Jaigarh Fort
This is the fort above the Amer fort. It’s home to the Jaivana cannon, which in 1720 was the largest cannon ever built. It was fired once, as a test, with the Moghal emperor in attendance. There’s a local legend that the cannonball created a lake some 30km away.
Ranthambore, pt 3
Ranthambore, pt. 2
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, part 1
Protected: Ranthambore – family
Galta Ji Temple (Monkey Temple)
Actually a series of temples, nestled in a canyon.
Jantar Mantar
Maharaja Jai Singh II (1699-1743) was an avid astrologer. He built the world’s largest sundial (accurate to within three seconds) and several other astrometric devices in his courtyard in Jaipur, plus three smaller copies in other cities.
There are smaller sundials aligned with particular constellations (you’ll notice azimuth and elevation angle written on the paintings)- the use of these was not clear to me, but I was intrigued by the paintings of the astrological signs : some familiar, some not.
Amer Palace
Amer was the home of the rajas that founded Jaipur. On this day we visited the fortified palace; the hill forts above would be visited later.
On the way back to Jaipur I also got a photo of the Water Palace, and, within Jaipur, the back of the Wind Palace.
