The survivors of the first 2 brutal legs will stagger into Jaisalmer nicknamed “The sun city” located 575 kilometers west from the state capital Jaipur. The competitors will be spending the next day in battling the dunes to the North & West of the city. The 21 Feb’13 will witness the longest stage of the 2013 Storm at over 200 kms across the dreaded Thar desert.

About Jaisalmer

Once known as Jaisalmer state, the town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain temples.

Jaisalmer, generally regarded as the driest place in India, lies in the heart of the Thar Desert and is famous for many finely sculptured houses and temples.

Jaisalmer is named after its founder Maharawal Jaisal Singh, a Rajput king in 1156 AD. It means “the Hill Fort of Jaisal”. Jaisalmer is also called the “Golden City of India” because the yellow sand and the yellow sandstone used in every architecture of the city which gives a yellowish-golden tinge to the city and its surrounding area.

The Maharajas of Jaisalmer trace their lineage back to Jaitsimha, a ruler of the Bhatti Rajput clan. The major opponents of the Bhati Rajputs were the powerful Rathor clans of Jodhpur and Bikaner. They used to fight battles for the possession of forts, waterholes or cattle. Jaisalmer was positioned strategically and was a halting point along a traditional trade route traversed by the camel caravans of Indian and Asian merchants. The route linked India to Central Asia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and the West.  During the Islamic invasion of India, Jaisalmer escaped direct Muslim conquest due to its geographical situation in the desert region. The Rawals of Jaisalmer agreed to pay an annual tribute to the Delhi Sultans. The first siege of Jaisalmer occurred during the reign of Alauddin Khilji. It was provoked by Bhatis’ raid on a caravan filled with treasure. According to local ballads, the Bhatis defended the fort for seven years until the enemy army forces breached the ramparts. The Bhatis, facing certain defeat, proclaimed the rite of jauhar. Later, Sultan Ferozshah also besieged Jaisalmer after the rulers of Jaisalmer raided his camp at Anasagar lake near Ajmer. The siege led to another jauhar. Jaitsimha’s son Duda perished in the attack. Duda’s descendants ruled over Jaisalmer for about two centuries. Duda’s descendant Lunakarna had a fight with Humayun when the latter passed through Jaisalmer en route to Ajmer. Mughal emperor Akbar was married to one of the Jaisalmer princesses. Later, Jaisalmer was ruled by a noble called Sabala Simha, who won the patronage of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for services rendered in his Peshawar campaign.