Tourist Places Of Jalore Rajasthan

                                                                 

                                                                         JALORE

                                                   HISTORY OF JALORE

THE CITY OF GRANITE AND GRANDEUR

Famed for its numerous quarries, Jalore has risen to prominence for producing some of the finest granite in the world. Originally a small town, industrial growth has helped Jalore grow by leaps and bounds in recent times.The ‘tope khana’ or cannon foundry at Jalore Fort is the foremost tourist attraction of Jalore and it provides stunning views of the city. The city is also famed for the Sundha Mata Temple which was built around 900 years ago and is sacred to the devotees of goddess Chamunda Devi.Believed to be founded in the 8th century AD, Jalore was originally called Jabalipur in honour of the saint Maharishi Jabali. The town was also known as Swarngiri, after the hill at the foot of which it is situated.Over the centuries a number of clans ruled over Jalore including the Gurjara Pratiharas, the Parmars and the Chauhans until the city was captured and destroyed by the Sultan of Delhi, Ala-Ud-Din-Khilji. After 4 centuries the city was finally restored back to the rulers of Marwar in 1704.

                                     JALORE FORT

The main attraction of Jalore city is the Jalore fort. It was one amongst the 9 fortresses, constructed by Paramaras, during the 10th century. The fort is one of the most non-assailable fort, amongst others in India. It had got conquered by many, from the Chouhans, to the Parmars, Popabai and lastly the Muslims. The fort is projected forwards, while having a rocky structure. It is about 1200 feet high. Cannons are mounted upon the walls and the bastionsThe entrance gates are huge, and one can get inside any of the four gates, after crossing a meandering slope. The gates are known as Dhruv Pol. Suraj Pol, Siroh Pol and Bal Pol. During the recent times, the chief palace is a deserted place, while certain carcasses are left behind. A handful of mosques inside the Jalore Fort is believed to have been constructed through the aid of the carcass of Hindu shrines and 8 Jains.

                                            TOPEKHANA

A marvellous beauty which must not be ignored by any traveller while in and around Jalore, Topekhana was built by King Bhoj in between the 7th and 8th centuries as a Sanskrit school. During that period, it was one of the largest and famous institutions of Sanskrit in the state.However, later on, when Jalore was captured and destroyed by Alauddin Khalji, the school was abandoned and remained a ruined structure for decades. During the pre-independence era, the building was used to keep weapons and ammunition.Therefore, it got the name Topekhana, which translates to "an armoury". Today, it can be found in ruins and is visited by several history lovers. If you would love to learn in detail about the history of Jalore, then Topekhana is another spot you must visit.

                                      MALIK SHAH'S MOSQUE

Commissioned by Ala-Ud-Din-Khilji during his reign over Jalore, the mosque was built to honour Malik Shah, the Seljuk Sultan of Baghdad. The mosque is located in the centre of the Jalore Fort and is particularly distinct for its style of architecture, which is believed to have been inspired by buildings found in Gujarat.

                                                  SIREY MANDIR

This temple is dedicated to Saint Jalindranath Maharaj. This temple is located to the west of the Jalore Fort. Due to the association of sage Jabali, many saints used to come here for spiritual activities like meditation.It is believed that Pandavas also spent some time here. Here you can see many Shiva and Shakti temples. Apart from all this, Sire Temple is also known for its natural beauty.

                                            SUNDHA MATA TEMPLE

Apart from visiting the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple,you can also get the privilege of visiting the Sundha Mata Temple here.There is a rare temple of Goddess Chamunda on the Sunda mountain in the Aravalli ranges at an altitude of about 1220 meters. There are lakhs of devotees who come here every year.There is a statue of Goddess Chamunda among the hill rocks. Here the head of Goddess Chamunda is worshiped.

Neelkanth Mahadev

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple located in Bhadrajun Tehsil of the district is counted among the famous temples here. As you enter the village, you can get a glimpse of the temple.

Neelkanth Temple is situated on a high peak here. A local Kivandati is also associated with this temple, it is believed that the first Shiva lingam was seen here to a widow woman, she used to worship Lord Shiva daily.His unwavering reverence for God was not seen from his family members, and the family tried hard to bury the Shivling in the ground, but the Shivling would emerge again and again.This process went on continuously and there was a big mound of sand. Taking this as a miracle of God, the villagers established the temple of Lord Shiva here. It is believed to be a very old temple. Religious events are organized here on a large scale on special occasions.

Jalore Wildlife Sanctuary

This sanctuary provides safe haven to innumerable fauna with different flora.Here you can see wild cat, fox, leopard, imperial eagle etc. in the wild.