Friday, September 12, 2008

A Memorable Day in Jaisalmer Fort

Are you an avid traveller? Have you ever dreamed of ancient royal castles? Or you wish to explore the massive forts on your own. Ok, then the desert state of Rajasthan ends your long search. In fact, the entire state of Rajasthan is home to a number of picturesque forts and monuments.

Amongst the forts and monuments of Rajasthan, the Jaisalmer Fort is known worldover for its unique molten golden hue. One of the biggest forts of Rajasthan, Jaisalmer Fort looks like a wonder carved out from the vast and rugged breast of Thar Desert. Yellow and crinkly pages of mediaeval history tells that in 1156 AD, the fort was constructed by the Bhatti Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal.

Perched atop the Trikuta Hill, the Jaisalmer fort has witnessed many great battles, fought between valiant heroes. Jaisalmer fort is also known as the Golden fort (Sonar Quila), because it is entirely built of yellow sand stone. Once upon a time, this grand fort used to house the entire population of the city. However, due to the vagaries of time and nature, only a quarter is now present here.

An Architectural Masterpiece

Jaisalmer Fort is noted for its marvellous architecture and beautiful designing patterns. You will find an excellent blending of the Rajput art and Mughal essence in the architecture of this fort. With its spectacular outlook, the Jaisalmer fort mesmerize the tourists at once. Besides, the architectural masterpieces inside the fort leave the visitors speechless.

When you enter the fort, you will find that the entire fort is surrounded by three layers of wall, that is considered as one of its various unique characteristics. The lower layer is made of solid stone blocks and it strengthens loose rubbles of Trikuta Hill. The middle layer has a serpentine pattern running all through the fort. While the rest part was utilized by the Rajput warriors to hurl boiling oil and water, massive stones as missiles upon the enemies. This delicacy in defensive mechanism was even more aggravated by the 99 bastions of the fort. Out of these 99 bastions, 92 were built during 1633-1647 AD. From the lofty walls of the fort, you can have a panoramic view of the entire Jaisalmer city.

Apart from these, the other attractions of this fort are Royal Palace(Raj Mahal), Jain temples, Laxminath Temple and mammoth Merchant Havelis. Each of these attractions are adorned with rich architectural designs.

Plan A Trip to Jaisalmer

Most importantly, Jaisalmer Fort is now the only living fort of the world. When the Sun is about to set, a bewitching honey gold view of the fort totally fascinates you and keep you stand for hours. So, don’t waste your time, just pack up and start for Jaisalmer to fulfill your long dreams.

You can have more info about the Forts of Rajasthan in

No comments: