Fort of Jaisalmer: The Jaisalmer fort of the Indian state of Rajasthan is the second-largest fort in India which still has a population living inside of it.
The fort was built in 1156 AD by the Rajput Rawal Jaisal and was designated as the home for its people and today also one-fourth of its population resides in it. The first settlement outside the fort to accommodate the increasing population was done in the 17th century.
The fort is situated atop a hill known as Trikut which gave the name "Trikutgarh" to the fort.
Jaisalmer fort is also known as the "Sonar Kila" or "Golden Fort" as the colour exhibited by the fort while the sunrise and sunset is honey-gold, providing proper camouflaging in the middle of the desert.
The fort is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites under the category of "Hill Forts".
In 1299 CE, the king of the dynasty Rawal Jait Singh I faced a long seize of the Dehli sultanate. The cause of this seize was a raid on the treasure caravan of the Dehli sultanate.
By the end of this seize, many Bhati Rajput women committed "Jauhar", and the male warriors faced their brutal end against the sultan's force.
In the period of Rawal Lunkaran (1513-1551), the fort got attacked by an Afghan chief Amir Ali.
When it seemed that a losing battle is being fought, the king slaughtered his own womenfolk as there was no time to arrange "Jauhar".
Tragically, reinforcements arrived after this deed and the fort was successfully secured by the Rajput rulers.
After this in 1541, Lunkaran also fought with Humayun as the sultan's troops attacked his fort while he was going to Ajmer. He also offered the marriage of his daughter to Akbar.
The fort remained under the control of the Mughals until 1762 when Maharawal Mulraj Singh took control of the fort.
The fort is considered as one of the oldest representatives of Rajasthani folk singing and dance. Apart from this, a movie named "Sonar Kella" (The Golden Fortress) was shot by the Director Satyajit Ray.
Every year many Bengali and other tourists visit the fort to experience the legacy portrayed by Satyajit Ray in the movie.
The visit to the Jaisalmer fort is best in the time of Winter as the temperature remains between 10°c to 27°c, which makes the visit best for sightseeing and for walking/exploring the city.
Apart from this, if you are a camping personality then this is the best time as the sand gets cold in night making your mind peaceful from the outside world to encounter a different kind of nature and find yourself in the depths of it.
"VAMOOSE", Take a break from the cheesy part of your life, as there are a lot of things to discover about and anyway life is all about living it not just going through it...
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