Jaisalmer


Jaisalmer Map
Jaisalmer Map
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About Jaisalmer City



Jaisalmer is a small town in the state of Rajasthan. The town is named after its founder Maharawal Jaisal Singh, a Rajput king. It is also called as the "Golden City of India" because of the yellow sand and yellow sandstone used in the town's architecture giving a golden tinge. Jaisalmer is located at around 575 km west from Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan. It is situated near the border of India and Pakistan in West Rajasthan and is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer District.

Jaisalmer has an average elevation of 229 m and covers an area of 5.1 sq km. The climate is dry is hot summers and pleasant winters. Average rainfall is 209.5 mm. Jaisalmer is just about entirely a sandy waste and forms a part of the Great Indian Desert.

The west is covered with log bushes and the east with bunch of long grass. Water is scarce and there are no permanent streams, except one small river, Kakni, which flows at a distance of 48 km.

It also forms a Lake Orjhil "The Bhuj Jhil".

Tourism is a major industry in Jaisalmer. It is full of artistic structures and monuments of local historical importance. The medieval fortress and the walled township make it a popular tourist destination. The surrounding barren landscape supports its austere beauty.

The camel safaris in the nearby desert dunes are popular among tourists. Some of the popular tourist attractions in Jaisalmer are: Jaisalmer Fort, Raj Mahal (Royal palace), Jain temples, Laxminath temple, Desert Culture Centre & Museum, Jaisalmer Folklore Museum, Government Museum, Jaisalmer fort palace museum, Gadsisar Lake, etc.

Some basic information about Jaisalmer City is necessary before touring the golden city of Rajasthan. Known for its Havelis and sand stone made palaces, Jaisalmer is one of the greatest tourism destinations in the country.

The beautiful city lies within the great Thar Desert. The geographical location of the city falls between North Latitude 26° 01' and East Longitude 69°03'.

Basically a desert city, Jaisalmer witnesses extreme climatic conditions. The summers are extremely hot but the winters are equally cold.

The maximum temperature rises above the 42° in summer Centigrade mark and in winter, the temperature comes down to 7° to 6° Centigrade. All throughout the year, the days are very warm but in the evenings the temperature drops quite a few degrees.

Jaisalmer has an excellent transportation system with wonderful rail and road networks. To reach Jaisalmer by air, one has to land at the nearest Jodhpur Airport and resume his journey towards the city by road or train.

The local auto-rickshaws and bicycles are the best way of transportation to move within Jaisalmer City.

The people of Jaisalmer are friendly and have a rich culture of their own. They generally speak Rajasthani or Hindi but some people are also fluent in English and Urdu.

History of Jaisalmer



The fort and town of Jaisalmer has a historical origin in the 12th century when the town was founded by Maharawal Jaisal in the year 1156 AD who desired to shift his capital from Ludharva to a safer place. The ruling families of this erstwhile state have descended from the Rajput clan.

Jaisalmer was merged with the state of Rajasthan in 1949 and was awarded the status of a district. It slopes towards the Rann of Kutch and is bound by the international border that stretches across 471 km.

The southern end is bound by Barmer and Jodhpur and Bikaner are located on the east and north east respectively. More Detail...

Tourist Destinations in Jaisalmer



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Last Updated on 08/22/2013