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TRAVEL/TOURS ADVERTORIAL www.nadfas.org.uk NADFAS REVIEW / WINTER 2016 57 Above: JodhpurÕs Mehrangarh Fort sits atop a rock and includes many highly decorated roomscitadel to forever suffer from a scarcity of water — and even now, the area is plagued with drought every few years. There are several preserved palaces within the grounds, including the Pearl Palace, Flower Palace, and Mirror Palace, which is studded with a dazzling mosaic of tiny mirrors. It also contains one of the region’s best museums, home to items such as rhino-horn sword hilts, fi nely painted miniatures, shields studded with rubies, emeralds and pearls, and silver howdahs, used by royals to ride elephants.Six of the hill forts of Rajasthan were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2013; among them the Amber Fort, also known as the Amer Fort, which is located on a forest-covered hill jutting into a lake a few miles from Jaipur. The traditional way to arrive is atop an elephant: once you pass through the Sun Gate you’ll see the main courtyard, where armies would hold victory parades with their war bounty after returning from battle. The Amber Fort was fi rst constructed at the end of the 16th century, on the remains of an 11th-century citadel. What’s most fascinating about it is the way it combines Islamic, Hindu, European and Persian features, showing the cosmopolitanism of Jaipur during the centuries before British rule. There’s a temple with marble carvings and silver doors decorated with images of the Hindu mother-goddess Durga, as well as frescoes that have a Mughal infl uence, Persian-style baths, an ingenious cooling system created by winds that blow over a water cascade, and stained glass windows depicting Radha and Krishna, the Hindu manifestations of the masculine and feminine aspects of God.Like the Mehrangarh Fort, the Amber Fort has a mirror palace, known as the Sheesh Mahal. It was completed in the 18th century, and when illuminated by candlelight, the thousands of tiny mirrors and shards of coloured glass have been described as shining like a jewel box. At the base of one of the pillars in the palace is a carved marble panel known as the ‘magic fl ower’ – if you cover up certain parts of the artwork, you can make it look like a fi sh tail, a lotus fl ower, a snake, an elephant’s trunk, a lion’s tail, a cob of corn, and scorpion.There are many more forts studding the landscape of Rajasthan, and while some have been turned into tourist centres and museums, some smaller examples have been converted in a more intimate way. Just south of Jodhpur is a fortifi ed desert home decorated in traditional Rajput style that is now a hotel. Rohet Garh dates back 375 years, and the family who reside there and run the place are descended from the Rathores.Situated on the bank of a small lake teeming with wildlife, the hotel has a restored central courtyard with marble fl oors, a traditional veranda and a small fountain, and the interior is fi lled with frescoes and historic trophies. Aspiring authors should book room number 15, where William Dalrymple is said to have stayed when he began City of Djinns, and Bruce Chatwin wrote The Songlines. There’s no better place for reading up on Rajasthani history, or soaking up inspiration for your own creative work. ■Images: Shutterstock.ENJOY MORE OF INDIA‘Royal Rajasthan’ takes in India’s famous Golden Triangle, before moving on to the hilltop forts, lakeside palaces, exquisite temples and colourful towns of Rajasthan. Starting at £2,199 for 14 days, the highlights include the Taj Mahal, Agra, Delhi, Amber Fort, Mehrangarh Fort, night tour of the Jaipur City Palace museum, the temples at Ranakpur, cruise on Lake Pichola and overnight stay in Rohet Garh. Call 0844 567 5229 or see www.travelsphere.co.uk for further details about this tour, or the India collection.