RAS question
The distinctive honey-yellow sandstone used in the palaces and havelis of Jaisalmer comes from:
Correct answer: (A) Local Jaisalmer yellow limestone/sandstone.
The distinctive honey-yellow stone used in Jaisalmer's palaces and havelis is the local yellow Jaisalmer limestone/sandstone found around Jaisalmer city.
Explanation
Jaisalmer's Golden City appearance comes from its local yellow Jaisalmer limestone/sandstone, the material that gives the fort, palaces and havelis their warm golden hue. The IUGS page on Jaisalmer Limestone identifies the stone's colour as yellow or golden and places it around Jaisalmer city in western India. IUGS also records this limestone's use in many monuments, including Jaisalmer Fort, palaces, Jain temples and old havelis with elaborate carvings. The stone is local to Jaisalmer, not imported from another Rajasthan sandstone belt. Rajasthan does produce several coloured building stones, but Jaisalmer has a district-specific association with the yellow-golden variety.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Karauli sandstone is associated with a red variety, so it does not explain the honey-yellow or golden appearance of Jaisalmer's fort and havelis.
- (C) Dholpur sandstone is a red sandstone source, whereas the Jaisalmer buildings in question use the local yellow-golden stone.
- (D) Jodhpur sandstone, or Chittar stone, has pink or red tones, not the distinctive yellow-golden stone of Jaisalmer.
Concept
Rajasthan's economic geography includes district-wise building-stone distribution, with different districts known for different coloured stone varieties. Local minerals, heritage architecture and regional identity often overlap in Rajasthan geography, so RAS frequently uses such associations.