Amar Sagar Lake

Amar Sagar is a small and beautiful lake cum Oasis and is adjacent to a 17th Century palace called the Amar Singh Palace. Maharawal Akhai Singh built this palace in honor of one of his predecessors Amar Singh. Next to the palace are pavilions with a large stairs leading down to the Amar Sagar Lake. This haveli has been constructed in the pattern of apartments. The Amar Sagar is a five story high haveli and is famous for its murals. Wherever you go in this haveli, you will notice beautiful murals painted with delicate efforts.
You can find many of wells and ponds in the surrounding which have a royal air about them. There is an old Shiva temple in the complex itself. Amar Singh built this because he was supposed to be an ardent follower of Lord Shiva,a Hindu God related to destruction.

Bada Bagh

Cenotaphs At Bada Bagh

Bada Bagh, which literally means 'Big Garden', is located on the Ramgarh road. It was commissioned by Maharawal Jait Singh in the early 16th century and completed by his son Lunakaran after his death.
The site has three different things to watch, a garden, a tank and a dam. In the vicinity itself you will find Govardhan Stambh (pillar). This pillar was constructed to commemorate the construction of the Dam and the tank. In the local dialect the Dam and the tank are known as Jait Bandh and the Jait Sar respectively. It is believed that these are based on the name of the man who constructed them. The Jait Bandh is a dominating structure. It is about 1,200 feet in length and 350 feet in width. If you observe it closely you will notice that this has been built out of solid blocks of stone. The same material has been used for the construction of well as well as the tank.
Cenotaph Other interesting monuments in the vicinity are the Cenotaphs. These cenotaphs also known as chattris and were constructed by the various Bhatti rulers. One cenotaph has been erected for each ruler. The oldest among them is the cenotaphs of Maharawal Jait Singh who reigned from 1470-1506. This tradition was discontinued when in 1947, one of the prince died of a mysterious disease. This was taken as a bad omen and thus this tradition came to its end.

Khuri Sand Dunes

Crimson Red Evening On Sand Dunes

Mud And Straw Houses

Khuri sand dunes are slowly picking up in the must visit charts of tourists. If you find Sam sand dunes a bit crowded then you can very well opt for Khuri sand dunes. Situated just 40 K.M. off the town, Khuri is a must visit for tourists seeking solitude in the desert. It is a peaceful place with houses of mud and straw decorated like the patterns of Persian carpets.
The Khuri sand dunes offer you a memorable experience in the land of the Rajputs. Enjoy the ride on camel back and let the place itself take you to its mesmerizing heights. Get closer to the local way of living with a close view of thatched straw roofs, camels, narrow streets and the local bazaar. At the night, organize a campfire with the fellow tourists (if any) and listen to the songs of 'Kalbeliyas'.
You can also try Rajasthani cuisine for a change and just keep looking on sand dunes as it changes its hue during different parts of day. And say adieu to the sun as it sets behind the crimson red sand dunes.

Mool Sagar

Mool Sagar Lake

Mool Sagar Garden

Situated 8 K.M. west of Jaisalmer, this is another pleasant, but rather neglected, small garden and tank. It belongs to the Royal family of Jaisalmer and was originally built as a cool summer retreat. The major attraction of this place is a Shiva temple, which is said to be constructed out of just two large blocks of sandstones.
Maharawal Moolraj II built the Moolsagar complex in 1815 AD. You will find numerous wells, the Moolsagar Garden and a splendid Raj Mahal built on its premises. Maharaja Moolsagar was known for his patronage to art and artisans and that becomes pretty evident when you come across some great murals on the palace walls. He definitely had a considerable influence on the wazirs and land-lords. Therefore his patronage to the art and architecture was resonated among his nobles and subjects. It was mainly due to his efforts that so many lovely palaces and structures were built in that period which was influenced by both the Mughal and Rajput schools of art.

Phalodi

Interiors Of The Haveli

Jharokhas

Located 141 km from Jodhpur District headquarters, Phalodi is an old caravan center in the Thar Desert. This town was a trading center being on the land route from North Western India into Central India. The area saw a lot of movement in those times. Though various rulers ruled this city, it was originally under the rule of Rao Maldev Rathore of Jodhpur. Thereafter for a short while this town came under the direct rule of Emperor Akbar. But Akbar's policy of appeasement saw the town in the hands of the rulers of Jaisalmer.
Phalodi is thought to have been founded in the 15th century. In the books of history this town was famous for Jain and Hindu temples. It is believed that some of these temples are over 300 years old. There are a number of havelis in Phalodi. Most of them are typical in their style. Most of the havelis have their entrances towards the main road; special attention has been given in building Jharokhas and Jaalis to keep womenfolk in seclusion. Nearly all of them are painted in vibrant colors. Temples prefer bright yellow for the doors, a fabulous combination against pristine whitewashed walls, the sand and the colorful attire of the womenfolk.
Phalodi town is famous for its delicate 'jooti'. These shoes come in various shapes and sizes but will be decorated with heavy embroidery. You can bargain and buy some of these. If you like bangles then this place has to offer a lot. You can find it wherever you go in the town. A small bead jeweler's shop quickly puts together Bishnoi style necklace complete with enormous pendants. Correspondingly, workmanship and artistry of a high order also appears to be an inborn gift of the people here.

Economy And Transport

Economy:

Tourism is a major industry in Jaisalmer.The Government of India initiated departmental exploration for oil in 1955-56 in the Jaisalmer area. Oil India Limited's discovered natural gas in 1988 in the Jaisalmer basin.
Also known for their fine leather messenger bags made from wild camels native to the area.
Musicians and dancers are also a major cultural export of Jaisalmer to the rest of the world, Manganyar musicians played the world over since decades, and Queen Harish, the dancing whirling desert drag queen, certainly the most talented dancer from Rajasthan, is touring the world extensively and features in international movies.
Transport :

Jaisalmer is the terminus of a Broad gauge branch railway of Indian Railways, junctioning with the main system at Jodhpur. The Palace on Wheels has a scheduled stop at Jaisalmer.

Geography

Jaisalmer is located at 26.92° N 70.9° E. It has an average elevation of 229 metres (751 feet).
Jaisalmer is situated on the border of India and Pakistan in West Rajasthan. The area of Jaisalmer is 5.1 km². The maximum summer temperature is around 41.6 °C while the minimum is 25 °C. The maximum winter temperature is 23.6 °C while the minimum is 7.9 °C. The average rainfall is 150 mm.
Jaisalmer is almost entirely a sandy waste, forming a part of the great Indian desert. The general aspect of the area is that of an interminable sea of sandhills, of all shapes and sizes, some rising to a height of 150 ft. Those in the west are covered with log bushes, those in the east with tufts of long grass. Water is scarce, and generally brackish; the average depth of the wells is said to be about 250 ft. There are no perennial streams, and only one small river, the Kakni, which, after flowing a distance of 28 m., spreads over a large surface of flat ground, and forms a lake orjhil called the Bhuj-Jhil. The climate is dry and healthy. Throughout Jaisalmer only raincrops, such as bajra, jawar, motif, til, etc., are grown; spring crops of wheat, barley, etc., are very rare. Owing to the scant rainfall, irrigation is almost unknown.

History Of Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is named after its founder Rawal Jaisal. "Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal".Jaisalmer also called as "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples are finely sculptured. It lies in the heart of the Thar Desert and has a population of about 78,000. It is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer District.
The History of Jaisalmer has a charm of its own. Like all other cities of Rajasthan, Jaisalmer too has its own glorious past to boast about. History of Jaisalmer draws heavily from the history of the Rajputana. The city is said to be founded by one Raja Rawal Jaisal, a Bhatti Rajput ruler, in approximately 1156 A D. Legends go by that he did it on the behest of a local hermit named Eesaal. The raja choose Trikut hill as the new site for his fort. This was because he thought that his previous abode at Luderwa (16 km from present Jaisalmer) was vulnerable towards possible enemy assault.
In medieval times, Jaisalmer continued to be on the focus of the masses because of its location. It falls in the way of one of the two routes, which connected India from Persia, Egypt, Africa and the west. The Bhatti Rajput rulerswere still in line. They were the sole guardian of the city and thus mustered enough wealth through taxes levied on the passing caravans, of which there was no scarcity.
For many years Jaisalmer remained out of bound from the foreign rulers partly because of its location and partly because of its relief. In the mid Thirteenth century, Ala-ud-din Khilji, the Turk-Afghan ruler of Delhi laid the siege over the city. He was apparently upset with the Bhatti Rajput rulers because they stopped and looted one of his caravans containing royal coffer which was on its way to Sind. The siege lasted for around 9 long years and when the fall seemed eminent the Rajput womenfolk of the city committed Jauhar (self Immolation to avoid disgrace).
It is said that Duda, the son of Raja Jaisimha, fought vehemently in the battle but was overpowered after the fierce hand to hand combat. He died fighting. His descendants continued to rule the city. Though they had a cordial relation with the Mughal rulers in Delhi, they fought unsuccessfully with Emperor Humayun. Emperor Shah Jahan gave the right of governance to Sabala Simha, who had the royal patronage and had shown remarkable valor to win the Battle of Peshawar.
In the modern era, Jaisalmer was still a tough nut to crack and was the last among the Rajputana royals to sign the 'Instrument of Agreement' with the British establishment. Even that was achieved after long hours on the negotiation table and after much cajoling from the British establishment in India. In the year 1947, royals signed the agreement to remain in just independent India. Since then it has developed itself into a major tourist destination as well as a cultural hub of the western India.