Jaisalmer Fort

Jaisalmer Fort is located near the desert in the Jaisalmer city. The fort was built by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD. Rawal Jaisal was a Bhati Rajput king. The city of Jaisalmer got its name from him. The fort in the Thar Desert at Trikuta Hill has witnessed many battles that were fought. Only one fort that is the Chittorgarh Fort is as old as Jaisalmer Fort. The Jaisalmer Fort stands at the majestic height of 250 feet. There are 99 bastions out of which 92 was used to keep guns. The building of the fort has mythological implications as it is said that the Lord Krishna had prophesied it.

The Jaisalmer Fort was built by master craftsman with sandstone. The fort has walls with three layers. Each of the layers were built to create obstructions for the invaders. The outer layer was made of loose rubble that made the descent towards the fort an uphill task. The middle layer had poisonous snakes and the third layer was from where boiling water was thrown at enemies. Escape from the layers were difficult because there were huge rocks and boulders that obstructed paths. The Jaisalmer Fort has seen many upheavals. It was captured by Ala – ud – din Khilji and was his property for 9 long years. The famous self immolation was conducted by the Rajput women during its capture. The city of Jaisalmer thrives perfectly in the Jaisalmer Fort.