Las Vegas of India

Jaisalmer – The Western Desert

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The Property

►XX,XXX Bighas of a Single Stretch of freehold land in the Desert State in Western India (XXXX Acres / XX.XXX Square Miles / XX.XX Square Kilometres).

►Situated at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan (A favourite Historical Tourist Destination in the middle of the Desert, also referred to as ‘The Golden City’).

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About Jaisalmer

►Jaisalmer, nicknamed ‘The Golden City’ is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone (hence the nicknae), 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 and has a population of about 78,000. It is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer District.

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About Jaisalmer► Its like straight out of an Arabian Nights fable. The name Jaisalmer

induces a dramatic picture of utter magic and brilliance of the desert. The hostile terrain not with standing the warmth and colour of people is simply over whelming. One of the main draws is the daunting 12th century Jaisalmer Fort. The beautiful havelis which were built by wealthy merchants of Jaisalmer are yet another interesting aspect of the desert city. And you can let your eyes caress the sloppy sand dunes while you ramble your way in a camel safari. The desert citadel is truly a golden fantasy in Thar Desert. Bhatti Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, after whom the city finds its name, founded Jaisalmer in 1156. On advice of a local hermit Eesaal he chose the Tricut Hills as his new abode abandoning his vulnerable old fort at Luderwa just 16 kilometres northwest. In Medieval times, its prosperity was due to its location on the main trade route linking India to Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and the West. The Bhatti Rajput rulers lined their coffer with gains from traditional taxes on passing by caravans and sometimes through illicit gains by rustling cattle.

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Jaisalmer - Geography► Jaisalmer is located at 26.92° N 70.9° E. It has an average

elevation of 229 metres (751 feet).► Jaisalmer is situated on the border of India and Pakistan in West

Rajasthan. The area of Jaisalmer is 5.1 km². The maximum summer temperature is around 41.6 °C while the minimum is 25 °C. The maximum winter temperature is 23.6 °C while the minimum is 7.9 °C. The average rainfall is 150 mm.

► Jaisalmer is almost entirely a sandy waste, forming a part of the Great Indian Desert. Water is scarce, and generally brackish; the average depth of the wells is said to be about 250 ft.

► The climate is dry and healthy. Throughout Jaisalmer only raincrops, such as bajra, joar, motif, til, etc., are grown; spring crops of wheat, barley, etc., are very rare. Owing to the scant rainfall, irrigation is almost unknown.

► Distances: New Delhi (864 km), Jaipur (558 km), Mumbai (1177 km), Ahmedabad (626 km).

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Jaisalmer – Economy

► Tourism is a major industry in Jaisalmer.► The Government of India initiated departmental

exploration for oil in 1955-56 in the Jaisalmer area. Oil India Limited's discovered natural gas in 1988 in the Jaisalmer basin.

► Also known for their fine leather messenger bags made from wild camels native to the area.

► Musicians and dancers are also a major cultural export of Jaisalmer to the rest of the world, Manganyar musicians played the world over since decades, and Queen H a r i s h, the dancing whirling desert drag queen, certainly the most talented dancer from Rajasthan, is touring the world extensively and features in international movies.

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Jaisalmer – Tourist Attractions► Jaisalmer Fort

Built in 1156 by the Bhati Rajput ruler Jaisal, it is situated on Trikuta Hill and had been the scene of many battles. Its massive sandstone walls are a tawny lion color during the day, turning to a magical honey-gold as the sun sets. The famous Indian film director Satyajit Ray wrote a detective novel and later turned it into a film – Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) which was based on this fort. This is a living fort and about a quarter of city's population still live inside the fort. The main attractions inside the fort are: Raj Mahal (Royal palace), Jain temples and the Laxminath temple.

► HavelisThe main havelis in Jaisalmer are: Patwon-ki-Haveli: Built by Guman Chand Patwa (and later by his five sons), a

wealthy merchant and banker who had over three hundred trading centres from Afghanistan to China. This ornate five-storey complex took fifty years to complete. This is the largest, the most magnificent, and the most elaborate of Jaisalmer havelis.

Salim Singh-ki-Haveli: It was built by the scheming Prime Minister Salim Singh in 1815. It has a beautifully arched roof capped with blue cupolas and carved brackets in the form of peacocks.

Nathmalji-ki-Haveli: Bult by a Prime Minister of princely state of Jaisalmer. Its facade is a riot of ornamentation: flowers, birds, elephants, soldiers, a bicycle and even a steam engine.

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Jaisalmer – Tourist Attractions► Museums

Desert Culture Centre & Museum Jaisalmer Folklore Museum Government Museum

► Other Gadsisar Lake Excavated in 1367 by Rawal Gadsi Singh, it is a scenic rainwater lake surrounded by small

temples and shrines.► In neighbourhood

Bhattiani Sati Rani Bada Bagh Bada Bagh Panorama in the afternoon Amar Sagar Lodhruva Mool Sagar Kuldhara Desert National Park Sam sand dunes Khuri village Akal Wood fossil Park

Sin City

A look at Las Vegas

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A Look at Las Vegas

POPULATION► City of Las Vegas -- 478,434► City of Henderson -- 175,381► City of N. Las Vegas -- 115,488► Clark County -- 1,375,765► Nevada -- 1,998,257

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000Between 4,000 and 6,000 people move into Clark County monthly. In 1999, 33.8 million people visited Las Vegas while in 2000 the number rose to 35.8 million. More than 3.8 million of those were convention delegates. In 2000 there were 124,270 hotel/motel rooms available.Source: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Research

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A Look at Las VegasHistory of Las Vegas

► Prehistoric Southern Nevada was a virtual marsh of abundant water and vegetation.

► As eons passed, the marsh receded. Rivers disappeared beneath the surface. The once teeming wetlands evolved into a parched, arid landscape that supported only the hardiest of plants and animals. Water trapped underground in the complicated geologic formations of the Las Vegas Valley sporadically surfaced to nourish luxuriant plants, creating an oasis in the desert as the life- giving water flowed to the Colorado River.

► Construction workers in 1993 discovered the remains of a Columbian mammoth that roamed the area during prehistoric times. Paleontologists estimate the bones to be 8,000 to 15,000 years old. Hidden for centuries from all but native Americans, the Las Vegas Valley oasis was protected from discovery by the surrounding harsh and unforgiving Mojave Desert.

► Mexican trader Antonio Armijo, leading a 60-man party along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles in 1829, veered from the accepted route.

► While Armijo's caravan was camped Christmas Day about 100 miles northeast of present day Las Vegas, a scouting party rode west in search of water. An experienced young Mexican scout, Rafael Rivera, left the main party and ventured into the unexplored desert. Within two weeks, he discovered Las Vegas Springs.

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A Look at Las Vegas► The abundant artesian spring water discovered at Las Vegas shortened the Spanish Trail

to Los Angeles, eased rigors for Spanish traders and hastened the rush west for California gold. Between 1830 and 1848, the name "Vegas," as shown on maps of that day, was changed to Las Vegas which means "The Meadows" in Spanish.

► By 1890 railroad developers had determined the water-rich Las Vegas Valley would be a prime location for a stop facility and town. More than a quarter century earlier, Nevada, known as the Battle Born State, had been admitted to the Union in 1864 during the Civil War.

► Advent of the railroad led to the founding of Las Vegas on May 15, 1905.► Nevada was the first state to legalize casino-style gambling, but not before it reluctantly

was the last western state to outlaw gaming in the first decade of the 20th Century.► World War II stalled major resort growth in Las Vegas. But the seeds for future expansion

had been planted in 1941 when hotelman Tommy Hull built the El Rancho Vegas Hotel-Casino on what is now vacant land opposite the current Sahara Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

► The success of the El Rancho Vegas triggered a small building boom in the late 1940s including construction of several hotel- casinos fronting on a two-lane highway leading into Las Vegas from Los Angeles. The stretch of road evolved into today's Las Vegas Strip.

► Entertainment, along with gambling, built Las Vegas' reputation as a playland getaway of the world.

► In 1976, when casino-style gaming was legalized in Atlantic City, N.J., it became apparent to Las Vegas casino owners that Nevada no longer could claim exclusive rights to gambling casinos. It perhaps hastened the beginning of another era for the Strip -- the megaresort. Hotel-casinos began the race to become full-blown destination resorts for travelers, vacationers, gamblers, conventioneers and all members of the family.