RAS question
The Jaisalmer Fort is unique because it is:
Correct answer: (C) One of the very few living forts in the world where people still reside.
Jaisalmer Fort is unique because it is one of the world's very few living forts, with people still residing inside its walls.
Explanation
Jaisalmer Fort, also known as Sonar Quila or the Golden Fort, is best identified by its living-fort character. Rajasthan Tourism notes that the fort is still home to about 3,000 people within its walls, with narrow winding lanes lined by houses and temples. That directly supports option C: the fort is not merely a preserved monument but an inhabited historic space. About one-quarter of the old city's population still lives inside the fort walls, it was built in 1156 CE by Rawal Jaisal, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its distinctiveness in RAS questions therefore lies in continuous habitation, not in height, marble construction, or being Rajasthan's oldest fort.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jaisalmer Fort is not India's tallest fort, so height is not the feature that makes it unique here.
- (B) Jaisalmer Fort is associated with yellow sandstone and the Golden Fort identity, not with being built entirely of marble.
- (D) It was built in 1156 CE, but other Rajasthan forts, such as Ranthambore, are older.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's fort architecture and heritage geography, especially the distinction between a historic monument and a living fort. RAS repeats such facts because forts are central to Rajasthan's art, culture and tourism-linked heritage syllabus.