Jaigarh Fort Jaipur is never conquered. The fort is majestically situated on the Cheel Ka Teela (Hill of Eagle), Aravali Range. You can get an amazing view of Amer Fort from here as the fort overlooks Amer. The fort was constructed for defense purposes and storing arms and ammunition. Built in 1726 by Jai Singh II, the fort was built to give protection to Amer Fort. The fort got its name after King Jai Singh. On the third day of my Jaipur trip, after spending enough time at Amer Fort, I moved to Jaigarh fort through a tunnel that connects both forts together. The fort is situated on a hilltop, offers a panoramic view of Jaipur. Architecturally, this fort is similar to Amer Fort.
Information for visitors: Jaigarh Fort Jaipur
Visiting Time: All Days from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Closed on: Public and Government holidays
Visiting Duration: Approx. 1 Hour
Ticket: Rs 50 for Indian Tourists, Rs 200 for Foreign Tourists
Photography: Allowed
Overview of Jaigarh Fort Jaipur
Also known as Victory Fort, Jaigarh Fort served as a storehouse of cannons, war arms, ammunitions, and amours. Standing at a height of 500 feet above the sea level, Jaigarh Fort has got so many things to offer you. One such best thing is the panoramic view of the surroundings, including Amer Fort and the city itself. Another thing which will give you goosebumps is the Jaivana Cannon which is famous for being the largest cannon on wheels in the entire world. The cannon is massive and glorifies the history of the fort.
Fortified with thick red sandstone walls, the fort has a length of 3KM and a width of 1KM. Jaigarh Fort is known to be the strongest monument in Jaipur city. The main purpose behind constructing Jaigarh Fort was to protect Amer Fort. The fort has a garden, designed in Persian style and is divided into 4 parts. Jaigarh Fort is connected to Nahargarh Fort through its fortifications. The fort was never conquered and was the strongest among all the forts of the city. The fort is connected to Amer Fort via subterranean passages which were a secret escape during an emergency.
Architectural Design – Places of Attractions at Jaigarh Fort
If you are an architecture enthusiast, you will notice that the fort is a mixture of Indo – European architecture style. There are several structures within the fort. The fort has an entrance gate to its left known as Tadigate. There are two temples within the fort, one is dedicated to the deities of Jaipur kings the other one is dedicated to Nahar Singh Bhomia, Rathore prince.
Sawai Madho Singh constructed Madhavendra Bhawan, is also a place of great attraction. The Bhawan has two storeys. The king had twelve queens and there are suites for them. This is further divided into nine apartments identical to each other. Each of them has bedrooms, kitchen, lobby, store, etc. There is Diwan – e – Aam where the king used to interact with the public and used to hear their problems. The fort has a watchtower which offers excellent views. The fort has an armory chamber that has a wide range of swords, guns, shields, and muskets. There is also a 50KG cannonball. Jaigarh Fort has a museum, at the left of Awami Gate.
Jaivana Cannon – A Major Tourist Attraction of Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort served as an artillery storehouse. The fort has a massive Jaivana cannon. It was built in 1720 and at that time, the cannon was the world’s largest cannon on wheels. It was built by Jai Singh II in the rule of Muhammad Shah, Mughal Emperor.
Interesting Facts about Jaivana Cannon
Length of barrel: 6.15m
Weight: 50 tons
Circumference near tip: 2.2m
Circumference at rear: 2.8m
The diameter of the bore of the barrel: 28cm
The thickness of the barrel at the tip: 21.6cm
Around 100KG of gunpowder fired a shot ball having a weight of 50KG.
Firing Power of Jaivana Cannon
Different sources have different information. It is said that the cannon was fired by Jai Singh II only once I 1720 as a test fire. Muhammad Shah attended the test fir. Legends say that the cannon could fire up to 40KM, whereas some say that its firing range was up to 35Km. In some sources, the range is mentioned as 22Km and 11Km. Due to lack of proper mathematical and scientific calculations, the range of Jaivana was never calculated. The tourist guides claim that the test fire was done towards Chaksu. They also say that the fire caused a great impact and made a depression on the ground where there is a pond now. As per the legends, the cannon was placed near a water tank so that the gunner would dive into the tank in order to escape the shock waves but due to the heavy shock-waves during the firing, along with him eight other soldiers and one elephant was killed.
The cannon is massive and is a major tourist attraction at Jaigarh Fort. The cannon has beautiful design carvings on it. It has an elephant design on the barrel tip and at the center; there is a design of two peacocks. The barrel rear is decorated with a pair of ducks. The cannon is placed on a carriage of two wheels. The diameter of the wheels is 1.37m. There are two more wheels in the carriage which can be removed having a diameter of 2.74.
The government started Treasure Hunt in Jaigarh Fort
It was rumored that the treasure of Kachwaha kings was stacked somewhere in the fort which also included the water tank. The then PM Indira Gandhi ordered a search campaign for the same during 1975. The Income Tax department also carried out a search with the help of metal detectors in 1977. But nothing was found. It is said that the treasure was discovered by the Rajasthan government and has seized it.
