Yes, most of the other people in our tour did ride up to the fort on elephants.

Although the elephants we saw at Amber Fort didn't look as if they were being actively mistreated (I looked for and didn't see any wounds or scars on any of them), they were all definitely working as beasts of burden, repetitively carrying tourists up a very steep and long paved road. And we did see two of them being ridden home later in the afternoon on a paved road with a fair amount of motor traffic quite a distance from the fort. We had been told the rides only take place in the mornings; then they take them home.

The article you posted a link to makes me wonder if it's acceptable to have elephants in captivity anywhere, even in a place that seemed as benevolent as where we were. I loved spending the day with Birli, but of course, she was in captivity (albeit on a huge undeveloped reserve) and I can only go by what we were told as far as her origins and what her life is as opposed to being an elephant in the wild. We saw four other elephants the day we were there and they all seemed mellow and healthy (two were pregnant).

It's a conundrum for sure.

@Dhiraj - if you had actually READ this thread, you would have seen that it is about NOT riding elephants because it is bad for the elephants.

An elephant dies in Cambodia, and an opportunity to sign a petition:

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/20...ding-be-banned

My son and I were driven to the gate of Amber Fort last June by our driver. We could go no farther by car, but it was a short walk to the lower level of the palace.

We took a jeep up almost all the way and then walked up. Not a problem. It even saddened me to see elephants in the south in the temples. While not mistreated, it seems like a sad life for them to be isolated so that people can take pictures of them.

For this post alone I like you a lot!
Well done.