Jaigarh Fort

LOCATION:

Known as the 'Victory Fort', Jaigarh Fort is strategically located on a hill named 'Cheel ka Teela' or the 'Hill of Eagles'. It is situated at a close distance of 15 km from Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan and at a distance of just 1km from the famous Amber Fort of Rajasthan.

HISTORY:

The fort was built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1726 AD. The sole purpose of the gigantic forts of Jaigarh and Amber was to protect Jaipur and Amber. For this reason, more emphasis has been given to strong fortification rather than beautification of the fort.

ARCHITECTURE:

Jaigarh Fort is a remarkably built structure, at a height of 400 ft from the ground level. The fort is a true representation of medieval architecture of protective forts. The walls of the fort span to around three km, to protect the dwellers from attacking armies. A steep road takes you to the Dungar Gate, the main gate of the fort, offering an exclusive view of the city at the foothills.

The fort is most famous for Jai Ban, the largest cannon in the world, weighing 50 kg and having a barrel of 8m. Sawai Jai Singh, who built the fort, once test-fired it in 1720.The fort consists of several planned structures to give full facilities to the city, like the granary, cannons, harvesting systems, underground tanks, temples and palaces.

One can also find a museum within the fort, that preserves the armory, attires, coins, cannon balls, paintings, puppets and other such royal memoirs.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:

The largest canon of the world.

The well-planned granary, harvesting systems and underground tanks.

The museum that offers memories from the royal past, abundant with all kinds of armory.

Jaigarh Canon Foundry is another such attraction of the fort, with its medieval collection of furnaces and canons. It was constructed by Bhagwan Das in the 16th century.

NEARBY SIGHTSEEING:

Chandra Mahal:

Chandra Mahal or the City Palace still houses the royal family of Jaipur. A part of the palace is converted into a museum with a rich collection of royal paintings, costumes, armory, canons, decorative items, manuscripts, etc.

Hawa Mahal:

Hawa Mahal literally means the 'Palace of Winds', as the main purpose of the Rajput structure is not for residence but to have a beautiful windy view of the front courtyards. The five-storied pink palace has a multitude of tiny windows and openings, ornamented with carvings and jaalis, for the royal womenfolk to have a glimpse of the ongoing processions, without getting noticed.

Amber Fort:

Located around 11 km from Jaipur, close to Jaigarh Fort, Amber Fort is another example of military fortification. The fort is completely built in red sandstone and is a fine representation of Hindu and Mughal architecture styles. It was built by the Kachhwaha clan in Amber, ovelooking the Maota lake. Unlike the Jaigarh fort, the fort of Amber is quite beautified with its wall carvings, mirror and stone decorations and scenic arena.

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