Jaisalmer,
in the north-western part of Rajasthan which is known as the
Thar or the Great Indian Desert, was once the capital of the
Bhati Rajputs. With its temples, fort and palaces – all
constructed of yellow stone-amid the arid vista of yellow
sands, this desert city in a remote corner of India has a
langorous charm and atmosphere associated with the Arabian
Nights.
Jaisalmer,
113 km. (70 miles) by road from Pokaran, is the
terminus of the Jodhpur-Pokaran line of the Northern
Railway, and 158 km. (98 miles) from Barmer on the same
railway.
Built by Rawal
Jaisal in 1156, the city is named after him. It stands at
the southern end of a low range of hills and is enclosed by
a stone wall, 5 km. (3 miles) in circuit, with
bastions and corner towers. There are two main entrances,
one on the west and the other on the east. Within the city
are numerous buildings with excellent carvings and beautiful
facades with elaborately carved balconies.
The Fort
To the south, on a hill overlooking the town, is the fort,
perhaps the oldest fort after Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. The
hill on which it stands is 76 m. (250 ft.) above the
surrounding country and about 457 m. (1,500 ft.) long and
229 m. (750 ft.) wide. Its base is encircled by a wall of
solid stone blocks 4.5 m. (15 ft.) high, above which the
hill projects and supports the ramparts forming a double
line of defence. The bastions are in the form of half towers
surmounted by high turrets and joined by short, thick walls;
these again support battlements, thus constituting a
complete defensive arrangement, 9 m. (30 ft.) above the
hill.
The fort is
approached by an entrance on the city-side and its walls
enclose the old palace, some Vaishnava and Jain temples, and
a large number of houses. The Maharawal’s palace is a big
pile of buildings crowned by a huge umbrella of metal,
mounted on a stone shaft, a solid emblem of the dignity of
the Bhati Rajputs. The outer and inner faces of the palace
are relieved by balconies and cupolas decorated with
carvings and stone traceries.
The impressive Jain temples in the fort are decorated with
sculptures of gods and goddesses, dancing figures and
mythological scenes.
Gyana Bhandar
Established as a part of the Jain temples, the Jin Bhadra
Suri Gyana Bhandar has an invaluable collection of some of
the oldest manuscripts known in
India. It has
1,126 palm-leaf manuscripts and 2,257 paper manuscripts, a
few dating back to the early twelfth century. The longest
and best preserved palm-leaf manuscript, written in black
ink, is 9 m. (38½ inches) long. Its painted wooden covers
are of great interest.
Besides the Jain religious texts, this library has
manuscripts on various systems of Indian philosophy, works
of poetry, drama and rhetoric. Fragments of a commentary on
Kautilya’s Arthashastra, belonging probably to the
fourteenth century, is a particularly valuable document.
Laudrava, the old capital of Jaisalmer State 16 km. (10
miles) from the town, has the ruins of a few Jain temples.
Kiradu
Kiradu,
26 km. from Barmer (160 kms from Jaisalmer), is known for an
exceptionally rich but greatly damaged group of five temples
built in the eleventh-century Kathiawar styal of temple
architecture. The temples show the influence of Gupta art,
specially in the design of the small turrets of the shikhar
and in the use of carved motifs on the pillars. No other
temples in this region are so richly wrought and there are
no better examples of blending of exuberant art and intense
devotion.
Among the five temples, the one dedicated to Vishnu is the
oldest but the shrine of Somesvara is best preserved. The
skeletons of the magnificent pillared halls, the
vase-and-flower motif of Gupta art, and the traditional
mouldings of the basements still bear testimony to the
patience devotion with which these monuments must have been
built.
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