Meandering: Amber Fort (Kama Sutra Kingdom)

The Amber Fort, which overlooks the “pink city” in the old section of Jaipur, dates back to 1592, when Raja Man Singh began its construction. We were escorted around the fort by an excellent guide by the name of Shahara.

He told us that, aside from its military functions, this fort seemed to serve mainly as the Maharaja’s quarters for conducting his marital affairs with his twelve wives. Why twelve, you may ask, and the answer is because he was into astrology in a big way and wanted one wife for each sign of the zodiac. He went to great lengths to make sure each wife was kept away from the others by building separate quarters for each and having eunuchs watch over them from towers to ensure they did not converse without his knowledge. The Maharaja also had passageways constructed so that he could choose to spend time with whichever wife he pleased by crossing through narrow hallways and using separate stairs to reach each wife’s quarters without the others knowing it.

He became king at the age of 31 and lived into his nineties. In order to maintain his sexual vigor, he grew saffron in island gardens constructed on his lake and had it mixed into a special concoction. No doubt he needed this vigor because he also used his eunuchs to assist him performing every sexual act depicted in the Kama Sutra with his twelve wives. Being his favorite wife depended on how well this endeavor went.

He must have been a real romantic, too, because he had beautiful carpets laid on the marble floors and mirrored tiles set into the ceilings and walls so that in the evenings, with candle and lantern lights, the walls and ceilings would sparkle like the evening sky. When one of his wives asked him, “But where is the moon?” he answered, “It is in your face, my love.”