Jaigarh Fort is situated on the promontory called the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles) of the Aravalli range; it overlooks the Amer Fort and the Maota Lake, near Amer in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. The fort was built by Jai Singh II in 1726 to protect the Amer Fort and its palace complex and was named after him.
The fort, rugged and similar in structural design to the Amer Fort, is also known as Victory Fort. It has a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) along the north–south direction and a width of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi). The fort features a cannon named "Jaivana", which was manufactured in the fort precincts and was then the world's largest cannon on wheels. The palace complex (Laxmi Vilas, Lalit Mandir, Vilas Mandir and Aram Mandir) located ), an armoury and a museum. Jaigarh Fort has a rich history behind it. During the Mughal period, Jaigarh Fort, located 150 miles away from the capital, became one of the main cannon foundries due to abundance of arms and ammunition there. It was also a storage place for arms, ammunition and other important requirements of war. It was looked after by Dara Shikoh, but when he was defeated by Aurangzeb, the fort came under the rule of Jai Singh, who renovated and refurbished it. One interesting story goes with the history of the fort. According to folklore, the rulers buried a huge treasure in the soil of the Fort. However, the treasure was never recovered.
One can get a panoramic view of Jaipur from the fort, due to its location on top of a hill. Structurally, the fort looks like its immediate neighbour, Amber Fort, which is located almost 400 metres down a common road. Otherwise known as the Victory Fort, this huge structure is 3 km in length and 1 km in width. The outer layers of the fort are made of red sandstone and the internal layout is quite interesting, with a beautiful square garden at the centre.
There are huge court rooms and halls provided with screened windows. The fort encloses the largest cannon in the world, called the Jaivana, which is kept on wheels. The grand palace complex consists of Laxmi Vilas, Vilas Mandir, Lalit Mandir and the Aram Mandir, which used to be the residences of the royal family during the reign of the kings. Two vintage temples have increased the attraction of the fort, one being the Ram Hari Har temple built in the 10th Century, and the Kal Bhairav Temple, built in the 12th Century.
History of Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort is as old as Amer Fort and instead of the palace it was just a strong fortification which was built by meenas in Amer at that time. During the Mughal Period, Jaigarh Fort was seen as the important cannon foundries due to the presence of a large amount of iron ores nearby the fort. It was later when Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah elected Jai Singh II as the official Mughal Qiladar of Jaigarh Fort. After that, he created the Jaivana Cannon which was one of the largest cannons at that time.
