Rushdie does his bit for Jaisalmer

Salman Rushdie was the star turn at a London charity event that managed to raise nearly £20,000 in less than half an hour for the preservation of the walled city of Jaisalmer.

Rushdie and fellow author and Indophile William Dalrymple each donated four signed works of their collected works for auctioning at a 'Jaisalmer in Jeopardy' function at the London premises of Christie's auctioneers on Tuesday night.

Among the successful bidders who paid £1,000 for each set of books were Sumitra Atkinson, wife of British comedy actor Rowan Atkinson, and two businessmen identified as a Chandman and a Sharma.

The fourth successful bidder, Peter Prince Francopan, is married to London society heiress Jessica Sainsbury whose family trust currently supports a number of individual preservation projects in Jaisalmer.

The city is threatened by rising water levels that are linked to the sewage system introduced after independence. Moisture risks undermining the fragile sandstone structures within the walled fort, which is more than 800 years old.

Events coordinator Veronica Hall told rediff.com that ticket sales for the champagne reception that preceded the auction raised just under £15,000.

"The turnout was fantastic", she said, adding, "it was a sell-out occasion that attracted more than 350 people.

"Salman Rushdie flew in specially from New York. He does very little here in London and we were overwhelmed by his willingness to give us his support."

Former Jaisalmer ruler, Brijraj Singh, who also attended the event, told rediff.com that nearly Rs7 crore have been raised since 1997 to preserve historic buildings within the walled city.

Singh, who is patron of 'Jaisalmer in Jeopardy' and claims direct descent from the family of Lord Krishna, said that among the most generous supporters of the trust is the New York-based World Monuments Fund, as well as the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.