JAISALMER

Jaisalmer is a town situated on the border of India and Pakistan in West Rajasthan. Nicknamed "The Golden City" because of the yellow sand giving a yellowish-golden touch to the city & its surrounding area, the town stands on a ridge, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples are finely sculptured. Though the city is under the governance of the Government of India, a lot of welfare work is carried out by The Royal Family who still commands a lot of respect from the people.

Jaisalmer is named after its founder Rawal Jaisal. "Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal". The majority of its inhabitants are Bhati Rajputs, who take their name from an ancestor named Bhatti, renowned as a warrior when the tribes were located in the Punjab. Shortly after this the clan was driven southwards, and found a refuge in the Indian desert, which was henceforth its home. Jaisalmer is almost entirely a sandy waste, forming a part of the Great Indian Desert. The general aspect of the area is that of an interminable sea of sand hills, of all shapes and sizes, some rising to a height of 150 ft. The climate is dry and healthy.

Jaisalmer was one of the last states to sign a treaty with the British. Traditionally, the main source of income was the levies on the caravans. The partition of India in 1947 lead to closing of all the trade routes on the Indo-Pak border and rendered Jaisalmer a drought-prone desert backwater on the international border. Ironically, skirmishes between India and Pakistan gave Jaisalmer a strategic importance and made it serviceable as an army supply depot. The length of international boarder attached to District JAISALMER is 471 Kms.

Later, the Government of Rajasthan decided to promote Jaisalmer as a tourist destination.

While Jaisalmer may always have been remote, it is filled with many artistic structures and monuments of local historical importance. Jaisalmer's medieval mud fortress and walled township make it a popular tourist destination. The surrounding desolate landscape evidences a stark, austere beauty. Camel safaris through the nearby desert dunes are popular with tourists.

ATTRACTIONS

Fort –

Built in 1156 by the Bhati Rajput ruler Jaisal, it is situated on Trikuta Hill and had been the scene of many battles. Its massive sandstone walls are a tawny lion color during the day, turning to a magical honey-gold as the sun sets. This is a living fort and about a quarter of city's population still lives inside the fort. The main attractions inside the fort are: Raj Mahal (Royal palace), Jain temples and the Laxminath temple.

Jain Temples -

Jain Temples situated in the Jaisalmer Fort are a must visit site. These temples are very old and high pilgrimages as well as archeological value are attached to them. These are a group of Jain temples dating back 12th and 15th centuries and are dedicated to various Jain Tirthankars (Hermits). On the walls of the temples, there are animal & human figures, carved in famous Dilwara style that is famous all over the world for its architecture. Like all other structures in Jaisalmer, these temples are craved of yellow sandstones. The Astapadhi Temples that are situated in the same complex are a must visit too.

The temple complex is open through out the morning till 12 noon for the visitors. So try to get up a bit early or you might miss this splendor. The campus also contain Gyan Bhandar library which houses some of the rare manuscripts available in India.

Havelis –

The main havelis in Jaisalmer are:

*Patwon-ki-Haveli: Built by Guman Chand Patwa (and later by his five sons), a wealthy merchant and banker who had over three hundred trading centers from Afghanistan to China. This ornate five-storey complex took fifty years to complete. This is the largest, the most magnificent, and the most elaborate of Jaisalmer havelis.

*Salim Singh-ki-Haveli: It was built by the scheming Prime Minister Salim Singh in 1815. It has a beautifully arched roof capped with blue cupolas and carved brackets in the form of peacocks.

*Nathmalji-ki-Haveli: Built by a Prime Minister of princely state of Jaisalmer. Its facade is a riot of ornamentation: flowers, birds, elephants, soldiers, a bicycle and even a steam engine.

Desert Cultural Center & Museum -

Desert cultural center and museum is a place well maintained and harbors rare coins and manuscript related to Jaisalmer history and the history of Rajasthan in whole. This museum has some eye-catching collection of traditional Rajasthani textiles, utensils, weapons, musical instruments and fossils.

Gadsisar Lake -

Gadsisar Lake is one of the major tourist attractions of Jaisalmer just outside the city walls. Contrary to the popular belief, it is not an oasis but a water conservation tank made around 1400 A.D. by the then Maharaja of Jaisalmer, Maharwal Gadsi Singh. This structure once acted as a reservoir that controlled the entire supply of water to the arid city. There are whole varieties of temples and shrines surrounding the lake. In later years it became more of a pilgrimage spot. The beautiful gateway that arches across the road down to the Lake was built by royal courtesan in the end of 19th century.

Bada Bagh -

Bada Bagh, which literally means 'Big Garden', is located on the Ramgarh road, 6 Km off the Jaisalmer city. It was commissioned by Maharawal Jait Singh in the early 16th century and completed by his son Lunakaran after his death. The site has three different things to watch, a garden, a tank and a dam. In the vicinity itself there is Govardhan Stambh (pillar). This pillar was constructed to commemorate the construction of the Dam and the tank. The Dam is about 1,200 feet in length and 350 feet in width been built out of solid blocks of stone. The same material has been used for the construction of the tank.

Other interesting monuments in the vicinity are the Cenotaphs. These cenotaphs also known as chattris and were constructed by the various Bhatti rulers. One cenotaph has been erected for each ruler.

Amar Sagar Lake -

7 km in the western outskirts of Jaisalmer, Amar Sagar is a small and beautiful lake cum Oasis and is adjacent to a 17th Century palace called the Amar Singh Palace. Maharawal Akhai Singh built this palace in honor of one of his predecessors Amar Singh. Next to the palace are pavilions with a large stairs leading down to the Amar Sagar Lake. The Amar Sagar is a five story high haveli and is famous for its murals. There are many wells and ponds in the surrounding which have a royal air about them. There is an old Shiva temple in the complex itself.

Desert National Park - 

40 km from Jaisalmer, The Desert National is a protected sanctuary. The park is considered not only the largest in the state of Rajasthan but among the largest in India. The catchments area of the Desert Natio nal Park is around 3100 sq. km. This place attracts large hoard of migratory birds. The great Indian Bustard is a magnificent bird and can be seen in considerably good numbers. The region is also a heaven for migratory and resident birds of the desert. One can see many Eagles, Harriers, Falcons, Buzzards, Kestrel and Vultures. Short- toed Eagles, Tawny Eagles, Spotted Eagles, Laager Falcons and Kestrels.

Akal Wood Fossil Park - 

Akal Wood Fossil Park takes you beyond History - to the prehistoric Jurassic era. It is a fossil park where stood a forest 180 millions years ago. Then the area submersed into the sea and the tree trunks got preserved in the form of fossils. The fossil trunks lie scattered in this park. Fossilized tree trunks are of various sizes with the largest being 13 meters in length and 1.5 meters in width. Covering about 10 sq. Km of bare hillside, the Fossil Park contains 25 petrified trunks, in total. The 21-hectare preserved area of the park lies about 17 Km from Jaisalmer on the road to Barmer.

Lodurva -

On the outskirts of Jaisalmer, 16 Km from the city, Lodurva is the ancient capital of Bhattis Rajputs and was once a flourishing city but lost most of the splendor when the Bhattis shifted their capital to Jaisalmer. Nevertheless this place is a major tourist attraction and attracts a lot of attention due to ruins of Jain temples. The temples are made of bright yellow sandstones. Though in ruins, the splendors of these Jain temples are clearly visible. The temple walls decorated with the pictures of Lord Parsvanath, the 23rd Jain Tirthankar. The beautiful Jaali works make these temples a piece of marvel. The splendid and dominating arch in the main temple building is typical of the Dilwara style of temple architecture. The most mesmerizing experience will be the peacock dance amid exotic Lodurva ruins. Yes, Peacocks are a great pull and they are in plenty here.

Mool Sagar -

Situated 8 km west of Jaisalmer, this is another pleasant, but rather neglected, small garden and tank. It belongs to the Royal family of Jaisalmer and was originally built as a cool summer retreat. The major attraction of this place is a Shiva temple, which is said to be constructed out of just two large blocks of sandstones. There are numerous wells, the Moolsagar Garden and a splendid Raj Mahal built on its premises. Maharaja Moolsagar was known for his patronage to art and artisans and that becomes pretty evident when you come across some great murals on the palace walls.

Sam Sand Dunes & enjoy ride on Camel back in the desert -

There is no point coming to the Thar Desert if you don't go for the Desert Safari. That is why Sam sand dunes are becoming the major attraction in Jaisalmer. This is the closest place from where you can loose yourself in 'the Great Thar Desert'. Sam has a truly magnificent stretch of sweeping dunes, with sparse or no vegetation. The best way to get here, of course, is on camelback.

Join a camel caravan at Jaisalmer on your Rajasthan tours and ride along the breathtaking crests and troughs. Enjoy the romance of solitude as your camel takes you deep in the hearts of the Thar Desert. Put yourself in the camp and experience the sun setting behind the horizon. Organize a bonfire with the fellow tourists in the night and enjoy the rustic and earthy music and dance of Rajasthan.

In the month of February/March, this whole place turns into a cultural hub. The desert festival organized amid these dunes is the showcase of Rajasthani culture as a whole. Open-air cultural extravaganzas, puppet shows, folk dance performances, camel races, competitions and general festivities mark this annual event that is held with great pomp and show at the Sam Sand dunes in Jaisalmer.

Desert festival -

Desert Festival is organized by the Department of Tourism, Art & Culture over three days in Jan/Feb every year. This is the best time to visit Jaisalmer to witness many performing arts like Kalbelia dances and folk songs and music. It has become very popular worldwide. Apart from sight-seeing and cultural programs, several competitions are arranged in this festival. These competitions have become extremely popular.