Amber Fort
On the way from Delhi to Jaipur was our first experience of seeing camels and elephants replacing water buffalo as work animals. Of course we had to take a few photos of that!


Our first stop was at the Amber Fort, which was initially a palace complex. What a spectacular place! The complex which stands to this date was begun under the reign of Raja Man Singh, Commander in Chief of Akbar’s army in 1592. It was modified by successive rulers over the next 150 years. The fort still bears much of the beauty with which it was built. A huge wall that protected the city still stands along the ridge tops and is reminiscent of The Great Wall of China. The paint in the entranceways and halls is the original paint made with organic materials. The most magnificent sight of all is the hall of mirrors. When they needed lighting at night they would take a single candle, and because of all of the tiny intricate mirrors, the entire room would light up.

The central courtyard is filled with greenery, watered from the tank (artificial lake) that was created just outside the fort. Tanks are located near every fort and large temple in India. Not wanting to lose a single tourist dollar, elephant rides were also available.