Salim Singh ki Haveli Jaisalmer

Salim Singh ki Haveli Jaisalmer is located in the heart of Jaisalmer city in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated beside the hills near the Jaisalmer Fort. Salim Singh ki haveli is one of the well-known palaces in Jaisalmer, and one of the destinations on the top of lists. The haveli is an architectural wonder and have 35 balconies. The haveli is 300 years old. When it was ahead of its time for its unique structure.

Salim Singh ki haveli was built in the location of an older haveli. The old haveli was built in the late 17th century; the new haveli was built in the year 1815. The Mehta family of Jaisalmer occupied Salim Singh ki haveli, as they were the most powerful family of their time. When Jaisalmer was the capital, Salim Singh, the Prime Minister of the kingdom back then, commissioned the haveli. It is claimed that Salim Singh built two additional floors to make the palace as high as the Jaisalmer fort, but then he ordered them to be torn down.

The haveli has a unique structure and a distinctive shape. The roof is constructed in the posture of a dancing peacock. The first floors of the haveli are narrow, but then the top floors spread out into a mass of carving. The roof of the haveli has carved brackets in the form of peacocks. The haveli has tuskers to guard the gateways, like any other haveli in Jaisalmer. The tuskers are made of sand stones. The haveli consists of 38 balconies with distinct designs for themselves. With its ship stern shape, the haveli is sometimes called Jahaz Mahal.