JAISALMER

Golden city of India

INTRODUCTION• Jaisalmer is named after its

founder RawalJaisal "Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal".

• It lies in the heart of the Thar Desert and has a population of about 78,000.

• Jaisalmer is also called as the Golden city of India because the yellow sand gives a yellowish-golden touch to the city & its surrounding area.

• Jaisalmer as a city, as urban fabric, is in total harmony with its soil, its terrain and the lifestyle of its people.

HISTORY• The majority of the inhabitants of Jaisalmer

are Bhati Rajput, who take their name from an ancestor named Bhatti, renowned as a warrior when the tribe were located in the Punjab.

• Shortly after this the clan was driven southwards, and found a refuge in the Indian desert, which was henceforth its home.

• Deoraj, a famous prince of the Bhati family, is esteemed the real founder of the Jaisalmerdynasty, and with him the title of rawalcommenced. In 1156 Rawal Jaisal, the sixth in succession from Deoraj, founded the fort and city of Jaisalmer, and made it his capital as he moved from his former capital at Lodhruva (which is situated about 15 km to the south-east of Jaisalmer).

• In 1294, the Bhatis so enraged the emperor Ala-ud-din Khilji that his army captured and sacked the fort and city of Jaisalmer, so that for some time it was quite deserted.

• Jaisalmer was one of the last states to sign a treaty with the British. During the British Raj, Jaisalmer was the seat of a princely state of the same name, ruled by the Bhati clan of rajputs. The present descendant is Brijraj Singh.

• The glory of Jaisalmer faded when Bombay emerged as a port and the sea trade replaced the traditional land routes.

• The partition of India in1947 lead to closing of all the trade routes on the Indo-Pak border and rendered Jaisalmer a drought-prone desert backwater on the international border.

• Ironically, skirmishes between India and Pakistan gave Jaisalmer a strategic importance and made it serviceable as an army supply depot.

• Later, the Rajasthan Canal served to revive the surrounding desert areas. Roads and railroads were then built, knitting the hitherto remote town with the rest of Rajasthan.

CLIMATE

[hide]Climate data for Jaisalmer

Month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Average high °C

(°F)

23.7(74.7)

27.2(81.0)

32.8(91.0)

38.4(101.1)

41.7(107.1)

40.9(105.6)

37.7(99.9)

36.0(96.8)

36.5(97.7)

36.1(97.0)

31.1(88.0)

25.4(77.7)

34.05

(93.29)

Average low °C

(°F)

7.9(46.2)

10.9(51.6)

16.8(62.2)

22.2(72.0)

25.7(78.3)

27.1(80.8)

26.5(79.7)

25.4(77.7)

24.3(75.7)

20.5(68.9)

13.8(56.8)

8.9(48.0)

19.17

(66.51)

Precipitationmm (inches)

1.3(0.051)

4.0(0.157)

3.2(0.126)

18.1(0.713)

9.2(0.362)

16.1(0.634)

56.1(2.209)

79.0(3.11)

16.2(0.638)

2.5(0.098)

1.3(0.051)

2.5(0.098)

209.5

(8.248)

Avg.precipitation

days(≥

0.1 mm)

0.6 1.0 0.9 0.4 0.8 1.1 3.9 3.9 2.1 0.4 1.1 0.5 16.7

•

Jaisalmer climate is influenced by its position amidst the Great Indian Desert.

• The region experiences an arid climate through the year.

• The temperature remains low during the winter season while summers are characterized by cold and dry Jaisalmerweather.

• The region is drained by very scanty rainfall during the monsoon season.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE• The cosmopolitan city of Jaisalmer

comprises of several religions of Hindus, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. Most of the native population of Jaisalmerfollows Hindu religious customs and rituals.

• The Marwari community of the place observes the Hindu festivals with great religious fevor and zeal.

• The traditional folk music and dance is an integral part of the social and cultural life of the indigenous inhabitants of Jaisalmer.

• The Kalbeliya dance of the community of snake charmers portrays the rich artistic caliber and creative imagination of the dancers.

• The unique decorative work on the walls, ceilings and pillars of the historical monuments reflect the rich craftsmanship of the local artisans of the ancient times.

• The crafts of Jaisalmer comprise of unique art and craft works of exquisite designs of silver jeweleries, printing work, highly decorative leather products and embroidery works.

• The Desert Festival of Jaisalmer provides the local inhabitants and the tourists as well to explore the unique folk traditions of the ancient times.

• In the village most people live in huts (Jhopri). These beautiful huts are made of grass. These huts are cool in summers and warm in winter. Every family has 4-5 huts. Some of the villages have stone houses. Almost all villages have a pond or well for drinking water.

• In the villages the main sources of income are animal rearing and farming. Every family keeps cows, goats, sheep and camel.

ARCHITECTURE• The Rajmahal, Jaisalmer Fort,

Chandraprabhu Temple, Parsvanath Jain Temple, SalimSingh-ki- Haveli and Nathmal-ki- Haveli reflect the unique architectural style that were adopted by the imperial Rajput rulers of the bygone era.

• The forts, palaces and religious shrines of Jaisalmer are exquisitely ornamented with fine and delicate works.

• The excellent lattice work on the pillars, walls and ceilings of the numerous forts, palaces and religious shrines of the city is a delight for the tourists who are thrilled with the flawless and fine work of the artisans of the traditional times.

INTERIOR OF JAIN TEMPLE

Case

study

Nathmalji’s Haveli

Introduction

Nathmalji-ki-Haveli of

Jaisalmer in Rajasthan bears relics to the rich architectural splendor of the ancient times.

• A unique feature of the marvelous architectural monument of Nathmalji-ki-Haveli is the giant structure of two elephants of yellow sand stone at the main entrance of the beautiful edifice.

History

• Two brothers named Hathi and Lulu were sanctioned to build the haveli for Diwan Mohata Nathmal,with the responsibility of the construction of this magnificent haveli.

• They started building the haveli simultaneously with each brother concentrating on one side of the haveli. The result of building it simultaneously showed up with different left and right sides when work was completed.

• However, it didn’t look too obvious and one notices it only when one observes it a bit closely.

• The walls and ceilings of the splendid monument are decorated with exquisite paintings and fine carvings that adds to the beauty of the historical structure.

• The rich architectural imagination of the two brothers is reflected in the various paintings of modern ceiling fans and cars on the walls of Nathmalji-ki-Haveli.

• An architectural marvel of the bygone era, Nathmalji-ki-Haveli presents a harmonious blend of indigenous architectural styles of the Rajputs and Muslims.

• Amidst the picturesque landscape of Jaisalmer, the giant architectural monument of Nathmalji-ki-Haveli stands tall with it’s over imposing architectural structure.

Plan

• The building is planned around two courtyards, the one in the front is much smaller than the rear one .

• The front part of the building is three storeys high and has the main living quarters.

• The rear portion is two storey high and contains the ancillary accomodation.

Main entrance

Left side of the facade Right side of the façade

Notice the difference in the pattern of grill, the pillars, and the design and shape of the tiny windows.

Left side of the facade Right side of the façade

notice the beam pattern below the gallery on both sides

Left side of the facadeRight side of the façade

Building material

• The material used for walls in this haveli is mostly light sandstone whereas limestone has been used for the upper storeys and façade since it can be easily

carved. • The stone joints are made

without mortar and are held together using iron cramps.

• Due to thick walls and mud plaster, it reduces the thermal load on the building.

Building form

• The entire building is of unequal heights with wind pavilions and high parapet walls , creating an uneven skyline and shading in the process.

• At the second level they have a number of projections like sunshades and balconies.

• At the lowest levels, the flats parts of the building façade are deeply carved creating finned surface.

Building form

• Uneven building forms also influences radiative heat loss from walls.

• Also increased wall area of the uneven building mass radiates a greater amount of heat to the sky and consequently stays cooler than a more compact mass.

Section

• The courtyards provide the necessary light and ventilation for all the surrounding rooms.

• While the front receives some sunlight during the summer, the rear courtyard is completely exposed to sun.

• The streets and the two narrow shafts are completely protected from the sun.

• The differential heating of the vertical ducts ensures continuous airflow

through the house.

Inner court

Courtyard effect

Air duct

Windows • Windows and balconies are generally fitted with jallis or lattice windows (shutter

like windows) for privacy as well to restrict dust but at the same time let in wind.

• Doors are built with stone frames and fitted with timber doors.

Roofing

• The roof is made of closely spaced timber beams and then is covered by a layer of reed or grass matting and finally laid by a layer of earth on top .

• These are then finished with stone floorin or mud plaster .

• The layer of earth and grass matting keeps the interiors cool.

• The drawing room of the family is located on the first floor above the entranceway.

• This richly decorated room is two storeys high.

• There are timber shuttered window openings towards the street and a large number of small ventilation holes in the upper part of the room.

• Together, these openings ensure heat removal by ventilation .

Drawing room in the upper storey

Interior view

Interior view

• The room in the basement were designed as strong rooms for valuables.

• The temperature remains constant throughout the year due to the absence of any heat load and due to rapid decay of the ambident temperature wave in soil.

Air shafts

• Vertical ducts and stair shafts direct the wind direction into the building and accelerate the ventilation through thye courtyards.

Raj mahalROYAL PALACE

Jaisalmer

This large

fort also

called

Sonar Qila,

was founded

in A.D.

1178 on

Trikuta

hill by

Bhati ruler

Jaisal.

Its fortification walls which are

constructed of yellow sandstone

without any mortar are

strengthened by ninety-nine

bastions and corner towers.

Numerous bastions are made

accessible through gates, viz.

• Akhay Pol

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.

This defences of the fort

include 99 bastions, of which

92 were built between the

period of 1633-47.

Although at one point the

entire population

of Jaisalmer lived within the

fort, it today has a resident

The uppermost

fortification wall

has kanguras,

gun-holes and

jharokhas

(balconies).

It has a high

quality of

architectural

order. On reaching

the entrance to the

square through a

winding and well

guarded path, one

sees very few

buildings;

Actually one views

the horizon just

above the fort

wall.

Public spaces in Jaisalmer

may be classified

according to their types.

The major categories are

:

• The Royal Square in the

The king's throne occupies one corner

of the square at a diagonal,

overlooking the square. The square

acts as a key linking element and as a

nucleus in the upper city thus holding

it together.

ROYAL

SUARE

is a

very

well

conceiv

ed

space

forming

the

core of

the

upper

city as

well as

the

Royal

quarter

s.

Visitors

and

traders

met the

king

and the

communi

ty in

this

square

.

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.

VIEW OF

THE PALACE

The topmost

balcony of

the palace

for the men

folk of the

royal

family to

look over

the city.

Mughal inspired chattris

PROJECTED BALCONY in place of

The tiled

flooring

and the

glass

Interior of

the palace

has lots of

tessellating

inlaid mosaic

pattern

They also

had in

built

shelves for

placing

diyas

during the

evenings

and special

occasions as

artificial

lighting was

not an

option those

TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE IN JAISALMER• The Jain temples in Jaisalmer are located within the

Jaisalmer Fort premises. Its location also proves to be attractive to the tourists as most of the tourists get to visit both the attractions.

• The Jain temples in the Jaisalmer Fort are dedicated to the famous Jain hermits known as 'Tirthankars'.

• A temple in each corner of the complex is dedicated to a different saint; Rishabhnath in the southwest, Parshvanath in the northeast, Ajitanath (whose symbol is the elephant) in the southeast and of course Shambhavnath (of the horse symbol) in the northwest.

• Like all other structures in Jaisalmer, these temples are craved of yellow sandstones.

• The beautifully carves decorations on the wall will give you divine peace.

• The Astapadhi Temples that are situated in the same complex are a must visit too.

STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE• These temples are built in the Dilwara style that is famous all over the world for its

architecture. The style got its name from the famous 'Dilwara Temples' situated on Mount Abu, a famous Hill station and pilgrimage destination in Rajasthan

TYPICAL FEATURES

• Another attraction of the temple that will surely attract your attention is the carved lotus symbols on the temple domes.

• A string of courtyards and walkways interconnect the temples to one another.

• On the walls, pillars and columns of the temples, one can notice the exquisite sculptures in sandstone and marble.

THE PARSHVANATH TEMPLE, JAISALMER

• The Parshvanath Temple is the main Jain temple here.

• It was destroyed once in 1152by mahamuuedghazini, but was reconstructed in 1615 by Seth Tharu Shah with further additions.

TORANA

• Its Torana Dwar or main archway is probably the most ornate of its kind.

• An octagonal pyramid shaped roof surmounts the whole temple complex that remains surrounded by a fortification wall.

• The ceilings of the Sabha Mandapa support a demonic looking multi-hooded serpent canopy surrounded by five bodies.

• The shikhara is crowned by an amalak.

• Intricately carved sculptures ornate the temple exquisitely.

• The beautiful Jaali works make these temples a piece of marvel.

• It is heavenly to watch the sun rays coming through the jalis and intricate carvings on the walls of the temples.

RISHABHNATH TEMPLE, JAISALMER

• This is another Jain temple at Lodurva, located near the ruins of the palace of Moomal and the once gushing watercourse of the river Kak.

• The temple was commissioned by a wealthy Marwari Seth Sachcha and constructed in 1479.

• According to mythology Rishabhdevajiwas a man who lived 20,00,000 years as a prince and no less than 63,00,000 years as a king.

• Legend further states that he neglected his body for 1,000 years and then deeply meditated for three and a half days, depriving himself of all food and water.

• After which, according to Hermann Jacobi in Jaina Sutras, he reached the infinite.

TYPICAL FEATURE:

• Pyramidal shikhara• Long elongated corridors• Jaali work• Exquisitely carved interior• Shikhara surmounted by the amlaka

GARBHAGRIHA

• SCULTURES