Jaisalmer nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located 575 kilometres (357 mi) west from the state capital Jaipur. 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.
Origin of name
Jaisalmer is named after its founder Raja Jaisal a Rajput king.[1] "Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal". Jaisalmer is sometimes called the "Golden City of India" because the yellow sand gives a yellowish-golden tinge to the city and its surrounding area.
Jaisalmer was one of the last states to sign a treaty with the British. During the British Raj, Jaisalmer was the seat of a princely state of the same name, ruled by the Bhati clan of Rajputs. The present descendant is Brijraj Singh. Though the city is under the governance of the Government of India, a lot of welfare work is carried out by him and his family. The Royal Family still commands a lot of respect from the people.[citation needed]
Transport
Jaisalmer is the terminus of a Broad gauge branch railway of Indian Railways, which joins with the main system at Jodhpur. The Palace on Wheels has a scheduled stop at Jaisalmer. During Desert Festival which is held during the month of January and February Kingfisher flights are also available.Jaisalmer is highly connected by road also. Many sleeper and sitting buses ply between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, Jaipur, Barmer, Bikaner throughout the year.
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
- 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.
- Haveli Shreenath :haveli The Vyas family built this lovely haveli Shreenath Palace - Hotel in Jaisalmer in the 15 th Century, and descendants of this family live here today. Shreenath Palace - Hotel in Jaisalmer was once inhabited by the Prime Minister of Jaisalmer, and guest are invited to stay in these rooms – there are only five available for the hotel – and join the Vyas family in enjoying this architectural treasure, and feel like aMaharaja for a few days. Some of the doors and ceilings are wonderful examples of old carved wood from many hundreds of years ago. Some of the doors have brass or iron fittings.
Get in
By plane
A military airstrip has recently been opened to limited civilian flights, with Kingfisher planning to offer flights to Delhi. A new, dedicated airport is planned for 2011.
By train
There is a direct train service from Old Delhi. Delhi- Jaisalmer Express "Shalimar Exp", departure time at 5.30pm, reaches jaisalmer at 11.30 am next morning. When arriving by train you will pass the station of Pokharan, India's nuclear testing area!
By bus
By car
Approximate road distances from various destinations are
| Agra | 800 km |
| Ajmer | 440 km |
| Bikaner | 330 km |
| Jaipur | 570 km |
| Jodhpur | 300 km |
| Mumbai | 1140 km |
| New Delhi | 800 km |
| Udaipur | 575 km |
By camel
Another option is to arrive by camel; Jaisalmer is famous for camel trips. The most grueling is the 14 day trip from Bikaner. When booking a few days in the desert on a camel, remember to shop around in order to get the quality you pay for.
Get around
The small city can be easily covered by foot but bikes are also available for rent (near Desert Boy's) to explore the city and outside
See
One of the most magnificent attractions is the Jaisalmer Fort known as the "Sonar Kila" due to the yellow stone it was built out of.
GadiSar Lake: is a rainwater lake which supplies water to the city. It is surrounded by temples and tombs of saints. Boat rides are offered. Nearby is the desert cultural centre and a local museum built out of the collections of a local schoolteacher Mr N.K.Sharma. This centre conducts puppet show in the morning and evening
Jaisalmer Fort:
Jaisalmer fort is also known as the “Sonar Quila”. Colourful shades of the setting sun and golden hues of the desert ambience give a fairy tale look to this mega structured fort. The interior of this fort is amazing. Tourists can also visit many havelis of rich merchants, which are also having a touch of great classical interior and design.
Jain Temple: There are 7 beautifully curved temples built inside the fort walls. These temples were built in between from 12th century to 15th century. All the temples are connected by walkways and corridors. It is compulsory to remove your shoes, and all other leather articles (belts, wallets, purses etc...) before entering any Jain temple. The very first temple which a tourist can visit is dedicated to Chandraprabhu, who is the eight tirthankar (Jain God). The symbol of the God Chandraprabhu is the moon. This temple was built in 1509. It is built with fine stones.
Do
Just chill, Jaisalmer is a lovely and very relaxing place. Plan at least two days and add time you want to have in the desert. Go for a stroll, visit the palace and do the camel safari (trips available from a few hours to 14 days). If you do not feel remotely attracted to camels, try a jeep safari into the desert to see the scenery and watch the sun go down. Below the fort are several magnificent havelis with intricate stone carving. Several can be visited for minimal charges and are well worth seeking out. It is more comfortable to wander in the city before 9am when there is not many tourists, less shops opened/hassle and still fresh air.
Camel safari is organized by different tour operators and travel agents in Rajasthan. Most of the camel safaris are organized in Bikaner, Osian, Jaisalmer and Pushkar. This camel safari trip can be of 2 to 7 days and if someone wishes to extend it, it can go up to one month. Short trips give a glimpse of the desert to the tourists. Jaisalmer is the land of desert and most of the camel safaris start from this city. In most of the trips, one camel is allotted to one person and a camel cart is also provided with the group which carries all the food material, tents and other stuff. Typical operators for desert/camel safari in Jaisalmer are
- sahara travel. ~1000Rs/pers/night (non-negociated price). edit
Buy
The usual: in Jaisalmer this means items made of >camel leather >embroidery-silk and cotton. Most of the works are done locally or by the 'widows' of villages. There is a shop inside the fort just opposite the 'German Bakery' which has a good collection of the handcrafted garments and bedsheets. >silver jewelry. >Antiques (knives, swords, utensils etc) Within the fort there is an amazing silver artist named Roop Kashore. His custom, hand made rings are worth checking out. Local advice is to seek out shops outside of the fort for better value and service.
Eat
Lots of local eateries which offer sumptuous lunches and dinners for a measly Rs 20.
- 8July, Just inside the fort walls. Owned and run by a lovely husband and wife couple and boast home made apple pie and vegimite toast, mostly organic and all prepared fresh to order. They also make their own homemade ice cream. There is outdoor seating that overlooks the bustling rickshaw pick up and drop area just inside the fort walls which is fun to watch. The spaghetti and pizza are highly recommended!! edit
- Artist Hotel Restaurant Near the sunset view point - in the middle of the Jaisalmer artist colony. The very best food in town(50Rs). Everything is made fresh. You will get western (also nice Austrian food) food as well as very nice Indian dishes. The restaurant is placed on rooftop and you can enjoy your meal while listening to rajastani music performed live! The service is not good at all...specially if you are Indian! The service is pathetic and the surroundings are dirty! Best avoided!
- Desert Haveli Guest House (Jaisalmer India), In the national museum/monument fort of Jaisalmer (Nr to jain temples), +912992251555, [1]. 24. This exotic heritage hotel is situated in the national monument/museum Jaisalmer fort at high altitude on the rampart, in a closed ended street. It offers the unique experience of staying in an ancient historical fort. This is the ONLY place which provides tourists with a golden opportunity to stay in a building that was once alloted as a place of residence to a noble person who held the position of Divisional Magistrate. It has been converted into a popular guest house with due permission from the archeological survey department. 2000.00. edit
- The Jaisal Treat ((A Multicuisine Restaurant)), Near Hanuman Circle (Geeta Ashram Road), +91 9414206055. This is a Multicuisine Restaurant. If you want to have Best meal in your entire tour then go for This Restaurant. They have Full Fort view (Specially at Dinner time Fort covered with Lighting) with candle light. They have best wine (SULA) wight & red both are available. Specially Rajasthani food : In Non vegitarian - Lal Maas, Tanddori Chicken, & Non Veg. Platter And in Vegitarian - Gatta Jaisalmeri, Ker Sangri, Kadhi Pakora. They Have Speciall Bread named Jangi Paratha. edit
- Lakeview Lounge Restaurant, On Fort, Kotri Para, Jaisalmer (On the fort and attached to Hotel Surja), 0091-02992-254138, [3]. 24 Hours. This restaurant serves some of the best food I've had while traveling. The Porridge w/ Banana Honey (40rs), Mushroom Cheese Tomato Burger (65rs) and the 'Speghatti Spinesh Tomato Cheese' (70rs) are highly recommended but almost everything we ate was delicious and reasonably priced for the area. The service is excellent as well because of the speed and courtesy of their staff. The restaurant has some of the best views in all of Jaisalmer, at the second level of the restaurant. They also have free WiFi at the restaurant and the attached Hotel Surja. Mains 40-90. edit
- Seema Restaurant, Just outside the fort.. The main appeal is everything is made fresh. Only bad thing is the restaurant is a little dingy. Really good and cheap food (50Rs). edit
- Anchal Sweet Shop, In main market. Fresh Kachori & Samosa. edit
- The Seven Spice Restaurant, Gandhi Chowk (Maansarowar Guest House), 9571634057. 0700 - 2300. the seven spice restaurant give you a real taste of Indian spice with Indian cuisine or Tibetan food. located at heart of the city with nice market view. best sunset location 100 - 350. edit
- Midtown restaurant (eating meeting point), gopa chowk (main gopa chowk), 9414052144, [4]. 7am to 11 pm. we presenting our special menu with great indian,chinese,continantle,italian food with rajasthani cousin. the unique view of The Golden Fort. watch the sunrise and natural light reflection on golden fort....and in dinner time fort covered with yello lighting...try our homemade Dutch Apple Pie.
Drink
Drink delectable bhang lassi at the government authorized shop close to the entrance of the fort. Packs of bhang-infused cookies and chocolates are also available for takeaway, and can be savored on trips into the desert to great effect.
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