Jaisalmer nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. 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.
Visitor attractions
Jaisalmer Fort
Built in 1156 by the Bhati Rajput ruler Jaisal, Jaisalmer Fort is situated on Trikuta Hill and had been the scene of many battles. Its massive sandstone walls are a tawny lion colour 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.
Havelis
The main havelis in Jaisalmer are:
- Patwon-ki-Haveli: Guman Chand Patwa (and later by his five sons), a wealthy merchant belonging to powerful Oswal Jain community 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.[7]
- Salam Singh-ki-Haveli: It was built by the scheming Prime Minister Salam 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.
- Simla Haveli': this is a 500 year old building in Jaisalmer fort[8].
- Haveli Shreenath: Prime Minister House Of Jaisalmer This beautiful 450-year-old haveli was once inhabited by the prime minister under the maharaja. The gorgeous archways, alluring alcoves, sizeable rooms opening onto small balconies and rich ambiance must have been grand back in the old days.
Shree Nath Fort Jaisalmer: Heritage Haveli Hotel in Jaisalmer. Shree Nath Palace is a wonderful example of an old Rajasthani haveli, set in the golden fort of Jaisalmer.
- Mehra haveli: Built by Gopikishan Mehra, Mayor of Jaisalmer city. He named Haveli after his grandmother Parwati Davi Parwati Sadan
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