Day 3, Jaisalmer Fort, Salam Singh Ki Haveli and Patawon Ki Haveli
Today we were supposed to visit the Jaisalmer Fort, do some more sightseeing in the city and then head to the Sam Sand Dunes for the night. Even though I was more interested in doing Sam as a day trip and returning to Jaisalmer at night (I wanted to try out other restaurants here and I was in love with the Jaisalmer Fort from outside), Mansi was adamant about heading to Sam and staying there for the night.
So eventually we decided to pack up everything and put it in the car, before heading to the fort. Packing, showering etc. took a while and by the time we made it to the dining room of RTDC Moomal, it was already 9:30 am.
Unlike the breakfast spread at RTDC Dhola Maru, the breakfast buffet at Moomal was quite good with toasts, aloo ki subzi, puri, boiled eggs, omelets on offer. And it was all quite good.
After a heavy and delicious breakfast and loading up the car, we decided to head out on the road and look for an autorickshaw to the Fort. After walking for a few hundred meters, we found one. He offered to take us inside the fort for Rs. 80 (bargained down from Rs. 100.)
The Sonar Qila (Golden Fort) for Jaisalmer is unlike any other. For it has a whole city inside its walls and people are not only still living here, but also running hotels, restaurants, shops etc. catering to both national and international tourists.
Maharawal Jaisal (Maharajas are called Maharawal in Jaisalmer and Jaisalmer is name after Maharawal Jaisal) built this fort in 1156 and since then, Maharawals, low ranking Rajputs, and Brahmins have been living in the fort.
Since those living in the fort are allowed to take their own vehicles inside and autos are also allowed to go inside, though supposedly one by one, we had to wait a bit in front of the first gate to gain entry.
While standing at the main gate, we were approached by a guide, who offered to show us around Rs. 100. Initially, I thought about foregoing his services, since I could smell alcohol on him and I rarely hire guides. However, seeing that he was only asking for Rs. 100 (we paid him Rs. 150 in the end, considering how much he actually worked) and we were short on time, we eventually decided to hire him.
After a while, our auto started climbing through the 3 gates of the fort to reach central square of the fort, where the Temple and the Palaces of King and Queen are located.
We went inside the King's Palace to start our tour. We had to pay Rs. 50 per person as the palace entrance fee and Rs. 100 for the camera.
First thing we saw was the seat and gallery facing the temple, from where the Maharawal used to pray.
Even though the fort itself is massive, the palaces themselves seemed a little cramped. Maybe they were built this way in order to make the palace more defendable, since there is no way for a normal sized person to go through a door, without bending down. Add to that, it seemed as if the real beauty was on the outside, rather than inside.
But then again, Jaisalmer Fort has seen plenty of bloodbaths during the course of its life, including an 8-year long siege by Alauddin Khalji, which began with Bhatis (Rajputs of Jaisalmer) raiding his treasure caravan and ending with the Jauhar of 24,000 women and 3,800 remaining men charging to their death against the army of Khalji.
Here just a few photographs of the Palace.
Deewan e Khaas
View of the fort and the city from one of the sentry posts in the palace. Those round stones were rolled down to crush those trying to invade the fort, these days, they serve as a reminder of the past.
Family tree of the Jaisalmer Royal Family, they are supposedly the descendants of Lord Krishna.
The Jaisalmer Fort from the roof of the palace and the city beneath it. And yes, those are rooftop restaurants with a view of the city.
This is where the giant king of Jaisalmer slept (he was 7ft tall.) Yes, those are his sandals and clothes. King's bed was always made low and small, so that no one could hide underneath it and if the king was tied to it, he could still get up on his feet and fight.
The jharokhas for the queen, according to their stature. With a special one for ruthi rani i.e. queen who is upset with the king, so that king knows whom he needs to steer clear of
. In case you're wondering, Mansi is sitting in place of the ruthi rani.
The Queen's bedroom in Queen's Place. Both King's and Queen's Palace are interlinked, so you enter from King's Palace and exit from Queen's.
After exploring the places, we came out and walked through shops lined streets to the Jain Temples.
Mansi was interested in visiting the temple, so she went in and I decided to rest in the midst of the beautiful chaos that streets of Jaisalmer Fort are.
Of course, Mansi just loved the Jaisalmer Fort. There were so many shops to shop and buy souvenirs from. Sadly for her, I was with her. And I always quoted a price the shopkeeper wouldn't agree on, thus saving her money
.
After spending some time in the shops, we headed towards the Canon, which is supposedly the largest Cannon in Jaisalmer.
After spending a few minutes there and eventually Mansi managing to buy something from the shop, we ran into Kheemraj Bhootra. He is a local and had been waiting to meet me!
It was almost 2 pm when we met, he advised us to hire a auto to take us to Salam Singh Ki Haveli, followed by a quick visit to Patwon Ki Haveli, before having lunch at Maharaja Restaurant for local food.
We hired an autorickshaw from inside the fort for Rs. 200 and he took us first to the Salam Singh Ki Haveli, right across the haveli is the shop of Kheemraj ji. So apart from seeing the haveli from the outside, we also chatted for a while, before bidding adieu and hopping into the auto to take us to Patwon Ki Haveli.
Salam Singh Ki Haveli, the cruel and powerful Prime Minster of Jaisalmer. He was so powerful, that for 5 generation, his descendants kept getting the post of maha mantri, even though at one point the king actually tore down a couple of storeys of the haveli since Salam Singh was aiming to build it as high as the fort! He was so feared that when he got interested in a girl belonging Kuldhara Village, the girl committed suicide than being taken away forcibly by him and the entire village (made of Paliwal Brahmins) left in the middle of the night, due to fear of Salam Singh and the village is haunted to this date!
Patawon Ki Haveli isn’t actually one Haveli, rather 5! With almost each and every one of them being run by a different family and each having a museum inside and an entry fee. Since we were hard pressed for time, we didn’t go inside any of them, instead admired the intricate work from the outside.
These Havelis once belonged to the Jain precious metal traders, who were known for their wealth.
Even though we were running short of time, there was no stopping Mansi from shopping. So after she picked up a dress and a neckless from here, we went to the Geeta Ashram Road, where Maharaja Restaurant was located.
A small AC restaurant serving only Rajasthani thalis! We ordered the Rs. 190 Maharaja Thali containing 4 types of subzi, daal-baati, churma, kadi, rice, wheat roti, bajra roti, lehsun chutney, green chilli pickle, salad, chach and papad.
The food was not only amazing and finger licking good, it was also unlimited and boy did we eat a lot of it! So much so, that for the first time during the day, we weren't in a hurry and just wanted to gorge on the delicious food (you can find the full
review of Maharaja Restaurant here.)
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