The Golden Fort Faces Threats

        The Golden Fort of 
             Jaisalmer 

           Faces Threats 

                                                       Nidhu Bhusan Das

            Jaisalmer Fort, also known as Sonar Quila or Golden Fort, now is a World Heritage Site.It is in the city of Jaisalmer,Rahasthan.Rajput  ruler Rawal Jaisal built the Fort in 1156 A.D.The world Heritage Committee declared it a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the group of Hill Forts of rajasthan. The fort stands amidst the sandy expanse of the great Thar Desert on Trikut Hell.It has been the scene of many battles.  Its massive yellow sandstone walls have a tawny lion colour during the day, fading to honey-gold as the sun sets, thereby camouflaging the fort in the yellow desert. For this reason, it is also known as the Sonar Quila or Golden Fort.  This is one of the largest fortifications in the world.

Jaisalmer Fort Pix: Indrani Kundu

Jaisal conspired with the Sultan of Gaur to dispose his nephew Bhojdev from his territory. The other important event of the fort was during 1276 when King Jetsi strengthened the fort against the invading Sultan of Delhi. the 56 bastions were manned by 3,700 soldiers. After eight years of invasion, the Sultan's army destroyed the castle. Bhatis took control of the fort, but had no means to strengthen it. In 1306, Dodoo was elected the Rawal for his bravery for ejecting the Rathors. He subsequently started building the fort. The Rawals could not stand the invasion of Mughal emperor Babur and subsequently ceded to Akbar in 1570 and also got his daughter married to him.

          The fort contains 3 layers of walls. The outer or the lower layer is made out of solid stone blocks and it reinforces the loose rubble of Trikuta Hill. The second, or middle, wall snakes around the fort. From the innermost, or third, wall, the Rajput warriors once hurled boiling oil and water as well as massive blocks of rock at their enemies, who would become entrapped between the second and third walls. This defences of the fort include 99 bastions, of which 92 were built between the period of 1633-47.

Ala-ud-din Khilji attacked and captured the fort in the 13th century and managed to hold it for 9 years. During the siege of the fort the Rajput women committed Jauhar. The second battle at the fort took place in 1541, when Mughal emperor Humayun attacked the fort city.

The fort was under the control of Mughals until 1762 when Maharawal Mulraj took control of the fort. Due to its isolated location, the fort escaped the ravages of the Marathas. The treaty between the British East India Company and Mulraj in 12 December 1818 allowed the king to have succession of the fort and provided protection from invasion. After the death of Mulraj in 1820, his grandson Gaj Singh took reigns of the fort.

With the advent of British Rule, the emergence of maritime trade and the growth of the port of Bombay led to the gradual economic decline of Jaisalmer. However,the continued strategic importance of Jaisalmer was demonstrated during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.

           The Jaisalmer Fort today faces manifold threats that are a result of the increasing population pressure on it. Water seepage, inadequate civic amenities, derelict houses and seismic activity around the Teikuta Hill are some of the major concerns impacting the Fort. Unlike most other forts, the Jaisalmer Fort has been built over a weak sedimentary rock foothill which makes its foundations especially vulnerable to seepage. Over the years this has led to the collapse of significant portions of the Fort such as the Queen’s Palace or Rani Ka Mahal and parts of the outer boundary wall and the lower pitching walls.

         A major restoration work has been undertaken by the World Monuments Fund and UK based charity Jaisalmer in Jeopardy.