Jaisalmer is nicknamed ‘The Golden City’ and is a town in Rajasthan. It is located a little under 600 km from the state capital, Jaipur, and was once known as Jaisalmer State. The entire town is situated on a ridge made of yellowish sandstone crowned by a majestic fort. The fort contains the Jaisalmer palace and multiple Jain temples.
The town is located at the heart of Thar Desert, and is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer district. Many houses and temples in Jaisalmer have been sculpted by hand and exude a kind of beauty that’s unique to the place.
Jaisalmer this soundpronunciation (help·info), nicknamed “The Golden city”, is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located 575 kilometres (357 mi) west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a royal palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples of both the fort, and of the town below, are built of finely sculptured sandstone. The town lies in the heart of the Thar Desert (the Great Indian Desert) and has a population, including the residents of the fort, of 78,000. It is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer District. Jaisalmer was once the capital of Jaisalmer State.
Jaisalmer is named after Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati ruler who founded the city in 1156 AD.[1] Jaisalmer means the Hill Fort of Jaisal. Jaisalmer is sometimes called the “Golden City of India” because the yellow sandstone used throughout the architecture of both the fort and the town below, imbues both with a certain golden-yellow light.
Location
It is the largest district of Rajasthan and 3rd largest district by territorial region in the country, hugged on the west & south-west by the Pakistani border. The length of the international border attached to Jaisalmer District is 471 km (293 mi). It is located 790 kilometres away from the national capital Delhi.
Geography and climate
Jaisalmer, being an arid desert region, is prone to extremes in terms of temperature. The temperature varies greatly from day to night in both summer and winter. The maximum summer temperature is around 49 °C (120 °F) while the minimum is 25 °C (77 °F). The maximum winter temperature is usually around 23.6 °C (74.5 °F) and the minimum is 5 °C (41 °F). The average rainfall is 209.5 millimetres (8.25 in).[2] Highest ever recorded temperature was 50.0 °C (122.0 °F);[3] the lowest ever recorded temperature being -5.9 °C (21.4 °F).[4] Temperatures of up to 52.4 °C (126.3 °F) have been recorded near the international border close to Pakistan, but standard conditions of this temperature recording remain unverified.[5]
Economy
Tourism is a major industry in Jaisalmer.
The Government of India initiated departmental exploration for oil in 195556 in the Jaisalmer area.[6] Oil India Limited discovered natural gas in 1988 in the Jaisalmer basin.[7]
Musicians and dancers are also a major cultural export from Jaisalmer to the rest of the world. Merasi (formerly Manganiyar, a derogatory term meaning “beggar”[8]) musicians have played the world over, and Queen Harish,[9] the dancing desert drag queen, has toured the world over and has featured in international movies.
Jaisalmer is also known for its leather messenger bags, made from wild camels native to the area.
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