Third courtyard
This time looking at the Sukh Niwas and the Suhaag Mandir and adjacent areas.
Enclosed corridors along the east side of the courtyard
The stained glass windows are made with imported Belgian glass, the walls decorated with frescos and inlay, and the ceilings inlaid with a mosaic of mirrors (not readily visible, let alone photographable through the grimy windows).
One of the cleaning women, sitting outside this section (you can almost see the glass panelled doors behind her). Being winter, she was wearing a thick jumper and warm socks, and asking (through sign language) how I wasn't cold in my light cotton shirt. (Answer: it wasn't all that cold - high teens, no wind.)
Upper level, third courtyard
We walked up a corrugated ramp to the upper levels to the Suhaag Mandir (above the Ganesh Pol) and adjacent areas. There are ramps (rather than stairs) so when the women of the royal household were dressed for special occasions in their many layers of incredibly heavy brocaded clothing, and covered head to toe in jewellery, they could be wheeled up to the screened vantage points by four maids - their costumes were too heavy for them to walk in!
(Given they were in full-on purdah, so no-one but the women of the household, the king, and the youngest princes would ever see them, it seems, well, odd, to wear so many clothes and jewellery that you can no longer walk. But I'm not known for abiding societal or religious gender strictures, nor for my fashion sense, so I'm probably not the best person to ask.)
The Suhaag Mandir
Details of the gorgeous marble screens, overlooking the Diwan-i-am (Hall of Public Audiences, in the second courtyard).
Ceiling of the canopy over the suhaag mandir, inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli and carnelian (?)
Wall with screens through which lower-ranked ladies of the household could view proceedings in the diwan-i-am. Again, note that each screen is a different geometric pattern.
From here, one could walk up to a walled terrace, and look out over the Maota Lake, the gardens and the city of Amer.
If you peer closely, you can see JD's head in the open window of the enclosed cupola
which has a very pretty roof/dome
Sukh Niwas
I think this was the large open colonnaded area, which faced the Hall of Mirrors across the Mughal Garden, but I didn't hear the guide because I got distracted elsewhere taking photos. Trust me, a morning is in no way long enough to really appreciate this magnificent place.
A stream of water would flow over the corrugated slope (perforated to allow breezes through) and collect in a trough/pool at the base. This pool was an excellent place to keep wine and other drinks cool in the hot summer months. The water would then flow across the floor in a shallow, wide channel, inlaid with black and white marble, and then down into the garden. The channel has been inlaid with glass to stop tourists tripping over/into it.
The heavily inlaid teak doors were in rather a state of disrepair, but you can get a sense of their former glory
As elsewhere, the walls are decorated with gorgeous frescos, unretouched, coloured with vegetable dyes, still vivid after 350 years exposed to the elements.
Next, part 4, with the fourth, final and oldest courtyard.
This time looking at the Sukh Niwas and the Suhaag Mandir and adjacent areas.
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| Third courtyard - centre, the Char-bagh (gardens), to the left (west) the Sukh Niwas, and to the right (south), the wall separating the Zenana, or women's quarters. Jaigarh Fort is in the background. |
The stained glass windows are made with imported Belgian glass, the walls decorated with frescos and inlay, and the ceilings inlaid with a mosaic of mirrors (not readily visible, let alone photographable through the grimy windows).
One of the cleaning women, sitting outside this section (you can almost see the glass panelled doors behind her). Being winter, she was wearing a thick jumper and warm socks, and asking (through sign language) how I wasn't cold in my light cotton shirt. (Answer: it wasn't all that cold - high teens, no wind.)
Upper level, third courtyard
We walked up a corrugated ramp to the upper levels to the Suhaag Mandir (above the Ganesh Pol) and adjacent areas. There are ramps (rather than stairs) so when the women of the royal household were dressed for special occasions in their many layers of incredibly heavy brocaded clothing, and covered head to toe in jewellery, they could be wheeled up to the screened vantage points by four maids - their costumes were too heavy for them to walk in!
(Given they were in full-on purdah, so no-one but the women of the household, the king, and the youngest princes would ever see them, it seems, well, odd, to wear so many clothes and jewellery that you can no longer walk. But I'm not known for abiding societal or religious gender strictures, nor for my fashion sense, so I'm probably not the best person to ask.)
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| Ky, wearing Nonni's jumper, with El (pink bag) and Nonni (orange/pink/green top) ahead of him |
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| Photographed from the Zenana (women's quarters) |
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| Central screen, Suhaag Mandir, looking into the second courtyard |
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| Marble screen to east (right) of central screen, Suhaag Mandir |
Wall with screens through which lower-ranked ladies of the household could view proceedings in the diwan-i-am. Again, note that each screen is a different geometric pattern.
From here, one could walk up to a walled terrace, and look out over the Maota Lake, the gardens and the city of Amer.
If you peer closely, you can see JD's head in the open window of the enclosed cupola
which has a very pretty roof/dome
Sukh Niwas
I think this was the large open colonnaded area, which faced the Hall of Mirrors across the Mughal Garden, but I didn't hear the guide because I got distracted elsewhere taking photos. Trust me, a morning is in no way long enough to really appreciate this magnificent place.
 |
| Air-con, old school |
The heavily inlaid teak doors were in rather a state of disrepair, but you can get a sense of their former glory
As elsewhere, the walls are decorated with gorgeous frescos, unretouched, coloured with vegetable dyes, still vivid after 350 years exposed to the elements.
Next, part 4, with the fourth, final and oldest courtyard.
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