The very thought of Jaisalmer has my mouth salivating! It reminds me of the out of the world apple pie, with homemade vanilla ice-cream, that we savored at the ‘8th July Café’, one of the many homely cafes run by a resident of Jaisalmer fort. The cafe also served us with a sumptuous fresh and unadulterated (alphonso) mango juice. For hundred bucks a glass, the juice was like a glass of bliss.
Jaisalmer fort, like Chittorgarh, is a living fort; the entire population of Jaisalmer used to live within the fort at one point of time, and about a quarter of city's population still lives in the fort. So it’s not unusual to find such home runs cafes, handicraft and souvenir shops, and even beauty parlors, inside the fort premises for tourists.
This massive yellow sandstone fort is also called the ‘Golden Fort’ because it has tawny lion color walls that turn to a magical honey-gold as the sun sets, sometimes even looking like a part of the picturesque yellow desert. (Satyajit Ray’s film Sonar Kela or the Golden Fortress was based on this fort.)
The fort dates back to 1156 when it was built by Rawal Jaisal (and hence the name), on Trikuta hill, where it stands sprawled out along the golden stretches of Thar. The fort has three layers of walls. The guide explained that the outer or the lower layer is made out of solid stone blocks and reinforces the loose rubble of Trikuta Hill; the second or the middle wall snakes around the fort; and the third or the inner most wall was used by the Rajput warriors to hurl boiling oil and water, and massive round blocks of rock as missiles on the enemies when they got trapped between the second and the third walls. The defensive mechanism of the fort had been further enhanced by the 99 bastions, out of which 92 were built between 1633 and 1647.
We climbed the steep slope to reach the main pol (or gate) and the center of the fort, known as Dussehra Chowk, where the seven-storied Rajmahal is located. Rajmahal is distinctly divided in two prominent parts - Raja ka Mahal and Rani ka Mahal, and the difference between both is stark! Raja ka Mahal features open balconies and a huge open courtyard, from where the king addresses the public even today on every Dussehra festival (built on the lines of dewan-e-aam), whereas Rani Ka Mahal has covered balconies with intricately carved meshes to adequately cover the queen (Rajputs followed the ‘purdah’ system) while letting her take a peek at the outside world.
The interiors of these palaces, also museums now, house an exquisite collection of royal sculptures, weapons, Gangore dresses of queens, cooking vessels, coins, stamps, and other antique articles. A large part of the decor has been done in wood, to keep them cool in the heat of the Rajasthan.
At a stone throw's distance from Rajmahal, there are seven beautiful Jain temples of the 15th and 16th centuries, dedicated to 16th Tirthankar Lord Shantinath and 23rd Tirthankar Lord Parshvanath. (Jaisalmer also boasts some of the oldest libraries of India which contain rarest of the manuscripts and artefacts of Jain tradition, and there are many Jain pilgrimage centres around Jaisalmer like Lodarva, Amarsagar, Brahmsar and Pokharan.)
The fort has been unperturbed by many battles including the attack of Ala-ud-din Khilji in 13th century. When Khilji succeeded in capturing the fort, the Rajput women committed the only Jauhar held here in order to save themselves from dishonor. (Khilji held the fort for 9 long years). The second battle that the fort witnessed was in 1541, when Humayun attacked the fort city.
Jaisalmer, once a part of the SilkRoute, played a major role in the trade with Persia, Arabia,Egypt and Africa during the medieval times, so the city was home to many wealthy merchants such as Guman Chand Patwa. Patwa hailed from Oswal Jain community and dealt in brocade, gold and silver embroidery, and was also a banker with over three hundred trading centers from Afghanistan to China.
His ancient haveli (or residence), popularly, Patwaon ki haveli, is a popular landmark even today. The ornate five-storey palace that took fifty years to complete (from 1800 to 1850) and costed more than ten lacs, is divided into five blocks meant for each of his five sons initially. These havelis were constructed by Hindu and Muslim craftsmen hailing from Gujrat, Malwa and Sindh.
After the decline of the sea trade and growth of the port of Bombay, during the British rule, the city went through a major economic recession. So the Patwa family later sold the haveli to Bafna family for mere Rs 80,000 and migrated to Madras, Maharashtra and Bengal.
It was only during the first Nuclear test in Pokhran, when Indira Gandhi was heading to Pokhran, via Jaisalmer, that she recognized the cultural significance of this site as a heritage monument. Since then two parts of the haveli have been converted to a museum owned by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). On the other hand, the largest and the most splendid part of the haveli, bought over by Bafna family from the Patwas, has also been converted to a private museum and is probably the best amongst all. The remaining two parts house a shopping arcade and a private residence.
Nathmalji-ki-Haveli is yet another example of art in Jaisalmer. Constructed by another merchant named Nathmal in the 19th century, it continues to be a private residence for his descendants even today - and flaunts an ornamental facade with splendid carvings of flowers, birds, elephants, soldiers, a bicycle and even a steam engine. Salim Singh-ki-Haveli, another residence built in 1815 by the infamous Dewan (or prime minister) Salim Singh, now in ruins has beautifully carved brackets in the form of peacocks and murals on its walls inside!
‘Tummyful’, with these architectural delights and the delicacies served by the '8th July Cafe', we headed out of Jaisalmer, with a sweet taste in mouth and even sweeter memories!
- Namrta R (from my backpacking trip to Rajasthan)
Companions: Raghav and Lonely Planet
Also read about Pushkar, Ajmer, Ranthambore, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Mount Abu, Jodhpur and Thar
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