Jaysalmer (), nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the
Indian state of
Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital
Jaipur. It was once known as
Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a
fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples are finely sculptured. It lies in the heart of the
Thar Desert and has a population of about 78,000. It is the administrative headquarters of
Jaisalmer District.
Origin of name
Jaisalmer is named after its founder Rao Jaisal a Rajput king. "Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal". Jaisalmer is sometimes called the "Golden City of India" because the yellow sand gives a yellowish-golden tinge to the city and its surrounding area.
Location
District JAISALMER is located within a rectangle lying between 26°.4’ –28°.23' North parallel and 69°.20'-72°.42' east meridians. It is the largest district of Rajasthan and one of the largest in the country. The breadth (East-West) of the district is 270 km and the length (North-South) is 186 km. On the present map, district Jaisalmer is bounded on the north by Bikaner, on the west & south-west by the Pakistani border, on the south by Barmer and Jodhpur, and on the east by Jodhpur and Bikaner Districts. The length of international border attached to District JAISALMER is...
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