Located 11 km north of Jaipur, the city of Amber has long been the capital of Rajasthan. "Amber Fort" was the royal seat of the Kachhawaha.  The fortress was built by Man Singh I in 1592. His successors transformed the fortress later on into a royal palace.

The Amber Fort is located on a hill, with steep ramps leading the way up. If you do not want to climb the hill, elephants can take you to the entrance of the palace.

You will enter the fortress through the "Suraj Pol" (Sun Gate) to reach the "Jaleb Chowk" square. This is where the entrance of the Palace is located.

The magnificent "Ganesh Pol" gate built in 1640, leads to the pleasure garden "Aram Bagh".

At "Sheesh Mahal" all walls are decorated with ornaments and small mirrors.

The yellow "Baradari Pavilion" stands in the courtyard of the "Man Singh Palace".

In front of the entrance to the Amber Fort, there are several beautiful gardens. The most famous is the Kesar Kyari Bagh, located in the middle of Maotha Lake.

Next to Amber Fort, there is a 16th century made stepwell, by the name of Panna Meena ka Kund. This kund (another name for stepwell) was once a popular get-together spot for locals and is a perfect place to visit the old city of Amer, Jaipur. (by Jatin Chhabra)

Panna Meena ka Kund