The
Jaisalmer Fort looks especially magical when it is light up in the night. It’s
fascinating to wander around this living fort. It’s packed with houses,
temples, handicraft shops, beauty parlours and narrow winding lanes, all of
them paved in stones. Vehicles are not allowed inside, even building
materials have to be carried up by camel carts.
Jaisalmer fort is approached through many gates. The Akshya Pol is the
entrance gate of the fort. Across the road is the Suraj-Pol. The Suraj Pol
is embellished with a figure of Sun. The Hawa Pol (Wind Pol) is an enormous
Gateway, girdled by palaces and courtyard and was constructed during the
17th century AD.
Over the centuries it was the focus of a number of battles between the
Bhattis, the Mughals of Delhi and the Rathores of Jodhpur. This is the
planets‘s only living forts, with about a quater of the old city’s
population residing in it.
Architecture of Jaisalmer Fort in India
Built in 1156 by the Bhatti Rajput ruler Jaisals, and reinforced by the
latter rulers, the Jaisalmer Fort crowns the 80m-high Trikuta Hill. Mounted
atop the almost triangular triple-peaked hill, the fort rises like a sunbeam
from the desert, 250 feet tall, and is reinforced by an imposing crenellated
sandstone wall 30 feet high.
The fort has 99 Bastions around its circumference and is protected by three
walls. The lower wall is of solid stone blocks which reinforce the loose
ruble of which Trikuta Hill is composed. The second wall snakes around the
fort, Above the fort flies the Jaisalmer standard, featuring a chhatri, or
umbrella shaped device against a red and yellow background.
The
fort entrance is through a forbidding series of massive gates via a stone
paved lane leading to a large courtyard. The square was formerly used to
review troops, hear petitions and present extravagant entertainment for
important visitors 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.
Tourist Attractions Near the Jaisalmer Fort
The main attractions within the fort are a group of beautifully carved Jain
temples, built between the 12th and 15th century AD. Also Patwon-ki-Haveli
(House of the Brocade Merchants), Salim Singh ki Haveli and Nathmal ki
Haveli are the few most exquisite monuments of the famous Jaisalmer.
Accommodation in Jaisalmer
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