A Royal Elephant ride at Amber fort

Amber fort is the most popular tourist attractions of Jaipur. This classic and romantic fort is a living tribute of Rajputana rulers and one of the fascinating mixtures of Rajputana and Mughal architecture. This charming fort is white marble and red sandstone, surrounded by picturesque hills. There is a beautiful Maotha lake in the foreground of the fort which heightens the scenic beauty to it.

The elephant ride is the center of attraction for tourists and the most royal and thrilling way to reach at this hilltop fort. This stunning fort is blessed with several attractions like huge halls, majestic palaces, beautiful temples and gorgeous green gardens. 

These wonderful animals are specially decorated by their loving Mahouts. Elephants are washed, painted and clothed with colorful and embroidered saddle cloth. The Mahouts embellish them with the heavy jewellery like tinkle anklets, Ear danglers and coloured brocade scarves for their ears and necks. Their foreheads are adorned with the gold and silver head-plates.

 

Amber Fort View

 This chance to sit on the elephants back on the top of hills is a great experience like the ride of royalty once the kings of Rajasthan did. There are around 80 elephants but for a guarantee ride tourists should visit early in the morning before 9am. To avoid the over work of the elephants the Jaipur government fix a limit to the total number of rounds each elephant can do in a day. Each elephant is fixed to three rounds with a rest period and can carry only 2 passengers with driver or Mahout.

 

Amber Fort Inner View

The ride starts from the main road courtyard to the fort and it takes approximately 20-30 minutes as elephant walk slowly up the hillside. This slow moving animal will give you the complete chance to enjoy the path of rocks and also give you a splendid outlook of the magnificent classic fort. 

This huge and vivacious fort was initiated by King Man Singh 1 and finally completed by Jay Singh 1. There are a number of captivating attractions in Amber fort including Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience. This hall is known for its design, and decoration. Shila Mata Temple, famous for its black colour deity (Kali Mata), Jai Mander, Sheesh Mahal and Jas Mandir are the prime attraction of this gigantic fort.

Timings

The rides start early in the morning (approx 7.30 AM) and finishes up before the sun gets hot (approx 11 AM).

Number of Persons

·         Minimum 1 person

·         Maximum 2 persons

Cost –Rs 1, 000  to 1,200 for two people.

Duration - Approximately 20-30 minutes (depending on elephant traffic!)

Cultural Tour of Royal Rajasthan

India is a very colorful and exotic place for travelling because it has diverse culture. It has variety of food, costumes, traditions, etc. It is a perfect destination for all the tourists since many years. The history of India is very vibrant and ethnic from many years. Among its many states, Rajasthan is one the popular and famous state. Tourists among various countries and itself India are attracted towards the beauty of this state. Museums are also one of the attractions of Rajasthan where tourist can get knowledge of the ancient times. The culture of Rajasthan is very vast and dynamic. Historical places in Rajasthan speak a lot about its culture, tradition, socio-economic customs.

Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur (Image by Anil Khubani on Flickr)

Interior area of Albert hall museum (Image by i2n2 on Flickr)

Painting of Albert hall museum (Image by John McCAbe on flickr)

Sculpture of Albert hall museum (Image by Shashi Rajput on flickr)

In cultural tour of Rajasthan, one can visit places likes:-

•    Forts are the places that remind us about our culture and traditions. They are symbol of old civilization and they are very valuable archeological assets of our country.

•    The various temples depict the Hindu tradition and their culture.

•    Palaces of Rajasthan are beautifully designed and their artistic works are well known in the whole country.

 

Chittorgarh Fort

 

Dadhimait Mata temple (Image in Wikipedia)

 

City Palace, Jaipur 

Tradition and lifestyle

Many religions are found in Rajasthan but Hinduism is the dominant religion. Different people practice their own customs rituals, beliefs and behavior. All this depicts that Rajasthan has unity in diversity. The festivals of this state are the symbol of its rich heritage. Various festivals are celebrated throughout the year like pushkar fair, desert festival, camel festival and teej. Through these the visitors can enjoy the true colors of Rajasthan.

Desert festival, Jaisalmer (Shobha yatra), Image by anupama kinagi on flickr

Desert festival, Jaisalmer (Image by anupama kinagi on flickr)

 Art and literature

Rajasthan has a magnificent architecture .The stone work of this state is very popular and this is the best place where the tourists can shop handicrafts, paintings & work of art.

 

Handicrafts in Celebration Mall, Udaipur

Dance and music

It is the prime part of Rajasthan culture. The devotional and classical songs of Rajasthan talks about it rich past. The folk dance like Ghumar, kathputli etc is the source of great enjoyment for the tourists.

Bhavai folk dance, Rajasthan (Image by selvin kurian on flickr)

Various instruments like Ektara, dholak, sitar etc attracts the music lovers. 
 

Ektara seller man in Jaisalmer

Food and Flavours

The tourists can enjoy delicious food & Snacks in Rajasthan. Lassi of Jodhpur, milk sweets of bharatpur, sohan halwa of Ajmer are one of the specialties of Rajasthan.

Special Makhania Lassi, Jodhpur 

A Visit to Rajasthan is a complete package for the Tourists to enjoy all aspects of life. www.ercotravels.com

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