The Agra Fort is a proper example in this regard. Built by the Mogul Emperor Akbar in the 16^th century as a military strategic point, the fort served as the seat of the government and the royal residence of the Mogul Dynasty.

It is said that over 4000 people have been working hard for almost 8 years, in order to complete the construction of this massive fort. Built in a semicircular shape and covering an area of about 2.5 kilometers, the Agra Fort is surrounded by double battlement massive walls.

The red sandstone walls of the fort hide Shah Jahan’s sad story. According to the legend the founder of the Taj Mahal died in one of the towers of this fort, while he was looking at his masterpiece. Shan Jahan was imprisoned in the Agra Fort by his son and because the fort was situated opposite the Taj Mahal, on the other bank of the Yamuna River, he had the privilege of admiring his masterpiece every day.

Nowadays, the Agra Fort shelters a few impressive palaces, mosques, halls and gardens made of red sandstone and white marble. The entire fort hides secret subterranean chambers, which are interconnected.

Exploring the lovely Agra Fort will definitely be an interesting experience. You don’t have to take my words for granted, but you can look at the following pictures.

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In case you plan a trip to this place, you should take into account a few useful tips:

1.First of all it’s important to know that you have a few options you may choose from, when it comes to the way you can get to the Amber Fort. The fort is situated at a 20-minute drive from Jaipur. In case you travel on your own and you don’t have an agency to take care of your transport, you can use the public transport, a rented car or a taxi.

Even though it is the cheapest option, I don’t recommend the public transport because their buses are really crowded and dirty. In case you decide to rent a car, you should take into account the chaotic traffic in Jaipur and the fact that there are few parking spaces in the area. The best options to get to the fort and enjoy your visit there are to choose an organized tour or to rent a car, but with a driver at your disposal.

2.After reaching the parking area, you should know that you have three options to get to the fort. You can choose an elephant ride around the ruins of the fabulous Amber Fort, you can go by jeep or you can simply walk. If you choose the four-wheel drive you should know that there is a jeep that comes every 60 minutes and if you choose to walk you should know that it will take you about a half an hour to get to the fort.

An important and also disappointing aspect is the fact that travel agencies promote these elephant rides because they are more profitable. This is why they will give you the impression that these rides are the only option you have to get to the fort.

3.I advise you to inform yourself about the places you are going to visit inside the complex, especially if you don’t have a guide at your disposal. There are a lot of interesting places inside the Amber Fort and reading about them will help you decide upon the most beautiful and interesting ones.

4.If you can, you should spend an entire day inside the Amber Fort. Unfortunately, I spend only the first half of the day there and I couldn’t enjoy the evening activities. You should know that in the evening, you can admire the image of the lighted fort from the bottom of the hill or you can enjoy a classical dance program which takes place in Sukh Mahal. You have to pay a fee if you want to watch this show. The icing on the cake is the fact that after dark, you will have the opportunity to watch a gorgeous light show.

5.Bring water with you because the temperature is pretty high inside the temples. Don’t worry in case you run out of water because there is a restaurant inside the complex, called Surabhi, where you can have a meal or a drink. During dinner you can enjoy puppet shows and traditional songs inside this restaurant.

All things considered, there is one more thing left to do. Plan your trip and enjoy it to the fullest!

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The entire area is simply gorgeous and gives you the feeling that you are in the middle of a fairytale setting. Situated 11 kilometers away from Jaipur, in Amer, a part of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, the Amber Fort or the Amer Fort is considered the main tourist attraction in the area.

The Amber Fort was built in the 16^th century, by Raja Shri Maan Singh Ji I, who was a brave general and also the chief army leader of the Mogul Emperor Akbar.

Made of red sandstone and white marble, the fort displays beautiful motifs from both the Hindu and the Muslim architectural style. Huge fortifications with large gates and courtyards, impressive ramparts, temples and palaces with gorgeous interior gardens are just a few of the places you can visit in the fort.

The entire complex is divided into four courtyards connected to each others. There are many places you can admire inside the complex, but in my opinion, you should definitely not miss the following ones:

The Jaleb Chowk is the main courtyard of the complex and the place where the emperor used to gather his armies. The courtyard is a huge open space where the armies used to hold their victory parades.

On the right side of the Jaleb Chowk there are a few stairs which lead to Shila Devi Temple, a place dedicated to Ganesha, a Hindu deity whose image is carved in a single piece of coral. The temple was also dedicated to goddess Shila, who was considered the incarnation of Kali, the goddess of death and time and the symbol of motherly-love. According to the legend this is the place where different sacrifices happened in order to help the army win its battles.

I really enjoyed visiting the Jaleb Chowk which seems to be the meeting point for a lot of tourists who are eager to start their journey in Amber Fort. Even though the celebrations are long gone, the walls of the courtyard are silent witnesses of the events that used to go on here.

If you follow the main stairway you will reach the second courtyard. Here you can spend a few moments of relaxation in the Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audience, which was the place where the emperor used to listen to his subjects’ complains. Built on two rows of pillars and embellished with double rows of columns and latticed galleries, this large hall seems to have a more intimate vibe.

Considered the most exquisite part of the Amber Fort, the third courtyard shelters the emperor’s private quarters. This is the place where tourists can find out interesting details about the private life of the royal family.  The access to this courtyard is made through the Ganesh Pol, a gate embellished with arches and mosaics.

Here, you can visit the Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience, which was the place where the emperor used to meet his officials and friends.

Even though this hall stands out because of its stunning mosaic glass work, the icing on the cake is the next building, called the Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors. The ceiling and the walls of the Sheesh Mahal are covered in tiny mirrors embellished with floral paintings.

According to the legend, the emperor ordered the construction of this palace for one of his empresses who loved admiring the stars, but who was not allowed to sleep outside, due to religious beliefs. It is said that if two candles were lit in this palace, their reflection in the mirrors looked like thousands of stars in the sky. Its interesting and unique appearance made the Palace of Mirrors the perfect setting for a few movies and videos.

Opposite this palace, you will discover the Sukh Niwas (Sukh Mahal) or the Hall of Pleasure. This place was used by the emperor, his empresses and his mistresses as a resting place.  An ancient method was used to keep this hall cool. A small canal filled with cold water was passing through the hall in order to form air vapors, with the purpose of cooling the air.

The fourth courtyard of the fort could be described as an interesting one. The royal women and the mistresses used to live in this part of the palace. They were known as the Zenana. Even the empresses and the empress mother lived here. This part of the palace was very secluded and the emperor could visit his empresses and mistresses without being seen by anyone.

Besides these four lovely courtyards, there is another part of the Amber Fort which deserves your attention. I am talking about the Mogul Garden or Kesar Kyari, a place situated in the middle of Maota Lake. The star-shaped flower beds of the garden can be admired from the top of the fort. These flower beds were once planted with saffron, but today because of the climate changes, this plant doesn’t grow here anymore.

Visiting the interesting ruins of the Amber Fort was one of the most interesting experiences that I have lived in India. All things considered, in case you ever get to the city of Jaipur, you should definitely add the Amber Fort to your trip list.

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