History of Jaisalmer Fort – it spans to the length of 800 years. This is the second largest fort in the state of Rajasthan. Another incredible specialty of the particular fort is this. It is regarded as one of the living forts of the world. 25% of the old city’s population still resides within the four walls of the Jaisalmer Fort. Also known as the Sonar Quila, the archeological masterpiece retains its position as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites.
If you exactly want to know when the Jaisalmer Fort was built, it dates back to 1156 AD. It was built by the Rajput ruler named Jaisal, from whom the fort derives its name.
Exclusive features of Jaisalmer Fort
If you look at the overall architecture of the fort, it changes shades. The massive walls of the fort would take a tawny lion’s tinge during the day. This is mainly because the rays of the sun fall upon the extraordinary fort building. It changes to a golden honey shade as you experience sun-set during the evening. This is the primary reason as to why this magnanimous fort has aptly been named ‘Sonar Quila’ or the Golden Fort.
Do you want to know how the fort looks today? It stands amid the mighty Thar Desert across the southern edge of the state. The Sonar Quila or the Jaisalmer fort is also a major tourist attraction or a fabulous hub among vacationers. The exteriors of the fort and its massive walls are made available for vacationers to see, as the reflection of the building extends far beyond the glimpses of where it is located. In other words, you have the fortification of the fort visible for many miles around.
Dwelling more into the history of Jaisalmer Fort
When the Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal was faced with a nine-year trial by the Sultan forces under the leadership of Aladdin Khalji, things took a violent turn. This incident is said to have provoked the ruler Jaisal. He decided while he was sitting on a treasure caravan. He wanted to lay a raid on the Bhati road to agitate with the forces that tried capturing him.
By the end of the siege, the people staying in the vicinity anticipated defeat. Jaisal was to be thrown out of the kingdom to be occupied by Aladdin Khalji. Women, therefore, committed Jauhar. In other words, they started committing suicide to avoid the brutal treatment of foreign invaders. These included capture, enslavement, and rape by any of the foreign invaders. All this was done anticipating defeat in certain areas of the sub-continent.
Menfolk too met their fatal end while fighting forces at the battlefield. The fort has been attacked by several Mughal leaders in envisages. The occupancy of the fort remained abandoned for quite some time.
The British then started taking over. The maritime growth of trade and commerce across the Bombay port led to the gradual economic decline the history of Jaisalmer Fort. Though the fort has lost its economic importance, Brahmin and Rajput communities continue to occupy the premises of the fort even today. There are around 4000 families that stay within the fort walls. With the slow increase in the area’s population, some of the residents have moved to the foot of the Trikuta hills. The brief covers Jaisalkot- history of Jaisalmer Fort.
The architecture of the fort
You will be learning more about the architectural depth; the fort carries within its whim. The Fort is 1,500 meters high and 750 meters wide. It was built at the elevation of 250 meters above the hill-top. This is how one can view the fortification of the walls, even from the surrounding countryside areas. The base of the fort is 15 feet tall. This covers the fort’s outer-most ring. One gets a mesmerizing view of the triple-ringed defense architecture.
Now, let us have a look into bastions or towers of the fort. Each bastion or the tower of the fort has an inner perimeter spanning 2.5 mi or 4 km long. The fort now has 99 such towers or bastions. Almost 92 of them were built during 1633-47. It is therefore incredible to know how the archeological remains of the fort stay intact, till date. The four entry gates that lead you into the fort’s premises look magnificent and enchanting.
What can you find inside the Fort’s Citadel?
The points have been bulleted and given to you in an easy to understand format.
- You can find four massive gateways that land you into the main citadel bay. You will be required to pass into each of them. As a vacationer, this is a fabulous experience indeed. You can explore the other intricate details of the mighty fort, one by one.
- Have a look at the spending palace named ‘The Raj Mahal Palace.’ This was the actual throne of the Maharaja or ruler of Jaisalmer.
- You can view pretty looking Jain Temples inside the premises of the Fort. There are nearly 7 of them. Each of these was built during the 12th Century AD. There was this great man named Askaran Chopra of Merta. A massive temple was constructed by him in the name of Sambhavantha. The temple houses more than 600 idols coupled with ancient architecture.
- The Laxminath temple of Jaisalmer is again a must-visit spiritual place as the temple is hugely dedicated to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu.
- You can also discover age-old Havelis built by yesteryear Rajput rulers. These Havelis have arched walls coupled with decorated windows. The balconies look splendid indeed. You have many rooms in each of these Havelis. Some of the Havelis have turned into museums in Jaisalmer. But many of them are still occupied by families whose ancestors had built them in the first place.
Now that you have a detailed guide on Jaisalkot- the history of Jaisalmer fort and its surrounding architecture, it is time you plan your holiday and make your bookings well in advance.