is the Largest Canon of the world, if we don't compare it with the modern day weaponry. It is capable of firing a cannon-ball weighing 50 kgs upto a distance of 5 - 7 Kilometers. It was manufactured at the Fort itself with all the casting and machining facilities put in place at the Hilltop. The canon was cast in 1720. The front wheel Dia. is 9 feet and the rear wheels are 4.5 feet in diameter. The length of the barrel is 20.2 feet and the total weight of the canon is 50 Metric Tons.
The Jaipgarh Fort is on the outskirts of Jaipur! This Fort is still the property of Maharana of Jaipur, moreover, it has got its own Flag which can be seen in the picture. The Govt of India has allowed the Maharana of Jaipur to display the Flag owned by the Dynasty! The fort is located on a hilltop at a height of 1500 meters. The view of the city of Jaipur, from the fort, is captivating......
An idol of Lord Krishna sculpted out of a single block of black stone almost 500 years old..... no signs of any wear and tear! Look at the door of the temple .... made of best quality wood encased in silver.The pillars on which the doors have been fitted are made of marble. The glitter of the idol is glorious!
