6th November, 2021
One can learn about the geological evolution or tragedies, as one may want to name it here. The Wood Fossil Park or Aakal that is located 15 kms from the city will help you understand what happened geologically 180 million years ago. Bordering Pakistan and on the Thar Desert lies the city of Jaisalmer. In the 12th century of Rawal Jaisal, the eldest heir of the Rawal of Deoraj, was passed over for the throne of Lodurva and a younger half-brother was crowned king. Rawal Jaisal went looking for a new location to set up his capital when he came across sage Eesul. The sage told him about Krishna’s prophecy which said that a descendant of his Yaduvanshi clan would found a new kingdom at this same spot. It was in 1156 that Rawal Jaisal constructed a mud fort, named it Jaisalmer after himself and declared it his capital.
Jaisalmer Fort or Sonar Qila, an UNESCO World Heritage site, is unique. One would have visited forts across the world and one thing that we find while visiting them is the Silence. But this fort is unique, it’s a living fort. You will find markets within the fort. It was built in 1156 by King Rawal Jaisal it has around 50000 people living within it. Inside the fort are the Rani Ka Mahal and the Jain temples. The lanes are very narrow and it is said that , like most of the forts in Gujarat, these were kept so to dissuade elephants from charging in.
During late nineteenth century , Jaisalmer was a big trading centre on silk route. The business community constructed several beautiful Havelis with beautiful fine carving and Rajputana architecture on yellow stones. This Haveli is still being used for residential purpose from the descendants of the family.
Jaisalmer War Museum
“If you ate today, thank a farmer, and if you ate in peace, thank a soldier!” Our military and defense forces spend their days facing perils and hardships, so the citizens of India can sleep peacefully. While we all appreciate and hold respect for all they do for us, the Indian Army has commemorated the sacrifices of their soldiers in a beautiful display at this war museum, situated at the Jaisalmer military base. This exhibit is primarily to pay respect to all the soldiers who took part and lost their lives in the 1965 India-Pakistan war and the 1971 Longewala battle. A visit to this museum lets you see a number of captured tanks and other memorabilia from the battle, instilling a sense of immense pride in your country and its soldiers. The museum also features an audio-visual room where they screen movies about the battle. You can also see an interview with Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri who was a crucial part of the Longewala battle. In the video, he gives a detailed description of how the soldiers fought the Longewala battle. The museum also has a war memorial replete with many war trophies and vintage equipment, along with tanks, guns, and military vehicles, murals of soldiers who lost their lives in the war, and weapons which were used during the same. Even the Air Force has given a Hunter aircraft, which was used during the Battle of Longewala in the 1971 Indo-Pak War, as a present to the museum. Located on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur Highway, the museum has free entry, and holds a very important part of our country’s history. It is truly one of the places that you cannot afford to miss.
