Building Conservation-Jaisalmer

BUILDING CONSERVATION
Jaisalmer Fort Conservation

Project, Rajasthan
MAITHRAY BHAVANA
RAJASTHAN INDIA
HILL FORTS OF RAJASTHAN

buffer zone
ZONAL MAP OF RAJASTHAN HILL FORT
nominated
property
Location : Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Style : fusion of Islamic and Rajput architecture
Built :1155 AD
Built by: Rawal Jaisal
EXISTING FORT CONDITION:
One of India's best-known heritage

structures and UNSECO Heritage site,
Jaisalmer Fort is degrading and is in danger
of collapsing.
• The most significant problem it is facing is
that of toxic water seeping into its walls
that is weakening the fort walls.
• Sanitation problem
BUILDING CONSERVATION
Jaisalmer Fort Conservation Project, Rajasthan
Location : Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Style : fusion of Islamic and Rajput architecture
Status : Ongoing
Built :1155 AD
Built by: Rawal Jaisal
Poppulation: 1/4th of city populaton resident(5000 people)
The fort constitutes 99 bastions, amongst these 92 were built
between 1633 and 1647.
There are 4 gateways to reach this fort i.e. Ganesh Pol, Akshya Pol,
Suraj Pol and Hawa Pol. Jaisalmer Fort is situated on Trikuta Hill and
had been the scene of many battles. BASTION WALL
Jaisalmer fort is popularly known as the "Sonar Kila" because it is made of yellow sandstone.
• SDM Architects has been assisting an international team of consultants in a project to

monitor the stability of the hill below the Jaisalmer Fort, a UNESCO world heritage
monument.
• The fort, which is on a hill about 30m above the surrounding plain, received piped
water only in 1991.
• Since then, there have been several collapses of the bastion walls.
• The team was tasked with finding the reasons for these collapses.
• The team found that a layer of mudstone in the hill was the main culprit. This is a soil that is very sensitive to water
ingress, and virtually dissolves in the presence of water.
• This has led to collapses in parts of the fort. Building of new hotels within the fort and an imperfect sewage and
rainwater drainage system within compound the problem.
Soil testing:
• The team suggested and successfully
implemented a method called
inclinometer testing to find out whether
there are sub-surface movements in the
soil.
• This is done by drilling vertical boreholes
into the hillslopes at critical locations,
mainly the corners of the triangle-shaped
fort.
• Flexible plastic tubing is installed in these
boreholes.
• This tubing will move along with the
earth wherever subsoil movements occur.
• A very sensitive probe is sent down the

boreholes every 6 months or so, and the
exact profile of the borehole is mapped,
with readings taken every 0.5m.
• A comparison of the profiles of a
borehole over time will give a clear
picture of the direction, location, and
magnitude of any subsoil movement.
The aim is to ultimately suggest an implementable solution to safeguard the slope stability of the fort. (With
geotechnical engineers Sudhir Deshpande and Dr. John Hughes) The project is being done by the Archeological
Survey of India in association with the World Monuments Fund.
State of Conservation (SOC) by year
2018/ 2016 /2015
The series of six massive hill forts are architectural manifestations of Rajput
valour, bravery, feudalism and cultural traditions, documented in several
historic texts and paintings of the medieval and late medieval period in
India. Their elaborate fortifications, built to protect not only garrisons for
defence but also palatial buildings, temples, and urban centres.
Reporting Trend*
* Based on the frequency at which the World Heritage Committee has deliberated over this property over the past
15 years. 0 = minimum reports, 100 = maximum reports.
For more information consult the The State of Conservation of the World Heritage Forest Network
SOURCE:
https://www.wmf.org/project/jaisalmer-fort
http://www.sdmarchitects.com/jaisalmer-fort-conservation-project-rajasthan.html
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/247/
VEDIOS RESOURCE:
https://www.ilovejaisalmer.com/jaisalmer-fort-drainage/
http://heritageici.intach.org/?page_id=546
https://www.facebook.com/FortJodhpur/posts/conservation-work-is-in-progress-at-sursagar-mahal-
seen-here-are-pictures-of-lay/2042276135880407/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Jaisalmer-fort-wall-collapses/videoshow/
9836140.cms
ABOUT:
• It is believed to be one of the very few "living forts" in
the world
• The first settlements outside the fort walls, to
accommodate the growing population of Jaisalmer,
are said to have come up in the 17th century
• Jaisalmer Fort is the second oldest fort in Rajasthan,
and stood at the crossroads of important trade routes
(including the ancient Silk road)
• The fort's massive yellow sandstone walls are 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
• In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage
Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Jaisalmer
Fort, along with 5 other forts of Rajasthan, was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the
group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
HISTORY Alauddin Khalji Rawal Jaisal
• the fort was built by Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati Rajput, in 1156 CE

• Around 1293-94 CE, Rawal Jethsi faced an eight to nine-year
siege by Sultan Alauddin Khalji of Delhi.
• By the end of the siege, facing certain defeat, the Bhati
Rajput women committed 'jauhar', and the male warriors met
their fatal end in battle with the Sultan's forces.
• For a few years after the successful siege, the fort remained
abandoned, before being eventually reoccupied by some
surviving Bhatis
• During Rawal Lunakaran's reign, around 1530 - 1551 CE, the
fort was attacked by an Afghan chief Amir Ali.
• In 1541 CE, Rawal Lunakaran also fought Mughal emperor • After independence and the Partition of
Humayun when the latter attacked the fort on his way to India, the ancient trade route was totally
Ajmer.He also offered his daughter in marriage to Akbar. closed, thus permanently removing the city
Mughals controlled the fort till 1762 from its former role of importance in
• The treaty between the East India Company and Mulraj on 12 international commerce.
December 1818 allowed the Mulraj to retain control of the
fort and provided for protection from invasion.
• After the death of Mulraj in 1820, his grandson Gaj Singh
inherited control of the fort.
• the continued strategic importance of Jaisalmer was demonstrated during the 1965 and 1971 wars between
India and Pakistan.
• Even though the town of Jaisalmer no longer serves as an important trading city, or as a major military post,
the town is still able to earn revenues as a major tourist destination
Architecture
• The fort is 1,500 ft (460 m) long and 750 ft (230 m) wide and is built on a hill that raises above a height of 250 ft (76 m)
• The base of the fort has a 15 ft (4.6 m) tall wall forming the fort's outermost ring, within its triple ringed defence
architecture.
• The fort's upper bastions or towers form a defensive inner-wall perimeter that is about 2.5 mi (4.0 km) long.
• The fort now incorporates 99 bastions, of which 92 were built or substantially rebuilt between the period of 1633-47.
• The fort also has four fortified entrances or gates from the townside, one of which was once guarded by cannon.
• Four massive gateways through which visitors to the fort must pass, situated along with the main approach to the
citadel.
• The Raj Mahal Palace, former residence of the Maharawal of Jaisalmer.
• Jain Temples: Inside Jaisalmer Fort, there are 7 Jain temples built by yellow sandstone during 12-16th century
• The Laxminath temple of Jaisalmer, dedicated to the worship of the gods Lakshmi and Vishnu.
• Numerous Merchant Havelis.
• In Jaisalmer there are many elaborate havelis carved from yellow sandstone.
• Some of these have many floors and countless rooms, with decorated windows, archways, doors and balconies.
• Some havelis are today museums but most in Jaisalmer are still lived in by the families that built them
• Among these is the Vyas haveli which was built in the 15th century, which is still occupied by the descendants of the
original builders
• The fort has an ingenious drainage system called the ghut nali which allows for the easy drainage of rainwater away
from the fort in all four directions of the fort.
• Over the years, haphazard construction activities and building of new roads has greatly reduced its effectiveness
Culture
• The fort has numerous eateries, including Italian, French and native
cuisines.
• They were recognized as a serial cultural property and examples of
Rajput military hill architecture

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BUILDING CONSERVATION

Jaisalmer Fort Conservation

HILL FORTS OF RAJASTHAN

One of India's best-known heritage

• SDM Architects has been assisting an international team of consultants in a project to

• A very sensitive probe is sent down the

• the fort was built by Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati Rajput, in 1156 CE

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