1. TOWN PLANNING OF JAISALMER
JAISALMER
• THE FORT AND TOWN OF JAISALMER WAS FOUNDED BY MAHARAWAL JAISAL IN 1156 A.D. IN ARID PLAINS OF WESTERN RAJASTHAN, IN MIDST OF VAST THAR DESERT.
• IT IS AN IRREGULAR POLYGON WITH A DOUBLE LINE OF FORTIFICATION. IT IS A CITY WITHIN A CITY. THE INNER CITY IS MORE PROTECTED WITH A STRONGER WALL AND IS SET ON TOP OF
A HILL ABOUT 100 METERS HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING AREA.
• THE CITY IS TRIANGULAR IN SHAPE DUE TO THE SHAPE OF THE HILL ON WHICH IT IS BUILT. THE ROYAL PALACE WITH THE ROYAL SQUARE FORMS THE NUCLEUS OF JAISALMER.
• COMPACTLY BUILT, THE CITY HAS MANY TALL BUILDINGS, UP TO SEVEN STORIES HIGH, GIVING IT A FAIRLY DENSE AND VERTICAL EFFECT.
• THE CITY STRUCTURING MANIFESTS ITSELF IN TWO STRONG WAYS : THE LOCATION OF THE ROYAL QUARTERS ON TOP OF THE HILL WITH THE STRONG FORTIFICATION AND SECONDLY THE
DISPERSAL OF COMMUNITIES IS AFFECTED BY CASTE GROUPINGS MAKING DISTINCT RESIDENTIAL ZONES OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
• THE MARKET SQUARE WITH ITS BAZAAR STRUCTURES IN THE
LOWER CITY AND THE ROYAL SQUARE WITH THE TEMPLES HOLDS
THE UPPER CITY TOGETHER. STREETS ACT AS LINKAGES, ACTIVITY
AND INTERACTION SPACES.
• THE CITY WHEN VIEWED FROM ABOVE GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF
CUBICAL GRAINS ARRANGED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. COURTS AND
TERRACES EXPOSE THE SIDES OF THESE GRAINS. THE CUBICAL
GRAIN OF THE CITY IS CONTRASTED BY THE CYLINDRICAL BASTIONS
OF THE FORT WALL.
• PUBLIC SPACES IN JAISALMER MAY BE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO
THEIR TYPES. THE MAJOR CATEGORIES ARE : THE ROYAL SQUARE IN
THE CENTER OF THE UPPER CITY ; PUBLIC SPACES LIKE GANDHI
CHOWK AND GOPA CHOWK ; COMMUNITY SPACES AT THE LEVEL OF
RESIDENTIAL CLUSTERS.
• THE ROYAL SQUARE IS A VERY WELL CONCEIVED SPACE FORMING
THE CORE OF THE UPPER CITY AS WELL AS THE ROYAL QUARTERS.
• MARKET SQUARES, SUCH AS GANDHI CHOWK, GOPA CHOWK ETC.
ARE ALL LOCATED IN THE LOWER CITY. THESE SQUARES BUILD PART
OF A SEQUENCE OF SPACES AND STREETS FORMING THE MAIN
BAZAAR.
• STARTING WITH GANDHI CHOWK, JUST INSIDE THE WESTERN WALL
OF THE LOWER CITY, ONE IS LEAD THROUGH THE MAIN BAZAAR
WITH JINDANI CHOWK ALONG THE WAY TO GOPA CHOWK, THE
LATTER BEING THE MAIN MARKET SQUARE.
• GOPA CHOWK IS CLOSELY LINKED WITH THE ENTRY GATE TO THE
UPPER CITY AND HAS A VERY INFORMAL QUALITY DUE TO THE
DIVERSITY OF ACTIVITIES THAT TAKE PLACE THERE. CLUSTER SPACE
IS QUITE FREQUENTLY FOUND, PARTICULARLY IN THE UPPER CITY. IT
IS EITHER A SPACE WHICH CONNECTS STREETS ON TWO OR FOUR
SIDES, OR IT IS MADE BY WIDENING A STREET AT A PARTICULAR
POINT.
• AT PRESENT THE TOWN CONSISTS OF TWO MAJOR PARTS. THE
FORTIFIED UPPER CITADEL, ELEVATED ON A RIDGE WITH MORE
THAN 400 HOUSES, A PALACE COMPLEX AND GROUP OF TEMPLES.
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JAISALMER CITY PLAN
2. • THE LOWER TOWN WHICH IS ALSO FORTIFIED , SET ON NORTH- EASTERN SLOPES OF RIDGE IN THE WIND SHADOW OF CITADEL.
• THREE DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL SHAILIS ARE IDENTIFIED
1- SOMPURIYA SHAILI– HAS ORIGIN FROM MEDIVAL ARCHITECTURE.
2- MUGHLAI SHAILI- HAS ORIGIN FROM IMPERIAL MUGHAL STYLE.
3- ANGREZI SHAILI- BASED ON WESTERN CLASSICISM.
• THERE WERE NARROW WINDING STREETS WITH DENSE CONSTRUCTION ON BOTH SIDES.
• THE MAJOR STREETS WERE ORIENTED TOWARDS EAAST- WEST DIRECTION AND PROJECTED RIGHT ANGLES TOWRDS DIRECTION OF DUST STORMS.
• THE HEIGHTS OF BUILDINGS ARE MORE THAN THE WIDTH OF STREETS( LESS THAN 3 METERS) TO PROVIDE SHADED COOL ENVIRONMENT WHILE WALKING THROUGH STREETS OR FOR
OTHER ACTIVITIES.
• THERE IS RADIAL PATTERN IN THE UPPER CITY IS CONTRASTED BY SOMEWHAT GRID IRON PTTERN IN LOWER CITY.
• THE MAJOR PART OF THE LOWER CITY IS DIVIDED IN TO SOMEWHAT RECTANGULAR BLOCKS WITH CLOSELY BUILT BUILDINGS. THESE BLOCKS SHOW CONTINUOUS FACADES OF
EXQUISITELY CARVED ELEMENTS BEHIND WHICH ARE THE OPEN COURTYARDS AND TERRACES THUS MAKING THE BUILDING PLAN A FAIRLY POROUS ONE.
• THE NATURAL COOLING SYSTEM USED:
1- DENSE CLUSTERING OF BUILDINGS.
2- SUN CONTROL THROUGH ORIENTATION AND STRUCTURAL PROJECTIONS.
3- COOLING OF SUNLIT SURFACES BY USE OF FINS.
4- COURTYARDS AND OTHER AIR DUCTS FOR VENTELATION.
• IN ANY CASE, EACH SPACE SERVES A GROUP OF HOUSES FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE ACTIVITIES. ONE SUCH SPACE INCLUDED HERE, CALLED HOLINGDA (BECAUSE THE SPACE IS USED FOR
LIGHTING THE HOLI PYRE, A SIGNIFICANT FESTIVAL IN RAJASTHAN).
• CONNECTING FOUR STREETS IT IS VERY ACTIVE FOR MOST PARTS OF THE DAY. ABOUT TWELVE HOUSES OPEN DIRECTLY IN TO THE SPACE WHILE MANY OTHER HOUSES FROM ADJOINING
STREETS MAKE USE OF IT. PLATFORMS, ONE TO TWO METER WIDE, EXTEND INTO THE SQUARE FROM IN FRONT OF THE HOUSES, FORMING THE KEY ACTIVITY ELEMENTS WITHIN IT.
• FACADES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SMALL OPENINGS OFTEN IN THE FORM OF JHAROKHAS, ELEMENTS ESSENTIALLY GENERATED BY SOCIAL CUSTOMS OF ALLOWING WOMEN TO PEEP
OUT WITHOUT BEING SEEN. THUS WOMEN ARE ABLE TO 'PARTICIPATE' IN THE OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES AND YET MAINTAIN THEIR PRIVACY.
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VIEW OF FORT FROM LOWER CITY VIEW OF A STREET PATWON KI HAVELI
3. MEHRANGARH FORT, JODHPUR
• MEHRANGARH FORT LOCATED IN JODHPUR CITY IN RAJASTHAN STATE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST FORTS AND A FAMOUS TOURIST PLACE IN INDIA.
• THE FORT OF RAJASTHAN IS SITUATED ON A LOFTY HEIGHT,120M (400.FT) ABOVE THE CITY, AND IS ENCLOSED BY IMPOSING 6M THICK WALLS.
• INSIDE ITS TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES, THERE ARE SEVERAL PALACES, WHICH ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR INTRICATE CARVINGS AND SPRAWLING COURTYARDS.
• THE FORTRESS WAS ORIGINALLY STARTED IN 1459 BY RAO JODHA.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• NARROW STAIRCASES LEADING TO THE ROYAL RESIDENCE.
• CARVED PANELS AND PORCHES.
• ELABORATELY ADORNED WALLS AND BRILLIANT STAINED GLASS WINDOWS THAT CREATE VIBRANT MOSAICS ON
THE FLOORS WITH THE PLAY OF LIGHT.
• ITS WALLS, WHICH ARE UP TO 36M HIGH AND 21M WIDE, PROTECT SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND
HISTORIC PALACES IN RAJASTHAN.
• WITHIN THE FORT, SEVERAL BRILLANTLY CRAFTED AND DECORATED PALACES ARE FOUND.
• MOTI MAHAL (PEARL PALACE) OF RAJASTHAN, PHOOL MAHAL (FLOWER PALACE) OF RAJASTHAN, SHEESH
MAHAL (MIRROR PALACE) OF RAJASTHAN, SILEH KHANA OF RAJASTHAN, AND DAULAT KHANA OF RAJASTHAN
ARE NOTABLE.
• POLES OR GATEWAYS NAMELY JAI POL, FATEH POL, LOHA POL, THE LAKHNA POL, THE AMRIT POL, THE SURAJ POL
.
THE MAIN POLES OR GATEWAYS
• JAI POL, THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE FORT OF RAJASTHAN WAS BUILT IN 1808
CELEBRATING THE GREAT VICTORY OF RAJA MAN SINGH.
• THE WESTERN GATE OF THE FORT IS CALLED HE FATEHPOL.
• THE LAKHNA POL, ALSO CALLED THE DEDH KANGRA POL WAS ADDED ON IN THE
19TH CENTURY.
• TO THE LEFT OF THE LAKHNA POL IS THE AMRIT POL, ALSO BUILT BY RAJA MALDEO.
• THE SURAJ POL OR SUN GATE, ONE OF THE OLDEST GATES IN THE COMPLEX WHICH
TAKES YOU TO THE MOTI MAHAL OF RAJASTHAN.
THE JAI POL THE LAKHNA
POL
THE SURAJ
POL
THE LOHA POL
MAHALS IN MEHRANGARH FORT
SHEESH MAHAL
• SHEESH MAHAL OF MEHRANGARH
FORT IS A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF A
RAJPUT SHEESH MAHAL.
• IT HAS BEAUTIFUL MIRROR-WORK .
• IT IS SUPERIMPOSED BY THE
MIRROR-WORK OF BRIGHTLY
PRINTED RELIGIOUS FIGURES MADE
IN PLASTER.
JAISALMER
JHANKI MAHAL (THE PEEPING PALACE)
• THE ROYAL LADIES WATCHED THE OFFICIAL
PROCEEDINGS, GOING ON IN THE
COURTYARD, FROM THE JHANKI MAHAL.
• IT HOUSES A RICH COLLECTION OF THE
ROYAL CRADLES, DECORATED WITH GILT
MIRRORS AND FIGURES OF FAIRIES,
ELEPHANT AND BIRDS.
PHOOL MAHAL (THE PALACE
OF FLOWERS)
• MAHARAJA ABHAYA SINGH BUILT THE PHOOL
MAHAL. IT IS ONE OF THE GRANDEST
MEHRANGARH FORT PERIOD ROOMS.
• IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PHOOL MAHAL WAS A
PRIVATE AND EXCLUSIVE CHAMBER OF PLEASURE.
• THE PAINTINGS, ROYAL PORTRAITS AND THE RAGA
MALA OF THE MAHAL CAME DURING THE REIGN
OF JASWANT SINGH II.
MOTI MAHAL (THE PEARL
PALACE)
• . IT WAS BUILT BY RAJA SUR SINGH.
• MOTI MAHAL WAS WHERE THE KING USED TO SIT ON HIS
THRONE AND MEET ALL HIS SUBJECTS. THE PALACE HAS THE
SRINGAR CHOWKI, THE ROYAL THRONE OF JODHPUR.
• THE MOTI MAHAL HAS FIVE ALCOVES LEADING TO HIDDEN
BALCONIES. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE BALCONIES WERE BUILT
FOR THE FIVE QUEENS OF THE MAHARAJA TO ENABLE THEM
TO LISTEN IN ON COURT PROCEEDING.
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4. CITADEL OF JAISALMER
• THE FORT WAS BUILT BY RAJPUT RULER RAWAL JAISAL IN 1156 CE.
• JAISALMER FORT OF RAJASTHAN KNOWN AS SONAR QUILA OR THE GOLDEN FORT OF RAJASTHAN IN THE HEART OF THE THAR
DESERT, JAISALMER, RAJASTHAN.
• ITS SIMPLY A MAGIC, THE BASTIONS ENVELOPS A WHOLE TOWNSHIPS THAT CONSIST OF PALACE COMPLEX VARIOUS SECURITY
SOURCES AND THE HAVELIS OF RICH MERCHANTS CARVED WITH AN INCREDIBLY LIGHT TOUCH.
• THE FORT IS 1,500 FT (460 M) LONG AND 750 FT (230 M) WIDE AND IS BUILT ON A HILL THAT RAISES ABOVE A HEIGHT OF 250 FT
(76 M) ABOVE THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY SIDE. THE BASEMENT OF THE FORT HAS A 15 FT (4.6 M) TALL WALL FORMING A
DOUBLE LINE OF DEFENCE. THE BASTIONS OF THE FORT FORMS A CHAIN ABOUT 30 FT (9.1 M). THE FORT HAS FOUR ENTRANCES
TO THE TOWNSIDE, ONE OF WHICH USED TO BE GUARDED BY CANNON.
• ENTRY IN THE CITADEL IS THROUGH THE SURAJ POL, THEN CHANGES DIRECTION 180 DEGREES TO GO THROUGH THE NEXT
GATE, THE GANESH POL, AND WALK UP AN ASCENT. THE ENTRANCE TO THE INNER TOWN IS THE HAWA POL, THE UPPER FLOORS
OF WHICH ARE A PART OF A ROYAL PALACE.
• THE FORT HAS AN INGENIOUS DRAINAGE SYSTEM CALLED THE GHUT NALI WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE EASY DRAINAGE OF
RAINWATER AWAY FROM THE FORT IN ALL FOUR DIRECTIONS OF THE FORT. OVER THE YEARS, HAPHAZARD CONSTRUCTION
ACTIVITIES AND BUILDING OF NEW ROADS HAS GREATLY REDUCED ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
• THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS INSIDE THE FORT OF RAJASTHAN ARE:
• 1. RAJ MAHAL (ROYAL PALACE) OF JAISALMER FORT
2. JAIN TEMPLES OF JAISALMER FORT
3. LAXMINATH TEMPLE OF JAISALMER FORT
4. 4 MASSIVE GATEWAYS OF JAISALMER FORT
5. THE MAMMOTH MERCHANT HAVELIS OF JAISALMER FORT
THE GOLDEN -
YELLOW
SANDSTONE OF
JAISALMER FORT OF
RAJASTHAN, OVER
800 YEARS OLD,
CROWNS THE
TRIKUTA HILL.
THE FORT INCLUDES
99 BASTIONS
THE LOWER LAYER IS
MADE OUT OF
SOLID STONE
BLOCKS AND IT
REINFORCES THE
LOOSE RUBBLE OF
TRIKUTA HILL.
MOUNTED ATOP TRIKUTA, THE ALMOST
TRIANGULAR TRIPLE-PEAKED HILL, THE FORT
RISES LIKE A SUNBEAM FROM THE DESERT, 250
FEET TALL, AND IS REINFORCED BY AN IMPOSING
CRENELLATED SANDSTONE WALL 30 FEET HIGH.
RAJ MAHAL:
• THE RAJ MAHAL IS THE MAIN ROYAL PALACE, THERE IS ALSO A SMALL MUSEUM HERE
WHERYOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE HISTORY OF THIS FORT.
• INSIDE THE RAJ-MAHAL MANY ITEMS OF OLD ERA ARE KEPT.
• IN SOME FLOORS ROOF WAS CONSTRUCTED BY WOOD TO KEEP THEM COOL IN HOT
SUMMER CLIMATE OF THE DESERT.
• THE PASSAGES ARE INTENTIONALLY MADE NARROW FOR SECURITY PROPOSES. HERE
EACH FLOOR THE VIEW OF THE JAISALMER TOWN FROM THE WINDOWS CHANGES AND
THE BEST VIEW CAN BE SEEN FROM TOP FLOOR TERRACE.
• THE STATE FLAG OF THE FORT KEPT AT THIS POINT AND THE VIEW OF THE JAISALMER
TOWN IN GOLDEN COLOR GIVES AN EXCELLENT VIEW
•THE KITCHEN ITEMS AND WAR WEAPONS OF THOSE DAYS ARE KEPT INSIDE. GANGORE
DRESSES OF QUEENS ARE IN DISPLAY HERE.
THE CITADEL IS TRIANGULAR IN
SHAPE DUE TO THE SHAPE OF THE
HILL ON WHICH IT IS BUILT.
HIGH PLINTH OF RAJ MAHAL HIGHLY ORNAMENTED
HANGING BALCONY
OPEN ARCHED GALLEYJAIN TEMPLES:
• IN THE CITADEL OF JAISALMER THERE ARE EIGHT JAIN TEMPLES, EACH BELONGING
TO THE SHVETAMBARA (WHITE CLAD) SECT, DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF HINDU
TEMPLES, SHOWING HOW POWERFUL JAIN MERCHANTS WERE COMPARED WITH THE
ROYALS, DESPITE BEING A MINORITY IN THE CITY.
•THESE TEMPLES BUILD BY USING YELLOW SAND STONES PERFECTLY MATCHES WITH
THE BEAUTY OF THE FORT AND THE JAISALMER TOWN. BEAUTIFULLY STONE CARVED
ARTS ARE DESIGNED IN THESE TEMPLES.
APART FROM THE MAHAVIRA TEMPLE, WHICH LIES ON A SEPARATE SITE, THE OTHER
SEVEN JAIN TEMPLES ARE GATHERED IN ONE PLACE. THEY WERE NOT CONSTRUCTED
AT THE SAME TIME, BUT IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER:
•THE PARSHVANATHA TEMPLE (ALSO CALLED LAKSHMANA VIHARA), 1417.
• THE SANBHAVANATHA TEMPLE, 1431 (ALSO SAID TO BE 1420).
•THE CHANDRAPRABHA TEMPLE, 1452 .
•THE KUNTHUNATHA TEMPLE (ALSO CALLED ASHTAPADI TEMPLE), 1479.
• THE RISHABANATHA TEMPLE, 1479.
•THE SHANTINATHA TEMPLE, 1526.
• THE SHITALANATHA TEMPLE, 1547 .
HIGHLY ORNAMENTED EXTERIOR
JAIN TEMPLE SCULPTURES IN JAIN TEMPLES HIGHLY ORNAMENTED JAIN
TEMPLES
INTERIOR OF JAIN TEMPLES
JAISALMER
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• THE FORT CONTAINS 3 LAYERS OF WALLS: THE OUTER OR THE LOWER LAYER IS MADE OUT OF SOLID STONE BLOCKS AND IT REINFORCES
THE LOOSE RUBBLE OF TRIKUTA HILL. THE SECOND, OR MIDDLE, WALL SNAKES AROUND THE FORT FROM THE INNERMOST, OR THIRD,
WALL, THE RAJPUT WARRIORS ONCE HURLED BOILING OIL AND WATER AS WELL AS MASSIVE BLOCKS OF ROCK AT THEIR ENEMIES, WHO
WOULD BECOME ENTRAPPED BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD WALLS. THE DEFENCES OF THE FORT INCLUDE 99 BASTIONS, OF WHICH 92
WERE BUILT BETWEEN THE PERIOD OF 1633-47.
5. JAIN TEMPLES :
• THE TEMPLE WITH THE MOST COMPLETE FORM IS THE PARSHVANATHA TEMPLE, WHICH WAS FIRST TO BE
BUILT. SO THE TEMPLES ARE NOT NECESSARILY COMPOSED IN A COMPLETE PLAN; THE TRADITIONAL TEMPLE
FORM WAS TRANSFORMED TO APPLY TO EACH CASE.
• ALTHOUGH IT HAS A SUMPTUOUS TORANA (MEMORIAL GATE) IN THE FRONT. THE DISTANCE FROM THE
ENTRANCE TO THE TORANA AND THEN TO THE TEMPLE’S PORTAL IS TOO SHORT TO LOOK AT THEIR WHOLE
APPEARANCE, DUE TO ITS CRAMPED PRECINCTS.
• AT BOTH SIDES OF THE PARSHVANATHA TEMPLE ARE VERY LONG AND NARROW TEMPLES ON VERY SMALL
SITE, THE PLANS OF WHICH ARE WITHOUT PARALLEL.
• ONE MORE ANOMALY IS THAT OVER THE KUNTHUNATHA TEMPLE WAS LATER ERECTED ANOTHER TEMPLE,
THE SHANTINATHA TEMPLE. THIS IS ALSO AN EXTRAORDINARY FINAL RESORT ONLY PERFORMED IN AN
OVERCROWDED CITY. IT IS THE CHANDRAPRABHA TEMPLE THAT SHOWS THE MOST ELABORATE INTERIOR.
THOUGH SMALL IN SCALE, ITS HIGH-RISE INTERIOR OF THE RANGA MANDAPA AND CHATRUMUKHA-TYPE
GARBHAGRIHA (SANCTUM) REMINDS US OF THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ADINATHA AT RANAKPUR.
• GYAN BHANDAR IN THE BASEMENT OF THE SAMBHAVANATHA TEMPLE. A BHANDAR IS A KIND OF JAIN
LIBRARY, WHICH HOLDS OLD MANUSCRIPTS SUCH AS SACRED SCRIPTURES AND MINIATURES, SET UP IN
VARIOUS PLACES IN GUJARAT AND RAJASTHAN.
• GYAN BHANDAR WAS ESTABLISHED BY PANDIT (SAGE) JINABHADRA IN 1443. THE OTHER TWO BHANDARS SET
UP BY THE SAME PANDIT WERE SAID TO BE DESTROYED.
• THE OLDEST MANUSCRIPT DATES BACK TO THE 11TH CENTURY AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THEM ATTAINS TO
ABOUT 3,000; AMONG WHICH 500 WERE WRITTEN ON PALM LEAVES.
• DESPITE THERE BEING 2,700 JAIN FAMILIES IN JAISALMER BEFORE THE INDEPENDENCE OF INDIA, NOW ONLY
17 FAMILIES REMAIN. AS THE CITY WAS ENDING ITS ROLE AS AN ENTREPÔT OF THE EAST-WEST TRADE, JAIN
MERCHANTS ALSO MIGRATED TO BOMBAY AND OTHER VIBRANT CITIES.
TORANA OF
PARSHVANTHA TEMPLE
DETAIL OF PARSHVANTHA
TEMPLE
INTERIOR OF
PARSHVANTHA TEMPLE
PLAN SHOWING JAIN TEMPLES
INTERIOR OF SAMBHAVANTHA
TEMPLE
DETAIL OF CHANDRAPRABHA TEMPLE
LAXMINATH TEMPLE & POLS:
• THE LAXMINATH TEMPLE IS SITUATED INSIDE THE JAISALMER FORT.
• IT IS DEDICATED TO THE GODDESS OF WEALTH LAXMI AND HER HUSBAND VISHNU.
• BUILT IN 1494, DURING THE REIGN OF RAO LUNKARAN, IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST TEMPLES IN JAISALMER.
• THE IDOLS INSIDE THE TEMPLE ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BY SEN PAL SHAKDVIPI, A BRAHMIN.
• THE SURAJ POL (GATE OF THE SUN), GANESH POL (GATE OF THE ELEPHANT GOD), AND HAWA POL (GATE OF THE WIND), WERE
CONSTRUCTED.
• SURAJ IS SURYA (SUN GOD) IN SANSKRIT AND IS APPLIED TO THE NAME OF A GATE ON THE SUNRISE, OR EASTERN, SIDE. ABOVE
THE PORTAL OF THE SURAJ POL ARE CARVED SUN DISCS AND A TORANA-ARCH AS ORNAMENTS.
LAXMINATH TEMPLE SURAJ POL GANESH POL
HAVELIS :
• THERE ARE THREE PARTICULARLY FAMOUS HAVELIS IN JAISALMER.
1. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND LARGEST IS THE PATWON-KI-HAVELI, WHICH WAS CONSTRUCTED IN AROUND 1805 BY A JAIN NAMED PATWA
GUMAN CHAND FOR HIS FIVE SONS AS FIVE CONTINUOUS HOUSES
•. THE PATWON-KI-HAVELI, A FIVE STORIED BUILDING WITH 40 ROOMS OR SO.
• THE ARCHITECTS WERE MUSLIM BROTHERS NAMED HATI AND LALU WHO ARE SAID TO HAVE DESIGNED THE RIGHT AND LEFT HALVES
RESPECTIVELY.
• THE LIVING ROOM IN THE SECOND FLOOR IS COLORFULLY DECORATED WITH WALL PAINTINGS.
•THE REAR SIDE OF THE SITE ALSO FACES ANOTHER STREET, USED AS A UTILITY AREA, PROVIDING A BACKYARD AND A STABLE FOR CAMELS.
2. THE NATHUMAL-KI-HAVELI WAS BUILT BY A KING’S DIWAN (MINISTER), NATHUMAL, IN 1885, THE SAME PERIOD AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF
THE BADAL VILAS PALACE.
• ANOTHER ACCOUNT SUGGESTS THAT THE KING, MAHARAWAL BAIRISAL, BUILT IT AND GAVE IT TO THE MINISTER.
• IT IS CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY AN EXTENDED HINDU FAMILY CONSISTING OF AS MANY AS 24 MEMBERS, SUITABLE FOR THE LARGE MANSION.
3. ANOTHER SPLENDID HAVELI IS THAT OF SALIM SINGH HAVELI, THE MANSION OF THE HEREDITARY CHIEF DIWAN (MINISTER) FAMILY OF
MOHTA.
• THIS HAVELI HAS A HEIGHT RIVALING THAT OF THE ROYAL PALACE, SHOWING BAROQUE-LIKE EXCESSIVENESS AND DECADENCE.
• DUE TO ITS OVERLY AMBITIOUS DESIGN WITH THE TOP FLOOR SEEMING TO FLOAT IN THE AIR, BECAUSE OF WHICH IT IS CALLED THE JAHAZ
MAHAL (PALACE OF SHIP), ITS EASTERN END WAS RECENTLY BROKEN IN A STRONG WIND.
• THE MAIN FEATURES OF THESE HAVELIS ARE THE JHAROKAS ,JALIS AND SHAPE OF ROOFS. PATWON-KI-HAVELI HAVING
JHAROKAS
NATHUMAL-KI-HAVELI SALIM SINGH HAVELI
JAISALMER
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