Magical Jaisalmer Fort

Impressions of India: 19
I’m currently travelling for 3 months in India, through Goa, Kerala and Rajasthan, with a pretty hot and hectic schedule of boutique hotel reviews. The galleries below are my online photojournalist diary of scenes caught, people met and things found along the way. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I did and am still.

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Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156 by the Rajput ruler Jaisala, was reinforced by subsequent rulers and has 99 bastions around its circumference. Apparently the only 'living' fort in the world, my Lonely Planet guidebook, and another travellers Footprint one, declared that the toll taken by the tourist footprint and government indifference meant it was in danger of collapse, and on the World Monuments Watch list of the 100 most endangered heritage sites worldwide. As a result Lonely Planet doesn't list any hotels inside the fort and urges travellers to 'make their own ethical decision'. However, Raj and other Fort hotel-owners swore this was a lie spread by hotels outside the fort to get more business. And when I checked online, I found that they were right - it isn't on the WMW or Unesco list of endangered sites at all. 

2 out of a big group of women, with their children, selling souvenirs and jewellery just inside the entrance to the Fort.

A poster in a rooftop Fort restaurant, whose gentle owner Vishnu said yes, he did indeed try to follow all its instructions on a daily basis.

When Raj, the owner of the haveli I was reviewing, saw this picture, taken in one of the streets near his hotel, he said 'That's my son!' - though it looks more like a girl, so he might have been pulling my leg. 

The entrance to Gadsisar Lake, constructed in 1367 by Maharawal Gadsisingh, which has been the main source of water to Jaisalmer Fort for centuries. The entrance sign also said: 'Many small temples and shrines adorn this lake. The beautiful arched gateway believed to have been built by a courtesan.' 

According to my guidebook, a rich and famous prostitute was denied permission to build her gate (Tilon-ki-Pol) by the local maharajah, but built it anyway and put a little Krishna temple on top - which meant it was now sacred and couldn't be torn down. However the maharajah never entered through the gate, believing it beneath his dignity, and would always visit the lake by a side route instead.  

Again, the lake has shrunk severely over the past 3 years of Rajasthan drought - it normally reaches up to the steps. Any idea what the dark patch in the water in front of the saried ladies is?

Catfish! Leaping and slithering and climbing over each other to feast on the rubbish and any scraps thrown by tourists.

A young boy sitting lakeside in the gathering dusk who'd initially smiled sweetly at me but then arranged himself for his portrait and suddenly looked very old for his years.

The Fort, beautifully lit-up by night.

The Jain temples ticket-seller.

Inside the incredibly-carved Jain temples. The 7 of them apparently took 200 men 35 years to build in total.

The honey-pink Jaisalmer sandstone can lend the whole fort this soft glow.

No cars are allowed inside the Fort, and tuk tuks wait in its entrance square as the streets are too narrow for them too. But lots of men bomb around its little lanes on motorbikes or scooters instead.

Patwa-ki-Haveli, the most magnificent of the Fort's 3 antique havelis open to the public, and owned by the government. 

Its ground-floor ceilings were dripping bats.

I can't decide whether the expression on these pigeons faces is embarrassment or guilt.

This young man could be taken as a definition of optimism, given that I was on the roof of the haveli and he was on the ground. He must have hoped I would throw down some coins. I've zoomed in on the same shot below so that you can see him more clearly.

And this is the also-astonishingly-carved Maharaja's Palace.

My tuk tuk driver, Vimal, taking a break while I took photographs. 

and a friend of his VJ, who said he is on the look-out for a lovely English wife. I promised to spread the word.

Posts still to come before we're up-to-date: 
The abandonned village and Jaisalmer to Jodhpur
Jodhpur

Jaipur