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Rajasthan { 15 images } Created 19 Nov 2013

Photos from Rajasthan taken in November 2008.
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  • According to "Wikipedia" - Its original intention was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to observe strict "purdah" (cover). <br />
The Hawa Mahal is an example of Rajputana architecture, which was strongly influenced by Mughal architecture. It has five storyes and is constructed of red and pink sandstone, highlighted with white quick lime. The side facing the street outside the palace complex has 953 small windows, and the breeze (hawa) which circulates through these windows gives the palace its name, and keeps it cool even in hot months. The entrance opens onto a courtyard with a double-storied building on three sides, and one on the eastern wing with three more stories, which is just one room wide. There are no stairs to reach the upper floors, only ramps.
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  • Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds was contstructed in 1799 in the old town of Jaipur.
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  • Friendly people driving on a non-traffic jammed road of Jaipur, also known as the "pink city". I took this picture during a rickshaw ride, sitting opposed to the traffic.
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  • Cycle rickshaws are a very common and popular means of transport in India. The drivers, generally poor and skinny guys, earn very low wages for working very hard everyday of the week.
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  • Although the royal family of Jaipur resides in the Chandra Mahal Palace, a large part of the City Palace complex - including the Maharaja Sawai Mansingh Museum, is open to the public.
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  • On our journey, we hired a driver to see the sights around Jaipur. Situated 11km north of Jaipur, Amber Fort was our first choice and we didn't regret it! Amber Fort is very huge and you have some nice views down over the village. Because of it's impressive size, you should visit Amber Fort independently, without joining a group; so, you can stay there as long as you want.
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  • According to "Wikipedia" - Amber Fort was the ancient citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber, before the capital was shifted to present day Jaipur. Amber Fort is known for its unique artistic style, blending both Hindu and Muslim (Mughal) elements, and its ornate and breathtaking artistic mastery. The fort borders the Maota Lake, and is a major tourist attraction in Rajasthan.
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  • Indian people sightseeing the surrounding areas through a broken carved shutter of a window. The people who lived in the fort could see everything through the carved shutter without beeing seen.
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  • The Amber Fort garden.
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  • According to "Wikipedia" - The Fort is unique in that its outside, an imposing and rugged defensive structure, is markedly different from its inside, an ornate, lavish interior influenced by both Hindu and Muslim (Mughal) styles of ornamentation. The walls of the interior of the fort are covered with murals, frescoes, and paintings depicting various scenes from daily life. Other walls are covered with intricate carvings, mosaic, and minute mirror work.
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  • Amber is encircled by mountain chains and was once protected by an impressive wall interrupted by look-out posts. While Jaigarh Fort was built on top of the hill, Amber Fort is situated on the bottom.
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  • Once Jaigarh Fort was reputated for its foundry, providing the artillery for the Kuchwaha Rajputs, like the Jaivana, an extraordinary piece of artillery and the biggest canon on wheels ever made, with a barrel weighing about 50 tons. <br />
In contradiction to other Rajput clans, the Kuchwaha didn't fought back the invading Moghuls. Both, the Kuchwaha and the Moghuls, Hindus and Muslims formed some very important alliances.
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  • According to "Wikipedia" - In Februaryy 1562, Hira Kunwar, daughter of Bharmal (1547-1573), Raja of Amber, was wed to the Mughal emperor Akbar at a grand ceremony held at the town of Sambhar, the son born through this marriage being none other than the next Mughal emperor Jahangir. This pragmatic alliance created a major shift in the balance of power within the Indian subcontinent and ushered a period of harmonious co-operation between the Rajputs and the Mughals.
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  • On the way back to our guesthouse in Jaipur we stopped at the Jal Mahal, also called the Water Palace.
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  • The architectural creation of Jal Mahal, was influenced by Rajput and Moghul work of art. The wonderful palace is located in the Man Sagar Lake.
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