"Amber (Amer)" Amer by MM212

Founded by the Kachhawaha dynasty in the 11th century, Amber (sometimes referred to as Amer) remained as the base and capital city of the maharajas until the 18th century. They ruled the surrounding area from Amber as they fought competing clans in neighbouring fiefdoms. In the 16th century, an alliance forged with the Mughal Empire brought great wealth and security to Amber and its rulers. They deployed this new found wealth in the construction of extravagant temples and the splendid Amber Fort Palace, their residence and seat of the government. Amber's golden age, however, only lasted until the 18th century when insufficient water resources and an increasing population necessitated the relocation of the capital. Thus in 1727, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II commissioned the construction of a new purposefully built city he named Jaipur, a short distance further south. Thereafter, Amber declined in importance, but its Palace Fort continued to be maintained for the periodic visits by the maharajas to the important family temple, Shila Devi.

Amber makes a great day trip from Jaipur and is a crucial one for a more complete understanding of Jaipur's history.

16-day India itinerary in Feb/Mar 2009:

Mumbai - Elephanta Island; Aurangabad - Daulatabad - Ellora - Khuldabad - Ajanta; New Delhi; Jaipur - Amber - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - Sikandra; New Delhi - Delhi