Jaisalmer is a former medieval trading center located in the heart of the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. It is known as the Golden City as it is laced with yellow colored buildings. The skyline is dominated by the mighty Jaisalmer fort, which is a World Heritage Site. The town stands on a ridge of yellow sandstone and thus offers the color to the city where buildings are made of yellow sandstone. Jaisal Singh, a Rajput king, founded the city in 1156 and thus the name of the city is such. The massive yellow sandstone walls have a magical honey gold color as the sun sets.
The fort holds the grand palace and many Jain Temples as well. With its temples and libraries, the Jain Culture can be seen in Jaisalmer. . Gadsisar Lake is an excavated lake, which was built to collect rainwater by Rawal Gadsi Singh in 1367. The city has extreme weather conditions due to its location in the semi-arid desert. The water available is scarce and with no perennial rivers, the area has very low amount of water content. Jaisalmer is connected to the rest of Rajasthan with its road connectivity and rail network. The city’s close proximity to the international borders makes it a different city when compared to others in Rajasthan. Jaisalmer War Museum, Desert Culture Museum and Akal Fossil Park are few of the many museums in the city.
Jaisalmer is most famous for its desert festival, held in February every year and is a cultural extravaganza. The rich culture of the region is on display and it attracts thousands of tourists every year. The local language, cuisine and the people are different from the rest of the Rajasthan giving its unique flavor to the yellow city of Jaisalmer.
