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Jaisalmer
is a great place to simply
wander. The old city was once
completely surrounded by an
extensive wall, much of which
has sadly been ripped away in
recent times for building
material. Some of it remains,
however, including the city
gates and, inside them, the
massive fort which rises above
the city and is the essence of
Jaisalmer. The main market area
is directly below the hill,
while the banks, the new palace
and several other shops and
offices are near the Amar Sagar
Gate to the west.
Jaisalmer’s past glories can be
seen in its impressive golden
fort on Trikuta Hill that
dominates the horizon. The fort
houses a township with markets,
palaces, temples and exquisite
carved sandstone havelis. |
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Main Attractions of
Jaisalmer |
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Jaisalmer Fort |
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Jaisalmer Fort is
a magnificient monument
in Jaisalmer. The
Jaisalmer fort is the
second oldest fort in
Rajasthan after
Chittorgarh. Jaisalmer
fort is also known as
the "Sonar Quila" or the
Golden fort. This fort
was built by the Bhatti
Rajput chieftain Rawal
Jaisal in 1156 AD.
The five storey fort
adorns itself with
balconies and windows
that displays some of
the finest masonry work,
while the interior is
painted and tiled in
typical Rajput style.
The bastions envelops a
whole township that
consist of palace
complex, the havelis of
rich merchants, several
temples and the
residential complexes of
the armies and
merchants. |
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Jain Temples |
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Jain
Temples situated in the
Jaisalmer Fort are a
must visit site in
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
You will find these
temples to be very old
and high pilgrimage as
well as archeological
value attached to them.
These are a group of
Jain temples dating back
12th and 15th centuries
and are dedicated to
various Jain Tirthankars
(Hermits). On the walls
of the temples, you can
find animal & human
figures, carved in
famous Dilwara style.
These temples are built
in the Dilwara style
that is famous all over
the world for its
architecture. The style
got its name from the
famous 'Dilwara Temples'
situated on Mount Abu, a
famous Hill station and
pilgrimage destination
in Rajasthan. |
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Desert Culture |
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Desert
cultural center and
museum is a place where
you will get to know
about the rich cultural
heritage and customs of
Jaisalmer, a popular
destination in
Rajasthan. So if you are
short on time and cannot
mug up in library, this
is the place to be. The
place is well maintained
and harbors rare coins
and manuscript related
to Jaisalmer history and
the history of Rajasthan
in whole.
This museum has some
eye-catching collection
of traditional
Rajasthani textiles,
utensils, weapons,
musical instruments and
fossils. One thing that
is very popular among
foreigners is 'Karal',
the traditional opium
mixing box. The place
regularly organizes
showcase programs for
tourists. Try to get
there before the
mentioned time in order
to avoid rush.
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Gadsisar Lake |
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Gadsisar
Lake is one of the major
tourist attractions of
Jaisalmer. Just leave
the madding crowd behind
and venture towards the
outskirts and you will
find yourself next to
the famous Gadsisar
Lake. Contrary to the
popular belief, it is
not an oasis but a water
conservation tank made
around 1400 A.D. by the
then maharaja of
Jaisalmer, Maharwal
Gadsi Singh. Can you
believe this structure
just outside the city
walls once acted as a
reservoir that
controlled the entire
supply of water to the
arid city!
This place was selected
because it had a certain
amount of declivity
already and it
automatically retained
some of the rainwater.
If you are lucky and
venture out in winters,
you might get to see a
variety of migratory
birds. |
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A Stay To Remember |
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There are number of hotels in
Jaisalmer
which provide comfortable
stay to its visitors. The hotel
category may vary from deluxe to
budget. All the hotels are
present with requisite
facilities. |
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