In Brief : Jaigarh Fort
The Jaigarh Fort is a monumental bastion commissioned in 1726 AD by Sawai Jai Singh II. This almost unscathed fort, also known as the “Fort of Victory” is surrounded by huge castellation and is connected to the Amer Fort or Amber Fort, with subterranean transits. Intended to safeguard the Amer Fort and the palace within the complex, the Jaigarh Fort is architecturally similar to the Amer Fort. Situated on the promontory called the “Cheel ka Teela” or the Hill of Eagles, Jaigarh Fort is located at a height of 500 feet above sea level and offers a wide-ranging visibility of the city of Jaipur.
History of Jaigarh Fort
Amer, the city in which the forts of Jaigarh and Amber are located, was governed by the Kachawahas from the early 10th century. During the Mughal dynasty, the Jaigarh Fort became the empire’s main cannon foundry and was also used as storage refuge for munitions for combats. The Jaigarh fort was never conquered in battle and is proclaimed as the strongest of all forts in Jaipur. Under the Mughal regime, the fort endured an ambush by Aurangzeb who defeated and killed his own brother Dara Shikoh, the overseer of the cannon outpost in the fort. After a while, the fort was handed over to Jai Singh II who proudly forged the mighty “Jaivana Cannon”, the world’s largest cannon using the devices of the depository. Since the fort never encountered any major resistance afterwards, and the celebrated cannon only test-fired, once!
Architecture of Jaigarh Fort : What’s inside
Taking after the name of his highness Jai Singh II, the Jaigarh Fort was designed by a dexterous architect called Vidhyadhar. Built with hefty walls of red sandstone, spreading over a vast range of 3 KM in length and 1 KM in width, the fort is an exalted cue of the city’s prosperous past. The noteworthy structures built inside the Jaigarh Fort are:
Charbagh Garden
Jaigarh Fort has a square shaped garden, named “Charbagh” and is laid out in an area of 50 square meters. Divided in four quarters proportionately, each part of the garden has blossoming of different flowers. The garden is located in the courtyard of the fort.
Palaces
The palaces of the fort have spacious halls and court rooms. The gateway to the palaces is triple arched and is painted with red and yellow colors. The latticed windows inside the palaces add an extra zing to the look and feel of the fort architecture. You will find central watch tower installed on an uplifted platform. Another prominent element is the ‘Awani Darwaza” from wherea view of Sagar Lake can be cherished.
Armory
The armory chamber of yesteryears is displayed for the tourists with an extensive collection of weapons like swords, muskets, guns, and cannon balls. Paintings of Maharajas like Sawai Bhavani Singh and Major General Man Singh (one of the senior officers in Indian army) are furnished in the walls of the chamber.
Jaivana Cannon
One of the pivotal attractions of Jaigarh fort is the Jaivana cannon, the largest cannon on wheel famously developed in 1720 during the reign of Sawai Jai Singh II. The cannon was fired just once to test its range, when it was filled with gunpowder of 100kg and after shooting, the range was found to be around 35km. The length of the barrel is 6.15m and weight is 50 tons.
Summary : Jaigarh Fort In A Nutshell
Visiting Time – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Cost of Entry for Indians – INR 70 per head
Cost of Entry for Foreigner – INR 150 per head
Visit Duration: Minimum 1 hour to scout the entire fort complex
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