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Tillon ki prol |
Jaisalmer has its own share of secrets, best one is Gadisagar Lake or Gadsisar lake.The beautiful gateway was built by royal courtesan named Tillon in the end of 19th century and is known as Tillon Ki prol (Gate of Tillon).
Lord Vishnu’s statue was installed in the year 1908 A.D.,a Krishna Temple was built here to save it from demolition by the then Maharawal.
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Feeding catfish @Gadisar lake |
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Gadisar Lake |
Gadisar lake was originally a rain water conservation tank built in 1400 A.D. by the then maharaja of Jaisalmer, Maharwal Gadsi Singh but now it serves as a major tourist attraction.This reservoir outside the city walls,a supply for entire city.
You can sit along the sides of the lake to watch a beautiful sunset,feed the catfish near the arches or go boating with family.
If you are lucky you will find herds of cattle, camels,migratory birds from Bharatpur near lake, adding magic to the beauty and mystique. It has also been a hotspot for dream sequences of Bollywood movies and advertisment shoots like recently shot Zoya from Tanishq.
Jaisalmer is also famous for its hawelis, specially Diwan Nathmal ‘s Haveli and Patwaon ki Haveli. These were built by wealthy families and still their descendants live in last part of these Havelis. Although some parts have been taken over by government.The marvel of these buildings also denote the flourishing trade of that time and they still remain a very popular tourist destination.All these structures were built by melting metal and soldering them in hinges as there was scarcity of water in the desert.
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Diwan Nathmal’s Haveli |
Nathmal Ji ki haveli was to serve as the residence of Diwan Mohata Nathmal, the then Prime Minister of Jaisalmer. Maharawal Beri Sal commissioned the construction of this Haveli. The architects were 2 brothers Hathi and Lulu who started building different facets of haveli simultaneously without tracking the shape and continuity and this resulted in a unique design which has both Rajput and Islamic architecture. One of the most beautiful architectural aspects are the elephants which guard the entrance of this Haveli.Architecture of these huge palatial houses is intricate and one must see the glass carvings all over the roof.
How to Reach Nathmal ji ki Haveli: Take a rickshaw or reach by walk as it is in the heart of Jaisalmer
Timings: Havelis are open to tourist till 5pm.
Patwon Ji ki Haveli, was the first haveli erected in Jaisalmer and it is a cluster of 5 small havelis each belong to the 5 sons of Guman Chand Patwa.The first haveli is the biggest and the most beautiful and was built around 1805 and the remaining were completed in next 50 years.The havelis is also known as the ‘mansion of brocade merchants’. This name has been given probably because the family dealt in threads of gold and silver used in embroidering dresses. There are interesting shops and curios opposite to this haveli which offer interesting stuff.
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Patwaon ki Haveli |
How to Reach Patwaon ji ki Haveli: Take a rickshaw or reach by walk near Patwa complex.
Timings: Havelis are open to tourist till 5pm.
How to reach: Jaisalmer can be easily reached from Jaipur,New Delhi, Jodhpur and other cities. Road and Rail transport connects all the cities very well in Rajasthan and it can be reached by Air from Mumbai ,Jaipur and Delhi.
Best time to visit Jaisalmer: Oct-Mar