Bada Bagh cenotaphs

About 6 km from the city of Jaisalmer, mid-way to Lodurva, are the sandstone chhatris dedicated to male members of the royal family, who perished in battles of land and life. With tall windmills forming the background vista, the cenotaphs look picturesque in the setting sun. The yellow sandstone architecture rises from the amber landscape as if establishing its supremacy over the sands and undistinguished rocks around. These cenotaphs were once surrounded by a well-laid garden and hence the name ‘Bada-bagh’. With princely states being dissolved post independence of the country, the maintenance and upkeep suffered, and as did the garden.

The cenotaphs have various designs with domes shaped pyramidal, rectangular and circular, but bases are mostly square and hexagonal. Each chhatri has a stone slab with the image of a king and the interiors are plain and simple.