Garsisar Tank Jaisalmer

¤ Magnificent Tank

Garsisar is an artificial water tank and was the main source of water to Jaisalmer till about 1965, which is when a lot of tube wells were built at Dabala village about 15kms off the city limits to augment Jaisalmer’s meager water supply. The tank itself was built way back in 1156 by the first monarch of Jaisalmer King Jaisal, and was later renovated by Maharawal Garsi Singh after whom it is named. There are a number of small shrines built in and around the tank.


¤ Teelon ki Pol-Garsisar Gate

Garsisar lake is reached through an exquisite archway called the Garsisar Gate or the Teelon ki Pol. It was built by a courtesan Teelon, who used her ill-gotten wealth to build the gateway in an effort to immortalize herself. Teelon lived in Hyderabad (the one now in Pakistan), but came to Jaisalmer, her birth place, annually during the monsoons. When some courtiers protested and suggested to the king that he couldn’t possibly pass under an archway built by a woman of easy virtue, he ordered its destruction. However, the cunning Teelon had a statue of Satyanarayan (god of Truth), placed atop the archway and the Maharawal was forced to rescind his order.

In this manner Teelon, who ironically was also very religious minded, was able to cement her place in Jaisalmer’s history.The monument still stands at the sight and is a certainly worth a dekko. The Garsisar gate is one of the two main entrances to the city.