Jaigarh or the 'fort of victory' is perched on Chilh-ka-Tola (hill of eagles), 400 ft above the Amber Fort. The walls of the fort are spread over 3 kms. Once you enter through the massive south facing Doongar darwaza, you will instantly get a tangible feel of Rajput romanticism. And if you are lucky, thakur Pratap Singh - a handsome Rajput with a fine moustache will be around to tell you stories of Jaigarh's illustrious past. The other entrance to the fort is through the Awani darwaza in the east.

Jaigarh Fort is a remarkable example of military architecture. After you enter, head straight for the gigantic cannon Jaivan perched on top of a tower. Weighing 50 tons with an 8 mt barrel and a trajectory of about 20 km, it is said to be the world's largest cannon on wheels. Such was it's might that it took 4 elephants to swivel it around on it's axis. But surprisingly (and thankfully) it was never used. Despite it's awesome fire power, it has a delicate scrollwork of birds, foliage and a roaring elephant at it's mouth. Jaivan was test-fired once by Jai Singh in 1720 when the cannon ball landed at Chaksu about 38 km away and the impact of it was so enormous that a lake formed at the spot and many houses collapsed in Jaipur. The cannoneer died immediately after the firing, before he could even jump into water.

The highest point in Jaigarh is the 7-storeyed Diya Burj, the turret of lamps from where you get a panoramic view of the city of Jaipur. Also interesting is the water supply and storage system of the fort, a real marvel of planning. Sagar Talav, with octagonal bastions and huge dams, is one of the fort's grand reservoirs.