At first glance, Jaigarh appears too subtle and simple for Mewari architecture. Its thick fort walls lack the intricate embellishments seen in the adjacent Amer fort. Yet, it is Jaigarh’s history and austere architecture that brings it to life. Perched atop the rugged Cheel ka Teela of the Aravalli Hills, Jaigarh overlooks the city and Maota Lake, making it an outpost with commanding views. Little wonder, then, that the second edition of the Jaigarh Heritage Festival was organised on its hallowed grounds.
Inside, the long, secret passages gives one a sense of mystery and secrecy. Designed to avoid detection, these secret corridors have high windows with inward-sloping walls that let those inside see out without being seen by outsiders. Often used by royals, soldiers, and their servants, the passage leads to Vilas Mandir, a terrace from where you can see the nearby Amer—the palace where the royals lived—and catch sweeping views of the city. Be careful near the edge; the breeze here can be surprisingly strong.
Jaigarh was the garrison where the army was stationed, and it also housed a cannon foundry that was among the best of its time. The area’s rich iron ore made it ideal for casting heavy artillery, and the foundry here once produced some of the most advanced cannons of the era.
One of the most remarkable features of this foundry is the 18th-centuary artillery masterpiece—Jaivana Cannon—the largest wheeled cannon in the world at the time of its creation. Casted in the fort’s own foundry around 1720, it weighs about 50 tonnes and is over 20 feet long. Though it was never used in actual warfare, it was fired once as a test and is said to have reached impressive distances, making it a symbol of Rajput engineering skill.
A short walk through the corridors brings you to the Charbagh, an open courtyard punctuated by a fountain. From the Laxmi Vilas courtyard, doors open into the royal hammam complex and toilets. The hammam itself is a masterclass in practical and elegant design: a sunken marble tub, an overhead tank, a furnace system to heat the water, and a specially designed rooftop to let steam escape—all illustrating ancient comfort and engineering. Walk from here through the Jaleb Chowk, and you reach one of its hidden marvels, a massive water reservoir. The tanka measures 158 feet long, 138 feet wide, and 40 feet deep, capable of storing up to one crore litres of rainwater collected from the Aravalli catchment, ensuring that the structure remains self-sufficient even during long dry spells.
“In an area that was only dependent on rainfall, such a big reservoir with clean, portable water was no less than a treasure itself. In fact, many old land records mention of this place as where the treasure was hidden,” says walk guide Dr Chandni Chowdhary from Jaipur Uncharted.
Jaigarh may appear austere at first, but a closer walk through its corridors shows a fort built with quiet confidence—designed to endure seasons, conflicts, and memory.