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Jaisalmer or "The Golden City" is a town bordering the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, in India. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, overlooking the ochre expanse of the desert. The palaces and havelis of Jaisalmer are quite a crowd puller and hence, Jaisalmer is now, a popular tourist spot. The hotels in Jaisalmer are spread over the town and are available in a wide range or rates to suit a large number of pockets and preferences.
Jaisalmer is named after its founder Rawal Jaisal, a successor of the Bhati Rajputs. "Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal". Jaisalmer is also called as the Golden city of India because the yellow sandstone use for the construction of the fort is golden in color creating an effect of gold. The Jaisalmer fort and its golden color shot to fame with Satyajit Ray's movie- 'Sonar Kella' (golden fort).
The majority of the inhabitants of Jaisalmer are descendants of the Bhati Rajputs, who hail from an ancestor named Bhatti, who belonged to a tribe in Punjab. This tribe was however, driven southwards, and took refuge in the Indian desert, which was henceforth its home. Deoraj, a famous prince of the Bhati family, is considered to be the real founder of the Jaisalmer dynasty, and with him the title of Rawal commenced. In Rawal Jaisal, the sixth in succession from Deoraj, founded the fort and city of Jaisalmer, and made it his capital as he moved from his former capital at Lodhruva located 15 km to the south-east of Jaisalmer.
In 1294, the Bhatis enraged the emperor Ala-ud-din Khilji and his army captured and sacked the fort and city of Jaisalmer; for quite some time after this, the fort city remained deserted. After this there is nothing to record till the time of Rawal Sahal Singh, acknowledged the supremacy of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. In 1762 the fortunes of the state rapidly declined, and most of its outlying provinces were lost. In 1818 Mulraj entered into political relations with the British. Maharawal Salivahan, born in 1887, succeeded succeeded him in 1891.
Jaisalmer is now quite a developed tourist destination. The Sam Sand Dunes that lie off the city in the Thar Desert is the most popular point where the desert it visited by tourists. The hotels in Jaisalmer India are therefore available al over the town.
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