Jaisalmer - The Golden City

 February 18, 2013

From Nagaur, we rode in our bus to the city of Jaisalmer, a city I had visited six years ago, with another Dream Team.  When we approached the city, the location of the oldest "living" fort in all of India, we looked up at the top of the hill to see the amazing battlements, constructed of the local material - sandstone.  My recollection is that there are ninety-nine battlement "turrets" which surround the city. 

We first met our guide, Ummed, who rode a short distance with us to the lake that had been created in the early fourteenth century. Close to the water's edge were a number of dome-covered platforms, presumably where the moguls from centuries past, stood and reviewed parades of people coming to the lake for various ceremonies, primarily cremations. Ummed explained the custom of what occurs when someone who is a Hindu dies. The body is wrapped in white cloth and strewn with flowers and carried by the family to the water's edge, lowered and set alight and burned (or cremated). The ashes are then collected and placed into a pottery pot and eventually the family carries those final remains to the banks of the Ganges, where they are finally disbursed and the soul of the deceased is released. Ummed's explanations of the local customs and culture were detailed and so helpful to us to better understand and appreciate. 

From the lake, we then climbed steps to a small Hindu temple, where we were invited to enter, without our shoes, and to hear the chanting of the priest. Ummed again explaining all the while about the entry into the temple and the surroundings inside. We were allowed to take photos, and when Ummed explained to the priest that the following day was my birthday, he offered to pray for me and to give me his blessing. He smeared both red and yellow cum cum powder tikkas on my forehead, as well as rice, and then tied red threads around my right wrist (joining other such threads, some of which have been the since 2003!) I felt so blessed to be able to receive his prayers.

Once we boarded our bus, we were then driven to the gates for the city and entered and climbed the snake path to the top, passing shops and tea rooms and some small hotels on the way to the summit. At each gate, we learned more about Jaisalmer-Ummed's home city. At one such gate, I believe it was called Ganesha's gate, three holy men sat outside and raised their hands toward us, inviting photos and, of course, the small payment of appreciation for the privilege of taking the photos. When we descended the winding street, we then were driven in "Tuk-Tuks" to the restaurant, where we enjoyed local cuisine, including desert beans and rice. From the restaurant's top floor terrace room, we were able to look out below and see women digging in the dirt and working on reconstruction projects. With the entire city constructed of sandstone, using no mortar, through time, the walls have seriously deteriorated and begun to crumble. Restoration is a huge and time-consuming project that might be finished in a few decades. The amazing carved sandstone facades looked more like finely carved wooden screens, belying the fact that the perishable and porous material if properly treated can withstand the test of time.

We toured the narrow streets of the city, viewing the outside of the famous Havelis, each one more elaborately carved than the previous one. The Havelis could tell their own stories. One question that arose was how the white marble used in the construction of the Havelis facades looked so much like a golden teak wood. It was explained that once finished, the white marble was "painted" with a solution made up of water and the dung and urine of cows (not bulls). This solution not only gave a golden tint to the carved walls, but also helped to coat the walls with a protective shield.

Two of these buildings are undergoing substantial restoration as a result of former Prime Minister Indira Ghandi's family having purchased the buildings and pledging hundreds of thousands of dollars to the project. Inside one of the Havelis, we found a government regulated shop, where we were shown beautiful silk spreads, wall hangings and of course, pashmina shawls. It was explained to us the difference between real Pashmina and that made of viscous threads. Several in the group purchased various items and when we finally left, we were told we had to leave for the desert, where we would enjoy our next adventure!