Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
PDF Jaisalmer
Amar Sagar
What is it? Historical city with a taste of the Thar
Where is it? Rajasthan
When do I go? November to March
For how long? Three days
STD code: 02992
In the evening, look west and you will see how Jaisalmer won its sobriquet, The Golden City. The sand-yellow buildings begin to glow, gold in the setting rays of the sun. This is the desert town to beat all desert towns, rising like a heat-induced illusion in the middle of the dunes. Jaisalmer was once the overland halting point for caravans. As the ports of India — specifically Surat and Mumbai developed Jaisalmer began to fade in trade significance. But it is still a glorious experience. Block out the ubiquitous touts and the garish signboards and look at the brilliant red odhnis the women wear instead. Focus on the rolling dunes outside the city and the magnificent delicate tracery on the walls. There is nothing quite like Jaisalmer anywhere in the world. And if Jaisalmer seems to know this a little too well, perhaps that can be forgiven too.
Legends of the city:
Rajasthan lends itself very easily to romance and the story of Moomal and Mahendra is as beautiful as the land. Moomal was a Rajasthani princess whose beauty attracted many suitors, but none succeeded in gaining her affections. Until there came prince Mahendra who won her heart. With the aid of Moomal’s maid he gained access to her bedroom and made nightly trysts. One day Moomal’s sister, who was dying to meet him, persuaded Moomal to let her attend her bedchamber disguised as a minstrel. Another version says that the sister normally dressed in men’s clothes and that day was no different.
That night however, Mahendra’s wives, suspicious of his absence, kept him from leaving, and he didn’t arrive at Moomal’s until dawn.
To his horror, he found her asleep in bed with a boy, and grief-stricken and disgusted stormed out of the house. In the months that followed, Mahendra’s health deteriorated with the shock, but he refused to so much as open Moomal’s letters. Finally, Moomal disguised herself as a man and set out to find him. She eventually tracked him down and, joining him in a game of chokar (a board game), and noticed that he was crying. She asked him the reason, ‘It is the birthmark on your hand’, he explained, ‘it reminds me of my lost love’. Moomal revealed her identity, and told him what had happened. They fell helplessly into each other’s arms, but alas, the joy of meeting after so long proved too much for them and they both died of the shock. Little remains of Moomal’s palace, but what there is can still be seen by the bank of the River Kak, which they say has never flowed since that day.
Climate
End October to early March is the best time. December and January are bitingly cold. Avoid April to September, temperatures can soar to 45°C. Jaisalmer has low humidity so even if the sun is a trifle bright, you do not sweat.
About Jaisalmer
History
Rawal Jaisal, a Bhatti Rajput, laid the foundation of this city in 1156 AD, as a shift from his former capital at Lodhruva. Some historians trace the roots of the city further back to a ruler of the same clan, Jaitsimha. As legend has it, a Brahmin hermit told Jaisal that Krishna and Arjuna had come here and they prophesied that a ruler would one day build a fort along the ridge known as Trikuta or triple peaked hill. That hill is where the Jaisalmer fort now stands.
In the 13th century, Alauddin Khilji, the emperor of Delhi attacked Jaisalmer to retrieve a caravan filled with treasure seized by the Bhattis. Jaisalmer was under siege for nine years and when they couldn’t hold out anymore, the women committed johar and the men fought their last battle. Jaitsimha’s son Duda perished in the attack.
Duda’s descendents ruled over the place for a couple of hundred years. In 1541, the city rose to arms against the Moghul emperor Humayun who was on his way to Ajmer. But despite this, the relationship between the Moghuls and Jaisalmer was not always hostile marital alliances saw peace for a time. Emperor Akbar was married to one of the Jaisalmer princesses.
Then came the noble Sabala Simha, who won the patronage of the Emperor Shah Jahan for services rendered in the Peshawar campaign. Although he did not have a legitimate claim to the throne, he was allowed to rule Jaisalmer.
Jaisalmer grew in strength (with territories annexed from the bordering districts of Bikaner and Jodhpur) and riches (by levying taxes on caravans passing through Jaisalmer to Delhi). Its location on the main trade route linking India to Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and the West helped. Though the glory of Jaisalmer faded when sea trade replaced the old land routes, for a while there was peace and prosperity and the arts and religion flourished. Within the fort you will see both Hindu and particularly beautiful Jain temples, while the rulers were Hindu they were tolerant toward Jainism.
The prosperity of Jaisalmer is reflected in the magnificent havelis the townspeople built. Wood and sandstone mansions with intricate carvings can be seen elsewhere in Rajasthan, but no where are they quite as breathtaking.
For long Jaisalmer remained untouched by outside influences and during the British rule, it was the last to sign a treaty with the British. The rise of Bombay as a port city and in 1947, Partition and the staunching of trade routes between Indian and Pakistan, sealed the fate of the city and it lost its preeminent position as a trading route. Indifferent rains also meant constant water shortages. Jaisalmer would have dried up and faded away especially with the attention its cousins, Jaipur and Jodhpur got, but for the Indo-Pak wars. They revealed Jaisalmer’ strategic position and the Indira Gandhi canal was built to restore life to the thirsty city.
Today Jaisalmer is a major tourist destination. In 1997, the Jaisalmer Conservation Initiative (JCI) was formed to encourage sustainable tourism restoration, urban planning and raising local awareness towards the problems facing the fort.
Geography
Jaisalmer is to the west of Rajasthan, 100 km from the border with Pakistan. The city is 285 km from Jodhpur. The old city was surrounded by a wall, but most of it has been torn down for building material. The city gates at the wall remain and within the gate is the fort, which looms above the city. The fort is criss-crossed by a narrow streets. Bhatia market, Jaisalmer’s main market is directly below the hill. Hanuman circle (has a jet fighter a relic from one of the Indo-Pak wars) is outside Amar Sagar Pol, the main entrance to the old city. Sam road is to the east of the circle. Inside Amar Sagar Pol is Gandhi chowk, which is the principal market area. The entrance to the old royal palace is to the right inside the gate area. The same road continues to the north of the fort to Gopa chowk market before it winds its way up to Gadi Sagar Pol, which is the eastern gate of the city. The road from here is called the Gadi Sagar road and ends at Lake Gadisan or Gadi Sagar. If you take a left from the Gadi Sagar Pol you reach the bus stand and the railway station.
Celebrations
January/ February
The Desert Festival : takes place each year. Camel races and dances, folk music, desert ballads, puppet shows and beauty contests are part of the activity. Prices shoot up, so be warned.
February/ March
Holi : The colourful festival of Holi can get quite boisterous.
Location of Jaisalmer
For more information on the following topics, please see our Jaisalmer travel guide below:
- Getting there
- Getting around
- Sights & Sounds
- Excursions
- Accommodation
- Eating Out
- Shopping
- Useful Information
- Survival Guide
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Jaisalmer, Rajasthan A complete guide to Jaisalmer located in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Get all the information you need – getting there, getting away, excursions, sights & sounds, things to do, useful information, etc.
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Rajasthan New! Take the magnificent journey through palaces, temples, museums and national park of the western, desert state of Rajasthan. A complete guide to Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jaipur and Ranthambore National Park. Also, get all the insights into the Palace of Wheels.
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Nice post. Thanks for sharing.