Welcome to Golden Fort in Jaisalmer – The Last Living Fort of India

Jaisalmer is not all about desert, dunes and camel safari. Rather it has one of the unique things in India – Jaisalmer Fort. Surprised?? Why do I call it a unique place? Except for being an architectural wonder, this fort is also one of a kind in India. The strangeness of Jaisalmer Fort is in its living status. Yes, it is not abandoned like the rest of the forts in India. Still, descendants from early inhabitants of this twelfth-century marvel reside inside the Fort. That is why Jaisalmer Fort is classified as the “Last Living Fort of India”.

My first Introduction with Jaisalmer Fort

Like many Bengali, my first encounter with Golden Fort in Jaisalmer was in a detective storybook by Satyajit Ray. This book “Sonar Kella” was also the script of a Bengali cult film with the same name made by Ray himself. The visuals of this movie made almost 50 years back is still so alive in our thoughts that whenever we plan our first trip to Rajasthan, we use this movie as a guide.

Its a story of a seven-year-old boy from Kolkata, Mukul Dhar, who remembers events from his past life when he lived in a fort in Rajasthan hundreds of years ago. Mukul reminds his home was inside a fort which he describes as  “Sonar Kella”. The story gradually unfolds how Mukul eventually find his home inside Jaisalmer Fort, or “Sonar Kella”, as he used to call it.

“Sonar Kella” can be literally translated into “Golden Fort” (In Bengali, “Gold” = “Sona” and “Fort” = “Kella”). So when I planned my visit to Jaisalmer, my priority was to explore Golden Fort all by myself without any guide, to get lost in the lanes and by-lanes of ” Sonar Kella’.

About Golden Fort of Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer Fort is the second oldest fort in Rajasthan. Rajput king Rawal Jaisal built this massive fortress in 1156 AD in the middle of the Thar desert to establish an important pit stop in the ancient trade route from central Asia. The city was named Jaisalmer from two words Jaisal (name of The King) and Meru (the mountain of Gods in Himalaya).

This Fortress is 1500 ft long and 750 ft wide, situated over Trikuta Hill, 250 ft above the valley. It is made of sandstone which appears golden yellow during sunrise and sunset, glittering like gold, giving it the name “Sonar Quila” or “Golden Fort”.

The Fort constitutes 99 bastions. Among these, 92 were built between 1633 and 1647. There are 4 gateways to reach this fort – Akhey Prol, Ganesh Prol, Surya Prol and Hawa Prol.

Once, the entire population of Jaisalmer used to reside inside this fort. With time gradually, inhabitants started to relocate to the foot of Trikuta Hill and from there to the adjacent valley. But till now, many people live inside the Fort. Apart from Fort palace and old Havelis, there are also restaurants, boutique hotels, and local markets. All of these make it the last Living Fort of India.

And Jaisalmer fort, with few others in Rajasthan, was declared “UNESCO World Heritage Site” in 2013 under the group “Hill Forts of Rajasthan”.

A Walk Inside to explore “The Last Living Fort of India”

Entrance to the Fort

I started my every single day in Jaisalmer with a visit to this fort. I used to ride an auto-rickshaw from my hotel and reach the fort before 6 in the morning. Then I started to walk up the stone-paved way towards the fort while the dawn breaks.

Dussera Chowk

As I crossed four successive gates (Akhey Prol, Ganesh Prol, Surya Prol and Hawa Prol) to the fort, I reached Dushera Chowk, a wide assembly area used as a parking lot. It is said that the Chowk was the main site for Jauhar in the 14th and 15th centuries – Jauhar is a rudimentary custom where women of the fort would throw themselves into the fire to avoid being captured and enslaved.

Fort Palace

Right beside the Chowk, there is Rajmahal Palace or the Fort Palace, which was partly built over Hawa Prol. Raja Mahal and Rani Mahal is now converted into a museum. On one side of the chowk, there is a raised platform that was once used as “the throne of The King”. The palace museum opens at 9 a.m, and as I was quite early, I decided to explore the lanes and by-lanes of the Fort.

Lanes and By-lanes inside the Fort

From Dussehra Chowk, there are two wide lanes. One goes towards the east side and the other towards the west. On the east side, there is a colony of Brahmins, and on the west side houses of Rajputs.

Walking through the lanes and by-lanes and witnessing life inside an 800-year-old fort was a unique experience itself. Though it was early in the morning, the residents were already busy with their daily activities. Kids heading towards school, a couple of women busy carrying water in a bucket, a man busy reading newspaper sitting in front of his house – everything is like the same usual slice of life.

But this usualness of life suddenly halted as I got blocked by a lofty boundary wall in front of me. I hit the blind end of that by-lane. But there was a slope that went up towards the top of the boundary wall. I moved up along the slope, and above there was a centuries-old cannon placed right at the edge of the wall overlooking the city and the desert beyond.

Witness a Magical Sunrise

The aerial view of Jaisalmer city was really spectacular from there. The sun was rising from the horizon far, far away in the desert. Blocks of sandstone were changing their colour from yellow to golden yellow. The 800 years old Fortress was unveiling herself in front of my eyes, refreshing the memories of my childhood – “Sonar Kella”.

Things to do in Jaisalmer Fort

Experience the Last Living Fort of India

This Fort has the uniqueness of being a living fort. Although it had been generations since any Rajput king ruled here, Jaisalmer Fort still houses some 4,000 residents, making it India’s last “living fort”.  This, too, draws visitors to Jaisalmer. Descendants of Rajputs and Brahmins still live inside this fort.

Narrow alleys inside the fort lined up with all kinds of touristy shops, old temples with intricate details on yellow sandstone walls, cannons placed at the top of large pillars with a majestic view of Thar desert and cosy rooftop eateries overlooking the walls of fort ……. all of these make Jaisalmer fort a unique place to travel.

Visit Fort Palace

Towering over Dussera Chowk and partly built over Hawa Prol, this seven-storied building was the residence of Bhati Kings. Now it is converted into a museum.

This palace museum houses a great collection of artefacts reflecting the rich culture and heritage of Rajput rulers. Raja-ka-Mahal (King’s room) and Rani-Ki-Mahal (Queen’s Room) are must-visits inside the palace. You can get an audio guide by submitting a fee as a security deposit.

Explore Jain Temples

There are seven Jain Temples inside, which were built between the 12th and 15th century A.D. The biggest one is Parasawanath Jain Temple. These temples are famous for their Dilwara style paintings and architecture that was predominant in the medieval era.

The temples are built out of yellow sandstone and have intricate carvings on them. A huge chain of corridors connecting all the seven temples with numerous captions and stone sculptures is one of the key features of this religious place.

Enjoy Majestic View of Jaisalmer City from the Fort

The view of Jaisalmer city and the Thar desert beyond is so beautiful that you can sit in one of the terrace cafes overlooking Fort wall and forget everything else.

If you go early in the morning, then you can enjoy sunrise standing beside one of the old cannons at the edge of the boundary wall. All these vantage points are accompanied by a rooftop cafe right beside. So after you witness a gorgeous sunrise from Jaisalmer Fort, you can always have your breakfast in one of the cafes inside.

Go Shopping

Well, as you are already acquainted with the places to explore inside Golden Fort of Jaisalmer, now it’s time for some shopping. There are plenty of shops and stores inside the Fort selling things like camel leather products, mirror work embroideries, souvenirs and gift items and my favourite – local spices.

Shops inside the Fort usually start to open from 8 in the morning. And remember, you have to bargain hard to get the best price here. If you are not a shopping lover, you should still collect something as memorabilia of your visit to India’s last living fort.

Listen to Folk Music of Rajasthan

Sarangi, Rawanhatha, Kamayacha, Morchang and Ektara – how many of them have you heard of? Well, they are the popular Rajasthani Folk Instruments of string variety.

You can sit there and listen to a local artist playing Rawanhattha. Or you can also try your skill in playing one of these. You can buy a CD from them. If you like the tune, you can give a tip too. That will encourage them to take the tradition forward.

How to reach

Jaisalmer is 570 km away from Jaipur and 280 km from Jodhpur. Direct state transport buses run from all major cities in Rajasthan to Jaisalmer.

Jaisalmer station is 2 km from the Fort. Few direct trains connect Jaisalmer with Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Or else you can fly to Jaipur and ride a bus or train from Jaipur.

There is one airport in Jaisalmer, 17 km southeast of Jaisalmer city. It operates non-stop flights with Jaipur and Ahmedabad. Jaipur is the only International Airport in Rajasthan, which is an 8-10 hours drive from Jaisalmer. There are airports in Jodhpur and Udaipur also with direct flight connectivity to Delhi and Mumbai.

Where to Stay

Suryagarh is a luxury hotel situated on Sam Road on the outskirts of Jaisalmer town. There are many budget hotels in the main town. Some budget accommodations are –

• Mystic Hotel,
• Hotel Pleasant Haveli,
• Hotel Helsinki House.

There are few small boutique hotels inside the Fort, but I would suggest staying outside. You can get an enchanting view of this massive fort from any of the hotels in the main town.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”

– Robert Swan

Jaisalmer Fort – An Endangered Site

Do you know that Jaisalmer Fort is “An Endangered Site”? You can read this article here.

This Fort, which withstood the wrath of sandstorms and earthquakes for nearly a millennium, now began to crumble. Why? Well, there are a few reasons, according to experts.

• The underground drainage system is a major concern for conservationists. The old sewage system may be leaking water in the foundation. This is further overburdened by a huge number of tourists who stays inside fort guesthouses every year.
• Global climate change is also making things more difficult. Increased rainfall in this arid region can be a blessing for locals but not for the Fort. Mud, which was used at the top of the houses to insulate the rooms from heat, is gradually washed away with rain, exposing sludge.

Ongoing Process of Restoration

Government and consultant firms are now taking care of this problem and actively into the process of restoration. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), World Monuments Fund(WMF) and few private consultant firms already worked for hand in hand to repair few damaged wings inside the fort. Now, the Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Project, a joint government of Rajasthan and Asia Development Bank project, is in the process of providing the needed upgrades to the fort’s drainage systems.

Our duty as a Responsible Traveler

As responsible travellers, we must play our role too. It’s high time to think whether we will contribute to sewage water that is weakening the foundation of the fort or leave it to the heir and heiress of the Fort the way they were taking care of it for the last 800 years. Let the administration and government help the inherited residents save their homes while enjoying this beauty as a day visitor.

Again, the uniqueness of this fort is in its living status. If we don’t want it to be an abandoned one like all other forts in India, we must act now to preserve this wonder for our future generations and let them witness the last living fort of India.

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