The Jaigarh fort is by far the most spectacular of the three-hilltop forts that overlook
Jaipur (Amer, Nahargarh are the other two). In Mughal times, the Jaipur region was a major
weapon-producing centre for the Mughal and Rajput rulers, several of which are on display
in the fort's museum. It is one of the few military structures of medieval India preserved
almost intact, containing a granary, a well-planned cannon foundry, several temples,
a meeting place for the troops and commanders, a tall tower and a giant mounted cannon -
the Jaivan which is the largest cannon in the world, with a range of 35 kilometers and uses
100 kg of gun powder to shoot a 50kg iron cannonball. It does not have those delicate structures
or palaces like that of Amber and that is what makes this a real hardcore fortress. Jaigarh
means `Victory Fort' and was built between the 15th and the 18th century, and stands 15 km
from Jaipur, amidst rock-strewn, thorn-scrub covered hills, its forbidding stone ramparts
are visible from the Jaipur town. Jaigarh was once responsible for the security of both Jaipur
and Amber and its impressive walls and citadels provide enough reason to believe so.