Jaisalmer is a beautiful city of Rajasthan that carries the aura of authentic Rajput legacy. Jaisalmer was built by a Rajput king Raja Rawal Jaisal. He was a Bhatti Rajput ruler. He founded this city in the 12th century in 1156 AD. It was during this time itself that the city reached all the heights of success and gained prosperity. The legends believe that he made this city on an authoritative order of a local hermit, Eesaal. The Bhatti clan governed Jaisalmer till 1818. Post this, Mulraj formed a political alliance with the Britishers to save the dying state. Even today, some people of the Bhatti clan are involved in the development of the city. Brijraj Singh is the present descendant of the city from the Bhatti clan. In 1818 itself, Jaisalmer came under the British protectorate in the Rajputana Agency. Maharawal Raghunath Singh was theist king of the place.

The first king of Jaisalmer was Rajput king Raja Rawal Jaisal who was also the founder of the city. Salim Singh was the first prime minister of the state in 1815 when it was formed. He is the one who is responsible for the astounding architectural delights of the city. Though he was a responsible person, the history says that he was not a very good person.

Tourist Places to Visit in Jaisalmer: Jaisalmer, the desert city is one of the most magical places in India to visit. This is an old city that has dozens of stories to tell the world. The tales of the courageous rulers and the history of the bygone era is something amazing to unfold in this beautiful city. There are so many beautiful spots to explore in Jaisalmer and below are some of the top of them.

1. Sam sand dunes: The most gorgeous desert dune sites in India has to be the sam sand dunes. Visiting Jaisalmer means having a treat of life in this desert dune. The vast stretch of the desert makes for a beautiful sight for the eyes straight out of a fairy tale. One can try camel safari over here because that is a must do.

• Jaisalmer Fort: The next best place to visit in Jaisalmer is the Jaisalmer fort. It is a huge fort and in fact it is the largest in the state and also one of the largest in the world. This makes it unmissable by all chances. It is located on the Tirukuta hills. It is also called as the golden fort or the Sonar Quila because of its yellow appearance and the light of the sun falling on it.

• Patwon ki Haveli: This place is basically a combination of different havelis at one spot that was built in the 19th century. There is a museum here that consists murals and artefacts for the tourists to explore. These havelis were the residents of the merchants and the sellers of the gold and silver items.

• Gadisar Lake: One of the prettiest places of Jaisalmer is Gadisar lake. It was built for the purpose of conservation reservoir for rainwater harvesting. In fact, the lake was the major source of water for the people of the city. To get over the busy and chaotic city life, one can head out to this spot to spend some serene time.

• Bada Bagh: To add some greenery to the desert city, the Bada Bagh was created. The Bagh or the garden has been standing tall since the tough times and is making people fall in love with it. There is an artificial dam in this Bagh that is the main source of water here. It is such a stunning place with amazing backdrops for the pictures.

Other famous places to explore in Jaisalmer are Kuldhara village, Salim Singh ki Haveli, Jaisalmer war museum, Tanot Mata temple, Desert National park, Khuri sand dunes, Vyas Chatri, Dussehra chowk, and lots more.

Famous Fairs/Festivals/Events

1. Desert Festival: The most lavish and the extravagant festival of Jaisalmer is the desert festival. This is one of the best festivals of Rajasthan that people from all over the world come to experience. Dune bashing, camel ride, desert safari, camping, folk music, etc are some of the many activities included in this festival.

• Diwali: Diwali is of course one of the most important Hindu festivals and it is celebrated lavishly in Jaisalmer. Rajasthan has more of Marwaris living there and Diwali is their New year. This makes the festival a lot more important and the city looks glowing on this day.

• Teej: Teej is a festival done by the women when they have to fast for the long lives of their husbands. It is a happy and a colourful festival when the women wear colourful clothes and get ready like a bride. Women worship Goddess Parvati on this day and ask for the long lives of their husbands.

Importance in Tourism: To uplift the economy of the city, tourism plays a key role here. The forts, the desert, and the entire Rajput legacy is the attraction of the tourists in Jaisalmer. The dune bashing and camel rides in the desert are some of the experiences only exclusive to Jaisalmer. These factors have made Jaisalmer a really popular tourist destination in the recent times. Presently, Jaisalmer has also been ranked as one of the top tourist destinations in Rajasthan. In fact, Jaisalmer has become one of the top visited destinations in India, let alone Rajasthan.