We are liking Jaisalmer very much. It’s quiet, relaxed and relatively hassle-free. Traffic is minimal, the desert people even more colourful, if that is possible, as well as warm and friendly with a genuineness that makes them far less aggressive in the bazaars. It’s also staggeringly beautiful. Around every twist and turn are sandstone architectural masterpieces, finely carved in the most exquisitely intricate detail with cantilevered balconies, delicate Jali screens and oriel windows. A feast for the eyes and the soul.
But Jaisalmer’s citadel is under threat from a combination of over-crowding and poor drainage which are causing it to sink into the hill on which it stands. There is considerable restoration work going on both in the walled city and the fort itself, much of it under the auspices of NGOs including the UK-based Jaisalmer in Jeopardy foundation. There is also a uncharacteristic amount of new building in progress; all in the traditional style so that it blends almost reasonably well with the old.
While the authorities attempt to grapple with a solution to the drainage problem, Lonely Planet in its smug, self-righteousness has decided not to recommend any hotels or restaurants inside the fort in its latest edition. The corollary of this misguided stance is that visitor numbers are down, businesses are struggling and the livelihoods of the three hundred families who live in the fort are put at risk. Meanwhile, in a staggering display of hypocrisy and double standards LP has seen fit to break its stated policy and include the up market Hotel Kila Bhawan which is built into the fort wall. Now, why might that be, I wonder?
The Jaisalmer Fort was established in 1156 by Maharawal Jaisai on the advice of Essai, a mendicant, thereby fulfilling Lord Krishna’s prophecy that his descendants would rule here one day. The Bhatis have ruled Jaisalmer ever since and the Maharaja Palace complex is a fine example of their architecture and art. The fort is entered through a series of enormous gates eventually leading to a large courtyard over-looked by the elegant seven-storey sandstone palace with its fabulously carved exterior, balconies, impossibly intricate jalis and oriel windows to mention just a few of the architectural features of this stunning building. Inside there is an excellent museum displaying numerous artefacts, fabulous views and lavishly ornamented interiors, much of it in pristine condition.
After visiting the palace we take a brief stroll around the fort stopping to browse one or two of the shops that sprinkle the narrow alleyways. In one small square we admire some lovely Muslim bedspreads and get chatting to the shopkeeper who invites inside for a cup of Chai and to look at the interior of the restored single storey building which has been finished in the traditional style with a cow dung plaster. We sit and talk for what must be an hour or so about families, travel, business and lots more besides. Desert, as he likes to be called, is a genuinely nice man who no doubt hopes to sell us something in the long run but seems in no hurry to do so.
We take one of the silk Kurtahs I bought yesterday back to the shop, because it has a couple of small holes in it. We have become best friends with the two men who run the shop and when they can’t find a replacement in the same size they volunteer to alter a larger one at no charge. Somehow along the way they manage to sell me another hand-embroidered kurtah and there is much laughing and joking in the process.
Almost tangible relief at liking something in India, after trying to conceal your annoyance at the chaos and dirt. And you sure aren’t a fan of Lonely Planet, so your feedback to them at the end of this will be interesting to read.
Well, you are on the last lap now…I hope getting back goes well and you return fit and healthy. How is Andy? I wish you would comment more on his reactions, moods, observations and activities…No doubt we will get that as oral communication when the time is appropriate.
Keep up the good writing.