Jagat Shiromani Temple

Jagat Shiromani Temple is a 17th-century Vaishnava temple in Amer village, on Kheri Gate Road near Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. Tradition holds that Queen Rani Kanakwati built it in memory of her son, Kunwar Jagat Singh, the heir of Raja Man Singh I, and it is dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna. The temple is built of marble and local stone, and the entrance is marked by a carved torana, an ornate gateway, supported on pillars. The front porch and hall are covered in fine relief carving of deities, floral patterns and animals, and the sanctum holds Krishna imagery. The setting is modest and quiet compared with nearby Amber Fort, and the temple is seldom crowded. Visitors walk through the gateway, remove shoes, climb a short flight of steps and move through the pillared hall to the sanctum. A visit takes about 30 minutes, though architecture enthusiasts may stay longer to study the carving. Early morning is best, when worshippers arrive and the light picks out the stonework. The temple is open in the morning and again from about 4:00PM to 8:00PM, with a break during the day. It stands beside the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing and is a short auto-rickshaw ride or walk from the Amber Fort entrance, so it is easily combined with those sites. Entry is free, and modest dress is expected. Photography of the exterior is usually fine, while the sanctum may restrict cameras.