Amber Fort in Jaipur
Renowned as the ancient citadel of the Kachwahs clan, the Amber fort is one of the prominent tourist attractions and a UNESCO world heritage site in the city of Jaipur. Often the next point of discussion when someone talks about Jaipur, Amer Fort in the outskirts of the city is a classic example of the Rajputana legacy. Being one of the very popular forts of Rajasthan, Amber Fort in its structure beautifully blends Hindu and Rajput style of architecture. Credits for such a majestic creation of red sandstone and marble goes to Raja Shri Maan Singh Ji Saheb (Maan Singh I).

Location: Amer, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302001 (11 km before the main city)

Chittorgarh Fort
Also known as Chittaur, the Chittorgarh fort is one of the greatest forts in the state of Rajasthan, whose walls shout of great sacrifices and valor of the Rajput men. It is situated on the banks of Berach river, in the southern part of Rajasthan. The magnificent fort is built on a huge expanse of around 700 acres on a hilltop.

Legends has it that this UNESCO world heritage site was built by one of the Pandavas, Bhima of Mahabharata. In history books, Chittaur was founded back in 7th century AD, under the rule of Mauryans. It is believed that the fort served as the capital of Mewar for nearly eight centuries. However, tragedy happened when Emperor Akbar looted and destroyed the fort in the 15th century. It was during this attack, that the practice of Jauhar came into the limelight.

Pichola Lake in Udaipur
One of the largest lakes in Udaipur, Lake Pichola is an artificial lake which was built by a tribesman Pichhu Banjara. Considered to be the oldest, the lake is one of the major attractions in Udaipur. Lake Pichopla is set on the backdrop of lush green hills, which certainly adds to its charm.

Built in 1362, Lake Pichola underwent several changes from time to time. The enchanting surroundings which consist of lofty palaces, bathing ghats, royal family mansions and temples were all developed over centuries.

City Palace, Udaipur

Well known as one of the biggest palaces in Rajasthan, the City Palace is a beautiful and grand building in Udaipur. Built back in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh, the City Palace is set on the banks of Pichola Lake.

The palace has a number of gateways. The main entrance of the palace is Bara Pol or the Great Gate. Another gate is the triple arched gate which is called Tripolia. There is a field next to Tripolia where elephant fights used to take place. One can find eight marble arches in the middle of these two gates.

The beautiful City Palace features a great blend of the Mughal and Rajasthani architecture. It is set at a backdrop which offers an opportunity to have an aerial view of the entire city. The palace leaves every visitor spellbound with its domes, courtyards, corridors, rooms, pavilions, towers, and hanging gardens.

The City Palace also houses antique furniture and beautiful paintings which add to the beauty of the palace and give it a more royal look. One of the 11 palaces is the Manak Mahal or the Ruby Palace which is adorned with beautiful crystal and porcelain statues. Then, there is the Bhim Vilas which is decorated with miniature paintings that present the life of the Hindu deities like Radha and Krishna. There are many more palaces inside the structure including the Krishna Vilas, the Sheesh Mahal and Moti Mahal.

Ranthambore National Park
The largest national park of Rajasthan, Ranthambore National Park also happens to be a popular one in North India. This used to be the hunting grounds of maharajas, in the erstwhile era. Along with its neighboring sanctuaries (Mansingh and Kaila Devi), Ranthambore National park covers an area of 392 km sq. It is mainly popular for its population of tigers. The park is nestled upon an edge of a plateau, and is bounded by two rivers (Banas and Chambal). Government of India declared the area a Project Tiger Reserve in 1973, and in 1980 it was declared a national park.

The popular Ranthambore Fort is located inside the park. This is where maharajas relaxed after the hunting session in the jungle. The fort has been regarded as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Ancient temple, mosque, hunting pavilions, crocodile lakes are found around the fort. The park is open between October to June and is considered to be the best place to spot tigers in Rajasthan. Other than tigers, leopards, nilgai, sloth bear, sambal and several other wild animals and birds call the vicinity their home. About 300 species of birds are found chirping and sitting on the branches.

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Rudyard Kipling describes it as ‘the Work of Giants’. Here, ‘It’ refers to the majestic Mehrangarh fort, which stands on a perpendicular cliff, above the skyline of Jodhpur. Narrating the true spirit of Rathores, Mehrangarh is one of the best preserved forts in India. A true citadel of the sun, Meharngarh fort was founded by Rao Jodha in the 15th century. Since then, every new stone and brick added in the fortress describes the heroic and courageous tales of the Rathores.

For the tourists to explore, Mehrangarh fort has several brilliantly crafted palaces which include Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Sileh Khana, Jhanki Mahal and Phool Mahal. In order to keep the antiques of Mehrangarh preserved, buildings in the fort premises serve as museums which host a collection of musical instruments, furniture, palanquins, paintings and canons.

Fort Fateh Prakash Palace, Chittorgarh
Constructed by the Maharana Pratap Singh, the palace used to serve the purpose of erstwhile residence for him. Maharana Pratap Singh deliberately built the palace in Rajasthani style to reveal his quality taste for art and culture. The large number of corridors and pillars of the palace are salient features of Rajasthani architecture. It also has a large number of paintings inside. The palace also reveals other likes and dislikes of Maharana Pratap Singh. The presence of a large variety of crystal objects in the palace also reveals his likings for these objects. In fact, the collection was so vast that in 1968, it was realized that the collection is big enough to be exhibited in a museum. This idea was soon given shape as a large part of the palace was converted into a museum.