Jaisalmer Golden Limestone: A Heritage Stone Resource from the Desert of Western India

The yellow-colored limestone of Jaisalmer, famous as golden stone, has been extensively used in the architectonic heritage of western India. The architectural heritage, built of this limestone, imparts an exquisite character to Jaisalmer city, which is popularly known as The Golden City. The Jaisalmer Fort built using Jaisalmer Limestone, locally referred to as Sonar Qila meaning Golden Fort, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jaisalmer is renowned for architecturally distinctive Jaisalmer Fort, Palace of Maharawal (now Fort Palace Museum), Jain and Lodurva temples, Nathmalji-ki-Haveli, Patwon ki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli, and Bada Bag cenotaphs (burial monuments, locally known aschhatris) constructed using the yellow Jaisalmer Limestone. Besides being used as a major building material, it has found profound usage in inlay work done in many religious places, forts, palaces, and mausoleums built during the reign of Mughals in India from sixteenth century onwards. The Jaisalmer Limestone, also known as yellow limestone, is well exposed around Jaisalmer city. It belongs to the Jaisalmer Formation of the Jurassic age. The Jaisalmer Limestone is hard and compact with low porosity, which has been classified as oolitic to bioclastic grainstone, packstone to wackestone. The yellow limestone, which is the most sought-after variety due to its pleasing color, texture, and aesthetics, is being quarried around the city of Jaisalmer for decades. The yellow limestone is commonly traded as Yellow Marble. The common use of the Jaisalmer Limestone includes floor tiles, wall claddings, counter tops, and most importantly as an ornamental stone. The Jaisalmer Limestone is exported to various countries across the Middle East and Europe in the form of slabs, tiles, and handicrafts. The Golden Jaisalmer Limestone's wide usage in the heritage monuments in India deserves to be promoted on a global scenario. Thus, we propose it to be designated as the Global Heritage Stone Resource from India.