Jaigarh

Jaigarh Fort or 'The Fort Of Victory' was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1726, solely to serve the purpose of protecting the cities of Jaipur and Amber. Perched on an insipid rock strewn hill at a height of 400 feet above the Amber Fort, the military purpose of this fort seems to be appropriately fulfilled and guaranteed too by its mighty gateways and fortifying walls running to 3 km. Due to its strategic location and excellent architecture, it has always remained an unconquered fort.

Located on the Cheel ka Teela or the 'mountain of eagles' in Amber, which is approximately 13 km from Jaipur, it has several features that are unique only to this mighty fort. It is one of the few forts of Rajasthan that are devoid of any ornamental palaces. Within the fort you will find traces of medieval India in the form of planned water systems, granaries, temples, residential chambers and temples. It also once served as repository of war booty won by the Kachhwaha Rajputs.

One of the highlights of this fort, apart from its remarkable military-focused architecture and advantaged location, is its foundry, which was build by Bhagwan Das in the 16th century for the purpose of producing arms and cannons for the Mughal and the Rajput empires. The largest cannon of the world, Jaya Vana, was manufactured here, in the year 1720. It weighs 50 tonnes, has a 30 km range and uses 100 kg gunpowder to fire once.

With such unparalleled statistics, the cannon attracts many visitors to the fort museum. Apart from this huge cannon, there are other artifacts in the Vijay Garh Museum too including military metals like deadly swords, guns, cannon balls, shields, etc. as well as royal treasures and memorabilia that include exhibits like spittoons, photographs, etc.

An astonishing feature of the fort is its superbly planned effort to save wastage of rain water in the dry and arid kind of weather that dominates this part of the globe almost throughout the year. This rain water harvesting system consists of drainage channels and three large tanks, the largest one having a capacity of storing 22.8 million liters. It proved to be a boon for the city which was facing problems of severe water shortage.

For an amazing view of the ongoing happenings of the area and the cityscapes, you can visit the seven storied Diya Burj located in the fort. A meeting place for the warriors called the Shubhat Niwas is also located here. Apart from all these, you can also visit the royal places of worship, including the 10th century Sri Ram Hari Har Temple and the 12th century Kal Bhairava Temple.

Getting There & Away
From Jaipur, one can easily reach Jaigarh by tourist as well as private buses that run frequently between the two cities. From Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort is just at a distance of 1 km. Taxis and jeeps can be taken to go uphill.