Shreenath Palace - Hotel in Jaisalmer

Places Outside of the fort -

Gadisar Lake

Sunset Point/Vyas Chattris

Havelis

Garisar sager:
About 1 kilometer from the Hotel shreenath palace fort there is a famous water tank known as “GARISAR”. It was built by maharawal Garsi in 1367AD. Until recently this tank played a vital role in the life of the people of jaisalmer before water was piped to the city. A natural low –land was dammed to catch every drop of rain water. The ladies of jaisalmer wearing colorful costumes used to come here to fetch drinking water every morning and evening. Even the maharawal and the royal household visited the tank on special occasions. In the middle of the lake maharawals constructed a small “baradari” ( special balcony), to have a boat ride during monsoon. On the banks of the tank there were several temples mainly dedicated to lord shiva and Vishnu.

Havelis :
Patwon ki Haveli : Patwas were the businessmen dealing in Zari and Badla work, used to dwell in Jaisalmer and they used to bring dry fruits from Pakistan and Afghanistan . Jaisalmer was a dry port for a long time hence the traders accumulated quite a good amount of money and constructed various houses known as Havelis. The most elaborate and beautifully carved havelies belong to the Bafna family still living in Jaisalmer. Hare we have a row of five beautifully carved Havelis built during the period 1800-1860 AD. The havelis have such a beautiful and ornate carving, still gazing with naked eye, one fails to nudertsand whether it has been carved on stone or weed. Inside the Haveli, there are also beautiful wall paintings, golden coloured roofs, magnificently carved rooms, lamp stand, niches and beautifully carved doors. I have special mention for the golden work done on the ceilings.

Nathmal ji ki Haveli:
It was constructed in the mid of 19th century, it is in many ways the most beautiful examples of the subtly of the stone carver’s art. There is delicacy in the finish of the work which at times, as around the tiny little arched whindows, becomes pure magic. The remarkable fact about Nathmal is that it was carved by two brothers (The silawats or stone carvers were all muslims and these families migrated to Pakistan in 1947) each undertook to work on one entire side i.e. the left side by one and right by the other. Moreover not a single motif used by one is repeated exactly by the other. This has to be pointed out as the whole is so entirely harmonious and well balanced that is hard to believe. But careful examination will prove it not to be correct. The little windows on the left and right are not similar. The left side of the front door has not, quite the same design as the right and so on.