Jaisalmer is a fascinating city in Rajasthan. The city got its name after Rawal Jaisal who found the city in 1156. Jaisalmer popularly known as "The Golden City" because of the yellow sand dunes in the vicinity, which provides a golden colour to the city. Jaisalmer is crowned by a fort, which contains the palaces and several Jain temples.
Jaisalmer is full of numerous artistic constructions and monuments of historical significance. The desolate landscape in surrounding vicinity imparts a look of a dark, severe beauty to the city. Camel Safaris through the desert are most popular among the tourists. Some of the major tourisr attractions in Jaisalmer are:
Jaisalmer Fort: Jaisalmer Fort was built by Rawal Jaisal, the Bhati rajput ruler in 1156. The fort is located on Trikuta hill. This fort has faced many battles. With the sunrise the massive sandstone walls of the forts takes a yellowish color, which turns into a golden as the sunsets. The fort still experiences life as the one-fourth of city’s population resides inside this fort.
Inside the fort there is a complex of Jain temples, which were built during 15th & 16th century. The ceiling of Sabha Mandapa in Jain temple supports a head that is surrounded by five bodies & as one walks around the Mandapa, the head seems to be connected with the five of bodies. The other major attractions in Jaisalmer fort are Raj Mahal or “Royal Palace” and Laxminath temple. Raj Mahal has now been converted into a museum & heritage center.
Gadsisar Lake: Gadsisar lake, a water preservation tank, was constructed by Maharwal Gadsi Singh around 1400 A.D. Earlier the lake acted as a reservoir & controlled the supply of water to the entire parched city. A variety of temples and shrines can be found surrounding the lake. In winters a wide variety of waterfowl flock here. A beautiful gateway known as Tillon Ki prol (Gate of Tillon), was built by royal courtesan named Tillon in the end of 19th century. This gate arches across the road down to the Lake.
· Patwon-ki-Haveli: This is the largest, the most beautiful, and the most elaborate haveli of Jaisalmer. It was build by Guman Chand Patwa and later on by his five sons. This five-storey compound completes in fifty years.
· Salim Singh-ki-Haveli: This eight-storied mansion was build by Salim Singh in 1815, who then was the prime minister of Jaisalmer. The haveli has 38 balconies, each of which is said to have a different design. The monument, when viewed as a whole looks like a great ocean liner, which has a narrow base and expands at the top. That is why the haveli is also called the Jahazmahal or Ship’s Palace.
· Nathmalji-ki-Haveli: Diwan Mohata Nathmal, who was the then Prime Minister of Jaisalmer, constructed this haveli as his residence. The architects of the haveli were two brothers, Hathi and Lulu. The façades of haveli has the sketches of modern amenities such as cars, fans etc on it. It is said that both the brothers have never seen these things before in their lives. They just engraved it with the help of the people, who had seen it.
There are many other forts, palaces and havelis in this bewitching city that have never failed to allure the tourists of the entire globe. It is due to this reason that the numbers of tourists are increasing day by day. Moreover, a lot of vibrant havelis have turned into heritage hotels that provide modern amenities to the tourists during their stay in the Palace. So, you can ensure a world-class heritage stay while your visit to Jaisalmer. Thus the “Golden City” is always waiting for your grand arrival.