Nomita had wanted to come along with me to see Amer Fort so we decided that we would not go too early in the morning. For some strange reason it was impossible to get a taxi or auto to take us to Amer Fort that morning and in the end we had to book a cab for the whole day for 2000 Rs. The traffic to Amer fort was insane and it took us 2 hours for what should have been a 30 minute journey! By the time we reached Nomita and I decided to part ways and just do our thing so I headed to Amber Fort alone.
The elephant ride at Amber Fort is one of the things I have vivid memories of from when I visited in 2007. I was told by my guide to witness the elephants ascending the ramp from the top. However, by the time I reached the elephant rides had stopped so I would not be able to reach. I was really hungry by the time I arrived at the fort and was looking for a safe option to eat and stumbled upon a rooftop cafe. The rooftop cafe was definitely a tourist attraction but also offered the best view of the fort. Just across the road you could see the gold glowing fort situated on top of the hill. I think when the sky is blue the fort actually glows and is an amber color hence the name. Today since it was cloudy and overcast it looked more golden.
Amer fort is huge and to get to the top is about a 15 minute walk. I really enjoyed the walk as you get to see the massive fort from all angles getting closer and closer. The walkway up is lined with small vendors selling the giant papads, guava, and trinkets. I still have a mirrored elephant from the last time that I had picked up.
Amer fort was so extremely crowded when I reached the top, it was like the Mumbai local. People were everywhere I was so lost. I eventually found the ticket counter and didn't want to deal with ticket prices and talking to them so I politely asked a lady and her husband if she would help me buy a ticket. I learned how they did this on the Mumbai local where 1 person stands for a crowd of about 10. I handed over the cash and was added on to her ticket and had to stay with them until the tickets were checked.
One of the prettiest places in Amer fort was the first gate that greets you as you pass through the entrance. It is a huge yellow gate covered in floral designs. Everything in Amer fort is built in the Moghul style with lots of arches, domes, and lattice window work. There were many open courtyards with arches here and there.
In one of the courtyard was a hall of mirrors. You were not permitted to go into the actual hall so everyone populated just outside of it clicking photos. There were little mirrors on the exterior walls and if you got the angle right you could get a photo of yourself in the reflection of the mirror. I loved the shimmer of the thousands of mirrors embedded into the walls. It was so insanely congested though which greatly impacted my experience.
Amer fort was huge but for the most part most of the paths didn't lead to anything that grand. At some point I was just wandering aimlessly realizing I was ending up at the same place. I came to another pretty spot where people were posing in front of a lattice window and decided to pose there as well. That structure was also beautifully decorated with floral motifs. I feel like the palace at some point must have been very colorful and decorated with paintings all over and due to time it has all faded. The architecture of Amer fort was very impressive, I just felt that the interior was lacking as there wasn't a ton to see.
As I was walking out of the palace I came across many puppet shows! The puppets all were wearing the traditional Rajasthani dress and were so comedic! In one show, there was a clown that removed its head every so often. In another puppet show a woman danced in a very elegant purple lehenga which I joked was me.
The Anokhi museum of textiles was right near the fort so I ventured there next. The Anokhi museum is a small museum showcasing the history of block printing and how it was saved through the hippie movement. It preserved the handcrafted nature of textiles and keeps it alive in the wake of industrialization. The traditional woodblock style was saved by hippie foreigners who started the company as a way to preserve the handcrafted style. Inside the museum there was a demonstration of how the wooden blocks were made and the process to create these block printed fabrics. To achieve a 4 color design, you have four different blocks that are used. The guy explained how each block is carved from teak wood, dipped in ink and then pressed. He even made me my own little flower block print! Another live demonstration was to make a sample block print myself. The guy showed me how to dip the block in paint, then put it down and hammer it with my knuckle to ensure the paint stuck. First we started with a block for the outline followed by a block for each of the different colors. I loved being able to learn about the history of block printing and then trying my hand at it.
Nomita met me at the end of the museum and we wandered together to the famous Panna Meena ka Kund. This famous stepwell looked so much smaller than the photos we had seen of it and neither of us could believe this was the actual stepwell. It also looked different as it has recently been repainted so it was new and shiny. The Panna Meena ka Kund is a historic step well that was also used to catch rainfall when it was built in the 16th century. It was hard to believe the stepwell was that old given the fresh coat of paint.
Nomita really wanted to go to the Anokhi shop so we headed there next to see all of the block printed textiles we had learned about at the museum. She ate at the cafe there while I chose to eat at a restaurant further down the road called Khana. I ordered a very interesting Rajasthani special curry with paneer wrapped in spinach.
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