Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer, nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located 575km west of the state capital Jaipur. Once known as Jaisalmer state it is a World Heritage Site. 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 (the Great Indian Desert) and has a population of about 78,000. It is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer District.Origin of nameJaisalmer is named after Maharawal Jaisal Singh, a Rajput king who founded the city in 1156 AD. "Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal". Jaisalmer is sometimes called the "Golden City of India" because the yellow sand and the yellow sandstone used in every architecture of the city gives a yellowish-golden tinge to the city and its surrounding area.LocationIt is the largest district of Rajasthan and 3rd largest district by territorial region in the country, hugged on the west & south-west by the Pakistani border. The length of the international border attached to Jaisalmer District is 471km.Geography and climateJaisalmer, being an arid desert region, is prone to extremes in terms of temperature. The temperature varies greatly from day to night in both summer and winter. The maximum summer temperature is around 49C while the minimum is 25C. The maximum winter temperature is usually around 23.6C and the minimum is 5C. The average rainfall is 209.5mm. Highest ever recorded temperature was 50.0C; the lowest ever recorded temperature being -5.9C. Temperatures of up to 52.4C have been recorded near the international border close to Pakistan, but standard conditions of this temperature recording remain unverified.