Jaisalmer Fort
| Quick Facts |
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| Location: |
Jaisalmer |
| Entrance Fee: |
Rs. 250 (Museum) |
| Timing: |
10 am to 4 pm |
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Perched on the 250 feet high hilltop, Jaisalmer fort is the second oldest fort in Rajasthan (after Chittor) and provides an ecstatic overview of the desert land all around. There are three fort walls and four gates through which we pass to reach the palaces within, namely, Akhai Pole (Ganesh Pole), Suraj Pole, Bhuta Pole and Hawa Pole. There were deliberate sharp turns on the pathway to make it invincible. Sharp turns on the road topped by high defence gateways made it invincible. Meghadamber, an umbrella that symbolizes Lord Krishna perches on the highest point of the place. In the 15th century, the local Jain Panchayat built the first buttress wall. There were subsequent fortifications and additions by the Rawals later.
There are five palaces in the fort - Sarvottam Vilas, Akhai Vilas, Gaj Mahal, Rang Mahal and Moti Mahal - which are interconnected. They have beautifully carved jail screens to protect the interiors from the raging desert storms and scorching heat and delicate and extremely beautiful murals painted on their arches and spandrels. The famous Jain temples located within the fort can be rightfully compared to Dilwara temples in their beauty, ornamentation and splendor.
The rich merchants engaged stone - craftsmen who worked delicately on the sandstone mansions they built, filling up facades with sculptural filigree, screen windows, delicate pavilions and beautiful balconies. Today, these veritable art - museums are still inhabited, and their colourful celebrations and festivals have placed Jaisalmer Fort firmly on the world tourism map.
The golden - yellow sandstone of Jaisalmer Fort, over 800 years old, crowns the Trikuta Hill. Within its walls, defended by 99 turrets, lies the old city, nearly a quarter of modern Jaisalmer. Seen from outside, the sight must be almost identical to what was seen by merchants on their overland camel caravans to central Asia. Once this desert outpost was an important gate for the trade route, and Jaisalmer grew wealthy on the proceeds. But the advent of commercial shipping relegated the town to relative obscurity. |
