Long before Jaisalmer became one of India’s most photographed desert destinations, it was a quiet frontier town on the edge of the Thar, known mainly to historians, traders and the Indian Army. Isolated by harsh terrain and limited connectivity, the Golden City lived at its own unhurried pace, its magnificent fort and havelis admired largely by locals rather than visitors. The turning point in Jaisalmer’s tourism story came not through policy or promotion, but through cinema.
The beginning of organised tourism in Jaisalmer is closely linked to the filming of the iconic movie Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray in the early 1970s. When Ray chose Jaisalmer Fort and the surrounding desert landscape as his backdrop, the city entered the national imagination for the first time. The film showcased Jaisalmer not as a remote outpost, but as a place of mystery, beauty and cultural depth. For audiences across India, the golden sandstone fort rising from the desert sands became a symbol of timeless grandeur.
At the time, Jaisalmer lacked even basic tourist infrastructure. There were few hotels, almost no guest houses, and limited transport facilities. During this period, Satyajit Ray met the then former Maharawal of Jaisalmer, Raghunath Singh, to seek assistance for the film unit. Understanding the importance of the project, the former Maharawal asked his secretary, Kishanlal Purohit, popularly known as Shripat, to help the filmmaker in every possible way.
Soon after, Satyajit Ray personally visited Kishanlal Purohit at his residence and explained the practical difficulties faced by the film crew in detail. Displaying remarkable foresight, Kishanlal Purohit offered Jawahir Niwas, the private guest house of Maharawal Raghunath Singh, along with its entire premises, to Satyajit Ray and his team completely free of cost. When Maharawal Raghunath Singh later learned that all facilities had been provided without charge, he was momentarily taken aback and asked why such generosity had been extended. Kishanlal Purohit calmly replied that this decision was in the interest of Jaisalmer and its future. When the film would be released, he believed, Jaisalmer’s identity would reach the world.
His belief soon turned into reality. As soon as Sonar Kella was released, it created a sensation across West Bengal. The film sparked immense curiosity, and Bengali tourists began travelling to Jaisalmer with a desire to see the Sonar Kella for themselves. This marked the city’s first steady flow of visitors, a movement that gradually strengthened over time.
As word spread, tourism slowly began to transform the local economy. Small guest houses, hotels and eateries emerged, many run by local families who adapted traditional homes into lodging spaces. Camel safaris, initially informal desert journeys guided by locals, evolved into organised tourist experiences. Craftspeople found new markets for embroidery, leather goods and silver jewellery, while folk musicians and performers gained wider recognition through cultural shows for visitors.
The Rajasthan government soon recognised Jaisalmer’s potential and invested in improving connectivity, heritage conservation and tourism promotion. Roads were developed, the railway station gained prominence, and Jaisalmer was included in official tourism circuits alongside Jaipur and Jodhpur. The desert festival, heritage walks and sound-and-light shows further strengthened the city’s appeal, blending history with experience-based tourism.
Over time, Jaisalmer’s identity shifted from a border town to a global heritage destination. Today, tourists from across India and around the world visit for its fort, sand dunes, desert safaris and cultural richness. Tourism has opened a vital source of income for the city, benefiting nearly every third family directly or indirectly and leading to the growth of hotels, guest houses and related establishments.
Yet the roots of this transformation lie in a single creative decision supported by rare vision and generosity. What began as a film shoot became the foundation of an entire tourism economy.
Jaisalmer’s journey highlights how art, culture and storytelling can redefine a place’s destiny. The city’s rise as a tourism hub was not accidental, but the result of imagination meeting heritage. Even now, decades later, visitors walking through the narrow lanes of the fort or standing at the edge of the dunes are unknowingly following the path first illuminated by a film that changed Jaisalmer forever.