Gadisar Lake, Jaisalmer

Gadisar Lake is a man-made reservoir in Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan) built in 1367 by Maharaja Gadsi Singh Ji. This is a scenic place where one can go for boating.

This tank outside the city walls, and in the olden days it was the main source of town's water supply. The lake is surrounded by small temples and shrines. A wide variety of waterfowl flock here in winter.

This lake located at the South of city is a natural low-land was dammed to catch every drop of rain water.

The beautiful arched gateway through which one can reach this lake is known as Teelon-ki Gate as it was constructed in 19th century by a very famous courtesan named Teelon. This is constructed with yellow sandstone and at the top of the gate is a small temple.

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Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum

The magnificent Golden Fort of Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan) is constructed by the renowned Rajput ruler Jaisal in 1156 on the Trikuta hills. The fort contains both ancient and modern structures. There are majestic palaces and Jain temples inside the fort.

Royal Palace of 19the century, also known as Raj Mahal inside the fort is a grand structure. Constructed in lime stone, this is a imposing seven-storied palace. It is also used as museum as well as heritage center. The lattice work on the windows show cases the excellent craftsmanship of the people.

One can enjoy the marvelous beauty of the Royal Palace from all angles from the big courtyard enclosed in the fort. This place might have been used for the ceremonies and celebrations of the Dussehra festivals in those days.

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Golden Fort, Jaisalmer

Golden Fort in Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan) is the most magnificent site. Built in 1156 by the Bahtti Rajput ruler Jaisala, and reinforced by later rulers, the fort crowns the 80 m - high Trikuta Hill. This is one of the oldest living fort, where one quarter of the old city's population is still residing in it.

The fort has 99 bastions around its circumference and is protected by three walls. The lower wall is of solid stone blocks which reinforce the loose rubble of which Trikuta hill is composed. The second wall snakes around the fort. Above is the view of the fort from one of the havelis located outside the fort at a quite good distance.


The fort is entered from first Fort Gate and a series of massive gates via an enormous stone paved ramp, leads one to a large courtyard. In the courtyard one can see the former Maharaja's seven story Palace, Rajmahal. This square was formerly used to review troops, hear petitions and present extravagant entertainment for important visitors.


Within the fort walls, there are seven beautifully carved Jain Temples built between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The fort looks especially magical when it is lit up at night.

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NathmaljI Ki Haveli, Jaisalmer

This late 19th century haveli (mansion) is located in Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan). The carvings on the interior as well as exterior of this haveli is magnificent. The designers exhibited high level of quality and skill in executing the massive haveli. (Click on images for bigger view)

Even though it is built with a single building plan, the architectural brilliance is such that the two wings were built differently. However, the two wings seem to have faultless harmony.

The carvings on the window are carved out with great precision. The walls are ornamented with stone figurines of horses, flowers, birds, elephants and interesting patterns that resemble extravagant pieces of art.

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Travel Photo Challenge

BlogAdda has organized a ‘Travel Photos Contest’. After a long time I am seeing a contest in my area of interest - travel and photography. So I am glad to participate in this, where I have to post 5 of my best travel photographs as I see it. (Click on the images for bigger view)

The above image is of Jaisalmer Golden Fort taken during the Rajasthan tour. Built in 1156 on the Trikura Hill it is one of the oldest forts that has 99 bastions around its circumference and is protected by three walls. Why the fort is called so, is very much evident when Sun rays fall on the fort. I wanted to capture the fort shining like gold in the night when focused by light and went around the fort to get the best possible view. The shot which was taken with film SLR camera without the support of tripod when developed was truly satisfying.

The above image is of Tanjore Brhihadeeshwrar Temple taken during the Tamil Nadu tour. This Big Temple was built during the period 985 -1012 A.D. Because of its unique architectural excellence the UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Monument. It was a pleasure to capture the gigantic temple and the big Nandi Mantappa in one frame. The size of the people around the temple gives us an idea of how huge the temple really is.

The above image is of Jog Falls taken during the Karnataka tour. The sight of river Sharavathi taking a leap from a height of 900 feet is spectacular. It is the highest waterfall in India. When we had visited the place it was the beginning of the rainy season and on the day it rained heavily with low flying clouds. It was a challenge to capture the beautiful waterfall in image because of low flying clouds blocking the view.

The above image is of Qutub Minar taken during the Delhi tour. Measuring 72.5 meters is the world's tallest brick minaret. Construction of this started in 1193 and the topmost story of the minaret was completed in 1386. It is surrounded by various medieval and ancient structures. People will love to capture this monument in various angles along with other ruins surrounding it. This image is one such attempt.

Finally the above is image of Glass House at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore. This beautiful garden of 40 acres is home for various rare plants. It is regarded as one of the best gardens in Eastern part of the World. The glass house when lighted in the night looks more beautiful than during the day time. The shot which was taken with film SLR camera without the support of tripod when developed was truly satisfying.

India is such a wonderful treasure of architecture, nature, and wildlife it is very difficult to choose only 5 images. Each image have their own story to tell. Truly a Picture is worth a thousand words.

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