Gadisar Lake is a peaceful water body on the southern edge of the old city, reached through an ornate gateway called Tilon-ki-Pol and surrounded by ghats, shrines and small chhatris reflected in the water. Boats drift across the surface, while ducks and migratory birds visit in season, and in the early morning or evening the lake becomes beautifully photogenic with the fort glowing in the distance. For centuries this was the main life-line of Jaisalmer; even today, beyond tourism, it gives the desert city a surprisingly soft, watery edge.
About this place
History & highlights
Gadisar is a man-made lake, originally created in the 12th century by the city’s founder Rawal Jaisal Bhati as Jaisalasar, the primary water source for the fort and settlement. In the 14th century it was rebuilt and enlarged by ruler Rawal Gadsi Bhati, from whom it takes the name Gadisar/Gadsisar. For centuries it stored precious monsoon water, with temples and memorials growing up around its banks as people commemorated the source that kept the city alive. In the later 20th century, water from the Indira Gandhi Canal was routed to the lake so that it no longer dries up, changing it from a fragile seasonal tank into a more permanent reservoir and popular tourist spot.
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