Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer also named as "The Golden city", is a one of the most popular city and a district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The Jaisalmer town is the administrative headquarters of the district. In the year 1156 AD, the Jaisalmer town was established by Maharawal Jaisal after shifted his capital from Ludharva which is 18 Kms away from Jaisalmer. It is located at a distance of 575 kilometres from Jaipur. The name of this city is the symbol of absolute magic and liveliness of the desert. The city suggests the love, kindness and colour of people which is simply overwhelming.

Jaisalmer Fort is the prime attraction and established in 12th century. The magnificent havelis and temples which were constructed by rich vendors of Jaisalmer are other interesting aspects of the beautiful town. The desert castle is truly a major attraction in the Thar Desert. The city was named after Bhati Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, who originated Jaisalmer in 1156 AD.

Jaisalmer is almost completely a sandy area, forming a part of the huge Indian desert. Jaisalmer has a hot and dry weather. In daytime, it becomes difficult to go out because of hot and burning climate, but as the night falls, the temperature of the desert goes down noticeably.

Jaisalmer- The District

Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan state have three sub-divisions which are Pokaran, Fatehgarh and Jaisalmer. The district has 3 tehsils with the same name.  It has 2 Nagar Palikas, Jaisalmer and Pokaran and 128 Gram Panchayats under which 744 villages falls. The district has 3 Panchayat Samities that are Sam, Sankra and Jaisalmer which are responsible for all developmental activities in the region. Jhinjhinyali is 100 km away from Jaisalmer headquarters and is gram panchayat in Sam samiti. The village with the similar name is ruling or controlling village of Jaisalmer.

History

In the year 1156 AD, the place Jaisalmer was established by Maharawal Jaisal. The word “Jaisalmer" means the Hill Fort of Jaisal. Because the yellow sandstone and the yellow sand used in almost in all architecture of the city, it is also called as “The Golden City”. In 1293, the Bhattis so infuriated the king Ala-ud-din Khilji that his army sacked the fort and city of Jaisalmer, for this reason the place was deserted for quite some time. Many Bhatti's from the Royal family shifted to Jaisal which falls under Pakistan now and some moved to Talwandi which falls under Nankana Sahib Distt. The major enemies of the Bhati Rajputs were the influential and powerful Rathor family of Bikaner and Jodhpur. Jaisalmer was one of the last states to sign an agreement with the British.

Culture and People of Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer district is well-known for its art- work, architecture, traditions and culture. The folk music and classical music of desert count for long traditions and also reveals the life of desert. People of Jaisalmer are very cheerful, supportive, and friendly. On top of all, they have great power of tolerance. In most of the families, majorly females stay at home and males go out to work. Over 80% of the population of Jaisalmer lives in rural areas.

The life of desert people is very difficult as compared to the life in other cities in India. Despite the hardship, people are contented and happy. One must to see the desert’s life style in Jaisalmer villages which is far away from city.

Jaisalmer Fort

Jaisalmer Fort is located on the Meru Hill and called as Trikoot Garh had faced many battles. The fort is one of the most renowned forts in the region and was established in 1156 by the Bhati Rajput ruler Jaisal. Its giant sandstone walls are a yellowish-brown lion colour as the sun sets, turning to a miraculous honey-gold. The scene grabs the attention of many tourists in the fort. Jain temples, Laxminath temple and Raj Mahal also known as Royal palace are the major attractions inside the fort. About a quarter of city's population still live inside the fort.

Jain Heritage of Jaisalmer

Jain community has enhanced the place Jaisalmer greatly. It has festooned the city with marvellous temples, especially the temples dedicated to 23rd Tirthankara, Parshva and the 16th Tirthankara, Shantinath which all counts for the beauty of the Jaisalmer. One can find the atypical of the artefacts and manuscripts of Jain tradition in the oldest libraries of India which are possessed by Jaisalmer. Amarsagar, Lodarva, Pokharan and Brahmsar are the major places where crowd of pilgrims can be seen.

Gadsisar Lake

The lake was excavated by Rawal Gadsi Singh in 1367.The rainwater lake is surrounded by shrines and temples and is famous for its scenic beauty. In ancient time, this lake was used as the main source water in Jaisalmer.

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