The 'Golden City' was founded in 1156 A. D. by Rao Jaisal. Located in the heart of the Thar desert, few cities in the world can match its magnificence. It was the domain of Bhati Rajputs, who were known for thier valour and chivalry. They levied taxes on the caravans laden with precious silks and spices that crossed the territory enroute Delhi on Sind. Jaisalmer soon became rich, so mush so that the merchnts, who also served as ministers in the royal courts, came to command more power than the rulers themselves. No wonder the large mansions of the merchants, built adjacent to each other in the nature of medieval desert cultures, are so profusely decorated that the palace, in comparison, appears to pale. Traces of this former opulence are seen inthe majestic buildings built here in luminous sandstone. While the havelis and the palace, along with the temples, will warrant the mandatory visits, Jaisalmer is incredible for the experience it brings alive of a medieval township caught in a timewarp, as you move up its ancient cobbled streets. For most part, its incredible sculptors were Muslim crargsmaen sho were induced, on their journeys to the patrons in others parts of India, to stay. The results is an archi-tectural purity that, because of Jaisalmer's incredible isolation, is not seen elsewhere.
