Rajasthan
EASTERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
Sl EEP iNG & E AT iNG
Rajasthan
AROUND
J AiPUR
Jaigarh ̈ FORT
(indian/foreigner ₹35/85, camera/video ₹50/200,
car ₹50, Hindi/English guide ₹100/150; h9am-
5pm) A scrubby green hill – Cheel ka Teela
(Mound of Eagles) – rising above Amber, is
topped by the imposing fortress of Jaigarh.
This massive fort was planned by Jai Singh
I, but what you see today dates from the
reign of Jai Singh II. Punctuated by whim-
sically hatted lookout towers, the fort was
never captured and is a splendid example
of grand 18th-century defences without the
palatial frills that are found in many other
Rajput forts. It has water reservoirs, residen-
tial areas, a puppet theatre and the world’s
largest wheeled cannon, Jaya Vana.
The fort is a steep uphill walk (about
1km) beyond Amber Fort (up to the left as
you face Amber Fort from the main road)
and offers great views from the Diwa Burj
watchtower.
Admission is free if you have a ticket to
Jaipur’s City Palace that is less than two
days’ old.
Anokhi ̈Museum ̈of ̈Hand ̈Printing ̈MUSEUM
(Anokhi Haveli, Kheri Gate; child/adult ₹15/30, cam-
era/video ₹50/150; h10.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sat,
11am-4.30pm Sun, closed 1 May-15 Jul) Just below
Amber Fort, in the village of Amber, is this
interesting museum that documents the art
of hand-block printing and runs hands-on
demonstrations. Take the first left into the
village and keep walking until you see the
blue painted sign telling you to turn right,
then keep following that road until it ends
at Kheri Gate. The museum is just inside the
gate on your right.
4 ̈Sleeping ̈& ̈Eating
The decidedly untouristy village of Amber,
with its colourful food market and scatter-
ing of temples and palace ruins, makes a
low-key alternative to hectic Jaipur as a pos-
sible place to stay.
Close to Warahi Gate, the oldest surviv-
ing gateway in Amber, is Amber ̈Bhavan
(%9829066268; r ₹500-700), a simple but
friendly guesthouse with spacious rooms
and charming owners. From Amber Fort,
keep walking downhill along the main road
past the village and you’ll soon see it on your
right. Look out for two signs; one saying ‘A
Hostel for Students’ and another saying
‘Grambharati Samiti’.
For something more comfortable, try
the gorgeous French-run Mosaics ̈ Guest-
house (%2530031, 8875430000; http://www.mosaic-
sguesthouse.com; Siyaram Ki Doongri, Amber; s/d
incl breakfast ₹3200/3500; aiW), with four
lovely rooms and a roof terrace with beauti-
ful fort views. Meals cost a set-price ₹500. It’s
about 1km past the fort. Keep going along the
main road towards Kunda Village, then, just
before you reach the Delhi Hwy, turn sharp
right towards Narad Ka Bagh, then turn im-
mediately right to Siyaram Ki Doongri.8 Getting ̈There ̈& ̈Away
There are frequent buses to Amber from near
the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur (non-AC/AC ₹10/20,
15 minutes). They drop you opposite where you
start your climb up to the entrance of Amber
Fort. The elephant rides and jeeps start 100m
further down the hill from the bus drop-off.
An autorickshaw/taxi will cost at least
₹200/600 for the return trip. RTDC city tours
include Amber Fort.Sanganer
The large village of Sanganer, on the out-
skirts of Jaipur, near the airport, has a ru-
ined ̈palace, a group of Jain ̈temples withA ̈DAY ̈WITH ̈THE ̈ELEPHANTS
The hugely popular elephant rides up
to the entrance at Amber Fort are fine
for a quick bit of fun, but if you want
to spend some quality time with el-
ephants and their handlers, treat your-
self to an afternoon with Elefantastic
(%8094253150; http://www.elefantastic.in; 90
Chandra Mahal Colony, Delhi Rd, Amber;
‘day with the elephants’ afternoon package
per person ₹5100).
Set up by Rahul, a former elephant
rider, this new, well-run company looks
after around 24 elephants at their
stables, 2km northeast of Amber Fort.
Their ‘day with the elephants’ pack-
age gives you the opportunity to meet,
feed, ride, wash and even swim with
elephants. It’s a particularly incredible
experience for young children, who can
come along for a negligible price if they
are accompanied by paying adults.
The standard package is an after-
noon thing, and includes a late-
afternoon Rajasthani meal at a family
home. You can stay the night too, al-
lowing you to join in with the elephants’
early-morning routines.