Amer, India

Amer or Amber, is a city in Rajasthan state, India. It is now a part of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation.

For Fort in the city, see Amer Fort.

Amer
Town
Amer
Location within Rajasthan
Amer
Amer (India)
Coordinates: 26°59′N 75°52′E
CountryIndia
StateRajasthan
District(s)Jaipur
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)

The picturesque situation of Amer at the mouth of a rocky mountain gorge, in which nestles a lake, has attracted the admiration of travellers, including Victor Jacquemont and Reginald Heber.[1] It is seen to be a remarkable example for its combined Rajput-Mughal architecture. The Amer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the top tourist attraction in the Jaipur area.

History
Amer Fort
Amer Fort
Interior of one of the palaces in Amer Fort
The fort in 1985
Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell

The first structure was started by Raja Kakil Dev when Amer became his capital in 1036, on the site of present-day Jaigarh Fort. Around 1037 AD, Amer was conquered by the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs.[2]Much of the present structure known as Amer Fort is actually the palace built by Raja Man Singh who ruled from 1590 to 1614 AD. The palace contains several spectacular buildings, such as the Diwan-i-Khas, and the elaborately painted Ganesh Pole built by the renowned warlord Mirza Raja Jai Singh I (Man Singh I's grandson). The old and original fort of Amer, dating from earlier Rajas or the Mair or Maidh period, is what is known in the present day as Jaigarh Fort, which was actually the main defensive structure rather than the palace itself. The two structures are interconnected by a series of encompassing fortifications.

Amer was capital of the Kachwaha] until 1727 when the ruler of Amer, Sawai Jai Singh II founded a capital Jainagara (Jaipur), named after him, about nine kilometers south of Amer. After the founding of this new town, the royal palace and houses of prominent persons were shifted to Jaipur. The priests of Shila Devi temple, who were Bengali Brahmins, continued to live in the fort (to this date), while the Jaigarh fort above the palace also remained heavily garrisoned. The capital of Kachwaha was supplanted by the modern city of Jaipur, which is the capital of the Rajasthan state in India.

Controversy over renovation practices

Poor site management and development pressures have dramatically altered the historical integrity of Amer. The building that rings around the Jaleb Chwok courtyard "has been converted to a market place with shops selling showpieces and dresses. They have cafeterias, cyber cafés, etc.", according to the Times of India.[3] In the summer of 2009, the Rajasthan High Court launched a three-member panel charged with investigating the controversial renovations and determining to what extent the cultural heritage of the site was compromised.[4]

List of villages
  • Achrol
  • Akhepura
  • Bagawara
  • Bhavthari
  • Beelpur
  • Bhatto Ki Gali
  • Bhoorthal
  • Bichpadi
  • Bilonchi
  • Chandwali
  • Chatarpura
  • Chhaparadi
  • Chittanu Kalan
  • Chonp
  • Dalpura
  • Daulatapur
  • Devgudha
  • Dhand
  • Durga Ka Bas
  • Harduttapura
  • Jahotawara
  • Jairampura
  • JaiSinghpura
  • Jalsoo
  • Kant
  • Kanwarpura
  • Khannipur
  • Khora Beesal
  • Khora Meena
  • Khora Shyamdas
  • Kishanpura
  • Labana
  • Lakher
  • Maheshwaskalan
  • Manpura Macheri
  • Mundota
  • Nangal Suwasatan
  • Nangalpurohitan
  • Nangalsiras
  • pokhariyawala
  • Puhana
  • Radhakrishnapura
  • Raithal
  • Rampura Dabri
  • Roida
  • Rundal
  • Sewapura
  • Shubhrampura
  • Shyampura
  • Sirohi
  • Sirsali
  • Shyam Nagar ( Lakher)

Visitor attractions

Nahargarh Biological Park

This park is home to species whose numbers have declined over the years, such as the Indian leopard. The flora is representative of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.[5][6]

In media

Various scenes were produced for the 2011 British film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in and around Amer.[7][8]

See also

References
  1.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Amber". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 792.
  2. "Rajputana(amer)".
  3. Times of India (21 February 2009). "Barbarians at Work in Amer?". Times of India.
  4. The Times of India (5 May 2009). "Three-member Panel to Probe Amer Fort Restoration". The Times of India.
  5. "Nahargarh Fort of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India". Travel India. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  6. "Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  7. http://movie-locations.com/movies/b/Best-Exotic-Marigold-Hotel.php
  8. https://www.rajasthantourpackage.co/places-to-visit-from-the-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-films/

Further reading

Media related to Amber, India at Wikimedia Commons

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