Amer was the capital of the Kachwaha rulers for six centuries before Jai Singh II moved down to the plain in 1727. The fort-palace on the hill above Maota Lake was begun by Man Singh I in 1592 and enlarged by his successors; it is the single most visited place in Rajasthan, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
The town below the fort is older than the fort. It has the Jagat Shiromani temple, built in the early 1600s, the Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell, and the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing in a restored haveli. The road through it climbs to Jaigarh, the cannon fort above Amer, and on to Nahargarh along the ridge.
A visitor spends a morning at the fort and an hour in the town. The walk up from the lake is twenty minutes; jeeps run from the road; the elephant ride has been reduced in recent years. The light-and-sound show runs in the evening.
What is here
| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Amer Fort 1592 | On the hill | The fort-palace: Diwan-i-Aam, Sheesh Mahal, Sukh Niwas, the Ganesh Pol gate. |
| Maota Lake | Below the fort | The lake with the Kesar Kyari saffron garden; the view from the road. |
| Jagat Shiromani Temple 1599–1608 | Amer town | The Krishna temple built by Kanakwati, queen of Man Singh I; the Mirabai connection. |
| Panna Meena ka Kund 16th century | Amer town | The eight-storey stepwell with the crossed stairs; near the Anokhi museum. |
| Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing 2005 | Kheri Gate, Amer | Block printing shown in a restored haveli; demonstrations on site. |
| Jaigarh Fort 1726 | Above Amer | The cannon fort; Jaivana, the largest wheeled cannon, and the water tanks. |
| Amer town bazaar | Below the fort | Souvenirs, puppets, textiles along the road up. |
| Sagar Lake and the elephant village | Beyond the fort | Hathi Gaon, where the fort elephants are kept. |
Worth knowing
- Reach the fort by nine; the tour buses arrive from ten.
- The walk up from the Maota Lake car park takes twenty minutes and is the best way.
- Jaigarh is reached by a road from Amer; it is quieter than the main fort and has the cannon.
- The sound-and-light show is in Hindi and English on alternate slots; check times in winter.
Named houses on this page
Jaipur Blue Pottery Art Centre
Handcrafted blue pottery tiles, plates and vases · Amer Road
Rajasthan Small Scale Cottage Industry
Handicrafts, textiles and jewellery showroom · Amer Road
Anokhi
Hand block-printed clothing and home textiles · C-Scheme (shop); Amer (museum)
Shila Devi Temple
The Kachwaha family goddess inside Amer · Amer Fort, Jaleb Chowk
Jagat Shiromani Temple
Carved Krishna temple of 1599 with the Meera Bai image · Amer town
Khole Ke Hanuman Ji
The valley temple of Hanuman on the Delhi road · Laxman Dungri, Delhi road
Kanak Vrindavan
Royal garden in the Kanak valley · Amer road, below Nahargarh
Panna Meena ka Kund
Sixteenth-century stepwell of symmetrical stairs · Amer town
Gaitore ki Chhatriyan
Cenotaphs of the Jaipur maharajas · Nahargarh foothills, Amer road
Natwar Ji ka Kund
Old stepwell of Amer · Amer
Kanak Ghati gardens
Valley gardens below Nahargarh · Amer road
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