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              JAISALMER TRAVEL GUIDE

Jaisalmer  nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the state of Rajasthan. The
town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the
palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples are finely
sculptured. It lies in the heart of the Thar Desert and has a population of about
78,000. It is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer District.

Jaisalmer is named after its founder Rawal Jaisal (see History). "Jaisalmer" means
"the Hill Fort of Jaisal". Jaisalmer is also called as the Golden city of India because
the yellow sand gives a yellowish-golden touch to the city & its surrounding area.

The majority of the inhabitants of Jaisalmer are Bhati Rajputs, who take their name
from an ancestor named Bhatti, renowned as a warrior when the tribe 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. Deoraj, a famous prince of the
Bhati family, is esteemed the real founder of the Jaisalmer dynasty, and with him the
title of rawal commenced. In 1156 Rawal Jaisal, the sixth in succession from Deoraj,
founded the fort and city of Jaisalmer, and made it his capital as he moved from his
former capital at Lodhruva (which is situated about 15 km to the south-east of
Jaisalmer). In 1294, the Bhatis so enraged the emperor Ala-ud-din Khilji that his
army captured and sacked the fort and city of Jaisalmer, so that for some time it was
quite deserted. After this there is nothing to record till the time of Rawal Sahal Singh,
whose reign marks an epoch in Bhati history in that he acknowledged the
supremacy of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Jaisalmer princes had now
arrived at the height of their power, but from this time till the accession of Rawal
Mulraj in 1762 the fortunes of the state rapidly declined, and most of its outlying
provinces were lost. In 1818 Mulraj entered into political relations with the British.
Maharawal Salivahan, born in 1887, succeeded to the chiefship in 1891.

The Maharajas of Jaisalmer trace their lineage back to Jaitsimha, a ruler of the Bhati
Rajput clan. The major opponents of the Bhati Rajputs were the powerful Rathor
clans of Jodhpur and Bikaner. They used to fight battles for the possession of forts,
waterholes or cattle. Jaisalmer was positioned strategically and was a halting point
along a traditional trade route traversed by the camel caravans of Indian and Asian
merchants. The route linked India to Central Asia ,Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and
the West.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Time zone         IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                   5.1 kmē (2 sq mi)
Elevation           225 m (738 ft)
District(s)          Jaisalmer
Population        58,286 (2001)
Density              11,429/kmē (29,601/sq mi)


PLACE TO VISIT

Jaisalmer 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. The famous Indian film director Satyajit Ray wrote a detective novel and later
turned it into a film – Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) which was based on this
fort. This is a living fort and about a quarter of city's population still live inside the fort.
The main attractions inside the fort are: Raj Mahal (Royal palace), Jain temples and
the Laxminath temple.

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 centres 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 - Bult 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 National Park - near the town of Jaisalmer. This is one of the largest
national parks, covering an area of 3162 kmē. The Desert National Park is an
excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. Sand dunes form around
20% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake
bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes. Despite a fragile ecosystem there
exists an abundance of birdlife. The endangered Great Indian Bustard is one
magnificent bird found in relatively fair numbers. It migrates locally in different
seasons. The region is a haven 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, Laggar Falcons and kestrels are the
commonest of these. Sand grouse are spotted near small ponds or lakes. The most
suitable time to visit the area is between November and January.


HOW TO REACH

Can easily be reached by train, bus or car-taxi from Jodhpur or by bus from Bikaner.
A daily bus runs to and from Jaipur. There is a direct train service from Delhi When
arriving by train you will pass the station of Pokharan, India's nuclear testing area!
Another option is to arrive by camel, Jaisalmer is famous for camel trips. The most
gruelling is the 14 day trip from Bikaner.