Jaisalmer stands tall in the desolate beauty
of the desert, proudly welcoming visitors to an enchanting world of fable, color,
and history. The view of Jaisalmer Fort, first seen from a distance of 15 km
is stunning. In the early morning the ramparts, bastions and the long stretching
walls dazzle gloriously. The yellow sandstone fortifications look magnificent.
It is one of the most exotic cities of the Orient, standing in the heart
of the desert for centuries, weathering with fortitude the vicissitudes of
fortune and furious onslaughts of nature. The sudden emergence of the 76-meter
high rock in the flat desert country crowned by the most awe-inspiring fort
makes a majestic sight.
Today, Jaisalmer is the personification of the old order influence the new.
An inherent feel for color and design percolated ever stratum of society,
and jewelry, crafts and architecture became objects of delight equally between
prince and peasant.
Jaisalmer is a border district of India located in the state of Rajasthan
and touching Pakistan. Most of the district is part of Thar Desert and offers
excellent camel safari options. Jaisalmer is connected to other cities in
the state as well as in Gujarat and some other places in India with National
Highway No 15.
History
Jaisalmer is amongst the last of the former princely kingdoms of Rajputana
before the border between India and Pakistan. The people of Jaisalmer believe
Lord Krishna prophecied to Arjuna that one of his descendants would establish
a kingdom on Trikuta Hill. The Lord’s prophecy was fulfilled in 1196
AD when Rawal Jaisal, a Bhatti Rajput who traced his lineage to Krisnna’s
Yadava clan, shifted his capital from Lodurva (16 km away) to Trikuta Hill.
Jaisalmer earned great wealth and glory in its heyday, because it was strategically
located on the most lucrative of trade routes between Central Asian kingdoms
and the Far East. Merchants were valued citizens and their houses or havelis
are legendary with ornate, intricately carved façades of sandstone.
The Bhatti Rajputs of Jaisalmer grew rich living off the rich caravans that
crossed their territory till their days of glory slowly came to an end with
the burgeoning of the shipping trade through the port at Mumbai.
Jaisalmer’s past glories can be seen in its impressive golden fort
on Trikuta Hill that dominates the horizon. The fort houses a township with
markets, palaces, temples and exquisite carved sandstone havelis. Today, these
homes are national treasures and art museums that are still inhabited. This
last outpost of the Indian Republic is valued for its heritage as much as
for its brave citizens, its people and culture, colourful festivals and crafts
have placed Jaisalmer on the world tourist map.
Places to See
The golden
Jaisalmer Fort is the very first place for most
visitors to this desert outpost. The fort towering high above the sprawling
city of Jaisalmer has an exciting, almost fairytale quality to it. The fort
is often spoken of as a ‘living museum’ because of its many ‘havelis’
– the mansions of the rich merchants built in the 19th century.
Hidden deep within a labyrinth of narrow old world lanes with shops, houses
and hotels is the Main Chowk (square) dominated by the Palace of the Maharawal,
several Hindu temples and exquisitely sculpted trio of Jain temples. The residential
area of the fort takes visitors back in time with beautiful ‘havelis’
with breath- taking exquisite intricately latticed golden yellow sandstone
facades. The most famous homes are Nathmalji ki Haveli, whose interiors are
extensively decorated with splendid miniature paintings, Salim Singh ki Haveli
capped with blue cupolas and superb peacock shaped brackets, and the Patwon
ki Haveli.
The Patwon ki Haveli is five storied and is the largest and most elaborate
of all with multiple carved pillars and colonnades, wall murals, long corridors
and ornate chambers.
The Desert Culture Centre and Museum is a place which gives visitors an inside
view of Jaisalmer, its people and the area around it. The museum has an extensive
collection of old coins, textile, weaponry, traditional Rajasthani musical
instruments and fossils found in the desert.
The GadsisarLake is an artificial water body that stores rainwater –
in the harsh desert landscape; it becomes a major attraction and a favourite
picnic spot.
Excursion
Lodurva
The ancient capital of Jaisalmer and an important Jain pilgrim centre lies
16 km to the west. Among the ruins of the city is a complex of magnificent
Jain temples with ornate archway at the entrance, perhaps the finest of its
kind in Rajasthan.
Akal Wood Fossil Park
17km on the road to Barmer is an interesting stop to the fossilised remains
of a forest that grew 180 million years ago. Not far from there is another
prehistoric site at Kandiala where different kinds of fossils are found –
still older, but undated fossilised rocks, with tiny sea shells embedded in
them, that show that this sandy desert wasteland was once part of the ocean
bed!
Sand Dunes at Sam
No trip to Jaisalmer is complete without a visit to the sand dunes at Sam,
42 km away, on the edge of the Desert National Park. The varying patterns,
ripples and waves that the wind creates on the undulating, ever changing dunes
is awesome to behold. The sunsets at Sam are particularly beautiful, with
the desert changing into a kaleidoscope of red, orange and copper before darkness
engulfs the desert in a blanket of sheer black.
Desert National Park
45km stretches across 3000km of protected biosphere, where the fragile ecosystem
of the desert is preserved in its natural environs. The native flora consists
of cacti, thorny shrubs, bushes and trees and vegetation that survives in the
dry and arid soil grow here and some of the local fauna- few animal species
like the monitor lizard, desert foxes, porcupines and herds of black buck live
in this protected park.
Kasauli A long 75 km drive from Shimla, this tiny town is dotted with colonial
buildings and fragrant pine forests. Be warned that accommodation comes expensive
in this much-in-demand hill town.
Dining Out
An array of restaurants serve an a la carte selection of Indian, Chinese and
Continental dishes, but what most visitors to Jaisalmer really look forward
to is the traditional desert food of the region. A standard Rajasthani meal
will consist of many bowls of different curries made from dried beans, vegetables
and lentils with spices that reputedly have a cooling effect in the desert
heat and come accompanied by thin wheat flour breads. Watermelons, melons
and milk-based desserts round off the meal usually served on large platters
called ‘thalis’.
Shopping
Jaisalmer is not only one of the finest tourist destinations in Rajasthan
but also an exciting place for shopping. Shopping is an important activity
in Jaisalmer that helps you in ascertaining the social fabric of the region.
Shopping is one of the exciting ways to get a feel of the local flavor. Browsing
through the bazaars of Jaisalmer, one observes the basic habits and way of
life of people.
Jaisalmer is famous for its tablecloths in mirror work and trinkets. Puppets
and joothies are other popular items. The puppets in Jaisalmer make an excellent
souvenir. You can also shop for a host other items, which include textile,
camel leather items, woven jackets, wooden boxes and ornaments.
There are various places to shop for in Jaisalmer. You can find most items
in the shops located in and around the fort. Puppets are best to buy from
the market below the Sunset Point. There are various other places to shop
for in Jaisalmer. The Bhatia Bazaar is an interesting place to visit.
Jaisalmer also has various showrooms and emporia, which are worth a visit.
Some of the places that you can visit include Barmer Embroidery House, which
is located near Patwon-ki-Haveli.
Visiting
The winter months between October and February are most definitely the best
time to visit Jaisalmer. The weather is comfortable and the sun is not as
harsh as in the summers. The three-day extravaganza of the Desert Festival
is also scheduled for January, with most visitors coming over here during
this time.
Special Events
The Desert Festival held in January/February is the most popular festival
of Jaisalmer, which draws large crowds of participants from far and near.
With camels silhouetted against the setting sun providing a backdrop, Rajasthan’s
finest folk musicians and dancers come out and enthrall visitors on the sand
dunes late into a moonlit night. It is a three-day extravaganza of colour,
music and gaiety; snake charmers, puppeteers, ‘Gair’ and fire
dancers sway to the rhythms of traditional tunes. A turban tying competition,
a Mr. Desert contest, camel rides and folk dances on the sand dunes at Sam
are part of the festivities. The festival culminates in a grand finale at
the dunes in Sam, where it ends with a nightlong celebration around campfires
How to get there
By Air : All commercial flights to and from Jaisalmer have
currently been discontinued.
Jaisalmer has its own airport, 10km from the city proper with connections to
Delhi and Mumbai; other important cities in India are connected via Jodhpur
(275km). Jodhpur is also a convenient flight destination because the airport
at Jaisalmer is very small and can accommodate only small aircrafts. Tourist
taxis, jeeps and auto rickshaws are available outside the Jaisalmer airport
to travel the short distance into the city while jeeps and tourist taxis, mini
buses and coaches are available in Jodhpur, both outside the airport and through
travel agents and tour operators.
By Train : Jaisalmer is now connected by both metre and broad
gauge rail lines to other cities in Rajasthan and to important destinations
like Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai via Jodhpur. The luxury tourist train, the
Palace on Wheels halts at Jaisalmer as it travels through Rajasthan.
By Road : Jaisalmer is connected to Jodhpur (275km), Bikaner
(328km), Ajmer (500km), Udaipur (663km) and to Delhi (900km) by well-maintained
state and national highways. Rental jeeps, MUVs, buses and cars are available
in these cities for those keen on travelling by road. All vehicles are with
a chauffeur. If you do want to buy and drive your own car, a valid international
or local license is mandatory and traffic drives on the left of the road. Most
state highways are two-laned and traffic can be fairly heavy during the tourist
season. It is always advisable to hire the services of an experienced driver
as driving in the Thar Desert can be extremely hazardous for the first time
traveller.
