The Golden City - Jaisalmer

THE GOLDEN CITY - JAISALMER :-

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Jaisalmer is situated in the heart of the desert known as Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. This city is also known as the Golden City of India. This town is situated on the border of yellowish sandstone and the fort adds more beauty to the city. The city was founded by Rawal Jaisal Bhati ruler in 1156 AD . The city was named after Rawal Jaisal . The literal meaning of Jaisalmer is the “Hill fort of Jaisal”. In 2013, it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO . The quarter of a population still lives inside the fort and the main attractions inside the Fort are the Royal Palace, Jain temple and Laxminath Temple. Jaisalmer is famous for its architecture, for its history and the beautiful view which you can experience if you visit some special places of Jaisalmer. So if you visit Jaisalmer these are the points which you can’t miss and if you miss then you will regret it. 

Let’s get more familiar about the places :

1. Jaisalmer Fort: The first and the most important place is Jaisalmer Fort which is also known as Golden Fort of Rajasthan. As I told you before it was constructed by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD. It is one of the largest Forts of the world.  It beautifully shows the Rajasthani architecture, the golden and yellow colour of sandstone gives a magical look to the fort.

2. Bada Bagh: The construction of Bada Bagh was started by Maharaja Jait Singh and completed by his son LunaKaran after his death in the 16th century. Bada Bagh literal meaning is Huge Garden. The garden served as a memorial of nobles and their families were cremated. The place is isolated and if you visit during sunrise or sunrise the beautiful clicks are assured.

3. Patwon- Ki -Haveli: It is located in the main city and it is built by a famous trader Guman Chand and his sons. The Haveli is divided into 5 sections and the first section is privately owned which is converted into a museum. The entire Haveli is made up of yellowstone. The huge corridors and decorated walls adds more beauty in the architecture of the Haveli.

4. Thar Heritage Museum: It was founded by Lakshmi Narayan Khatri. The museum chose the history, architecture, culture and art of the famous Thar Desert. Sea fossils tell a  lot about the sea which eventually became the Thar Desert. It also has unique ornaments of Camels and horses. There is also a collection of some documents and coins of Jaisalmer and ancient manuscripts and weapons.

5. Jain Temple : It is located inside the fort. Jain temples are the series of Jain Tirthankaras. Each part of the temple is decorated with mirrors, frescoes and carvings. It also has Gyan Bhandar, a library which attracts many tourists.  

6. Sam Sand Dunes: If you visit a desert then the desert safari is necessary. Sam Sand Dunes is the perfect location to set off for the Desert Safari. The safaris can be enjoyed on camels as well as on jeeps.

7. Gadisar lake: It was constructed by Raja Rawal Jaisal and reconstructed Maharawal Garsi in the year 1367 AD. The locals of the desert City depended on this tank for their water needs. There are some temples on the bank of the lake. The view of the entrance is so mesmerizing.

8. Kuldhara : If you are obsessed with a Ghost story then you must visit Kuldhara which is an abandoned ghost town . It was once a prosperous town occupied by Paliwal Brahmins. The reasons for why a whole village was abandoned within a night is not clear but the popular belief holds the then state minister Salim Singh responsible for the same. The minister wanted to marry the village chief’s daughter and therefore delivered an ultimatum to the village chief to accept his demands or let the whole community face dire consequences. Rather than giving in to the minister’s demands, the whole village decided to move away. Before leaving, they cursed this place to never have any kind of human settlement and this has been proven true to this date. Visit Kuldhara to get a glimpse of the past and get spooked by its tales.

These are some places one can visit  and make their trip memorable.