The maharajah inherited his title just at the time when Indira Ghandhi's government took away the last vestiges of his political power. Life seems to have revolved around business and polo and hobnobbing with other royalty, but he seems to have been popular. Our guide at Amber (silent B) fort said that he was going to the funeral the next day ( he was the secretary of a political party) and that there would be 20,000 guests.
The usual way up to the fort is by elephant, but the queue was too long and we didn't bother. It's not every day you can say that you couldn't be stuffed waiting for the elephant. It was good to learn that the elephants only do 3 trips and then they go home as it's a long way up.
The water palace where the maharajah's saffron was grown.
The mirrored hall in Amber palace and the zenana (women's quarters)- the guide said that the maharah would have 12 wives or so.
Life in a vast stone palace on a mountain crag surrounded by 12 km of walls involved a lot of infrastructure and engineering.
Water had to be hauled up from the lake far, far below, apparently by human hand. The shaft up which the buckets were dragged is now full of bats (Rajasthani royal version of having bats in the belfry, perhaps?) but there was enough water for these gardens in the central courtyard and for a system of copper piping that sprayed water around the scorching marble terraces, including the one where the royal children played and swung above a 200 m or so drop. It may be that some dodgy scrap metal merchant has made off with these pipes, but some sort of cooling system would not be out of place nowadays.
Multistorey bamboo scaffolding in Jaipur.
Water had to be hauled up from the lake far, far below, apparently by human hand. The shaft up which the buckets were dragged is now full of bats (Rajasthani royal version of having bats in the belfry, perhaps?) but there was enough water for these gardens in the central courtyard and for a system of copper piping that sprayed water around the scorching marble terraces, including the one where the royal children played and swung above a 200 m or so drop. It may be that some dodgy scrap metal merchant has made off with these pipes, but some sort of cooling system would not be out of place nowadays.
On the way into the fort, we visited a shrine and were garlanded and daubed with yellow powder. Note on yellow powder: take wet wipes when visiting shrines. Otherwise much of self will end up smeared in yellow. On the way out, we gave our marigold garlands to monkeys, who apparently find them quite tasty.
Note on maharajahs: there are quite a few of these knocking around, which is just as well for the likes of Eton and Harrow. And the Jaipur one used to pop in to the local bookshop quite regularly, according to the proprietor. This chap, who had the brandysoaked Christmas-cake richness of accent of the Indian Army officer (retired, on his wife's orders "if it was a choice between obeying my wife or my commanding officer- well-") showed us some shots he'd taken of a tiger about 8 metres away, in Ranthambore National Park. Photo shots, you understand. The tiger looked faintly harrassed but intent on having a peaceful walk around a nice spot of jungle.
Note on maharajahs: there are quite a few of these knocking around, which is just as well for the likes of Eton and Harrow. And the Jaipur one used to pop in to the local bookshop quite regularly, according to the proprietor. This chap, who had the brandysoaked Christmas-cake richness of accent of the Indian Army officer (retired, on his wife's orders "if it was a choice between obeying my wife or my commanding officer- well-") showed us some shots he'd taken of a tiger about 8 metres away, in Ranthambore National Park. Photo shots, you understand. The tiger looked faintly harrassed but intent on having a peaceful walk around a nice spot of jungle.
Let's hope we get that close to a tiger, too. Next week.
Multistorey bamboo scaffolding in Jaipur.The view from the Amber palace
12 km of walls surround the fort.
12 km of walls surround the fort. 
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