Trip to India & Nepal-Jaipur-Amber Fort Part 2

Beautiful carvings on the ceilings

The second courtyard, up the main stairway of the first level courtyard, houses the Diwan-i-Am or the Public Audience Hall. Built with double row of columns, the Diwan-i-Am is a raised platform with 27 colonnades, each of which is mounted with elephant shaped capital with galleries above it. As the name suggests, the Raja held audience here to hear and receive petitions from the public.

Michael collects locks so they were always of interest.

Beautiful doors everywhere.

The mosaics in this area were quite stunning.

You couldn't help but notice the similarities to the TaJ.
And similar marble carvings.

This must have been quite spectacular when lit by lanterns at night.

The Fort receives over 1.5 million visitors a year.

One of the biggest pots I have ever seen. And of course, some vendors in the yard.

A bangle maker demostrates in the courtyard.

And more beautiful doors.

A goat on the steps on the way down.

Local housing on the way down.

The steep path leading to the Fort.

A huge flock of birds flying overhead.

Women carrying fuel home from the hills.

A herd of camels on the way back to the hotel.

And the beautiful old abandoned palace in the lake. We saw elephants bathing here on our visit in 1994.

Trip to India & Nepal- Jaipur-Amber Fort

The elephant rides we missed.

We found a snake charmer with a cobra on the way up. I see fewer and fewer of them every year.

Now I actually see more of them in Nepal around holidays.

We finally arrive at the entrance to the Fort.

The other Fort further up the hill. We'll save that for next time.

And still more steps of course.

The courtyard where the elephants unload their passengers.

The entrance to the Palace.

An interesting lock.

Beautiful designs on the exterior of the Palace.

Trip to India & Nepal- Jaipur- Part 2

Our first stop in Jaipur was the shop where I have been purchasing the wonderful quilted scarves made from saris.

They had lots of other interesting things including this beautiful umbrella.

Since I knew this dealer in the past and knew the quality of his merchandise I had been ordering them sight unseen. But it was wonderful to be able to make my own choices which they packed up in a huge duffle bag.

The next day it was off to the Amber Fort a few miles out of town.

An even older fort higher on the hills.

The walls seemed to go on for miles

The walking approach up to the Fort.

And the pretty gardens .

The walls reminded me of the Great Wall.

My plan was to take the elephants to the top.

Somehow we missed that entrance and had to walk up.

"Surely it can't be much further".