Jaisalmer Sightseeing

Situated amid picturesque Thar Desert, the Jaisalmer city commands premiere position among the tourist attractions scattered all over Rajasthan. The Jaisalmer city is revered both by Indian as well as foreign tourists. Who would have dreamt in such a vast sand oasis a castle worthy of an ancient throne, such an art in carven work of stone? It is like straight out of an Arabian Nights fable. The name Jaisalmer induces a dramatic picture of utter magic and brilliance of the desert. The hostile terrain not withstanding the warmth and color of people is simply over whelming.

Jaisalmer Fort

With a striking golden structure that can be seen from miles around, Jaisalmer fort is the landmark of the city. This fort is unique as it is one of the only living fort in the world. The towering sandstone walls encompass not only homes but shops, restaurants, temples and even hotels. Despite these modern developments, the fort retains all the feels of a medieval city. And walking among the castle walls will have you feeling like you’ve stepped back in time.

Exploring the fort is one of the historical things you can do in the golden city and you never know where the labyrinth of alleyways might lead you. Laid within the fort are cool rooftop bars, epic viewpoints of the cities, talented artisans, or eerie fortune tellers. Furthermore, it is completely free to enter. This is quite a selling point considering most attractions in Rajasthan come with a steep price tag attached.

Havelis

Havelis are what we westerners know to be mansions, and a number of these buildings can be found in the city of Jaisalmer. In true Rajasthani style, these grandeur buildings are the work of exquisite artistry and craftsmanship.

Patwon Ki Haveli is the largest and most important haveli in Jaisalmer. Once home to a rich merchant, it is now a popular tourist attraction in the city. The intricate sandstone design is quite remarkable and well worth visiting in Jaisalmer. Although it is just a small fee to see the interior, we were quite happy admiring the masterpiece from the outside.

Gadisar Lake

One of the more relaxing places to visit on this Jaisalmer Itinerary is Gadisar Lake. The lake is said to be spiritual and the religious temples seemingly floating in the water certainly let off an air of tranquillity. Many locals and tourists alike come here to meditate at sunrise. Otherwise, it’s a nice spot to read a book, or simply immerse yourself in the serenity that such conditions provide.

Another relaxing activity you can take part in on the lake is peddle boating. A 30-minute boat ride will set you back just 100 INR for a 2 man boat and allows you to explore the lake at your own leisure. It’s a relaxing experience and a chance to see the ‘floating’ temples in closer proximity. Just try not to get too close in case you cause damage to the structures.

Bada Bagh

Located 6km outside of the city, Bada Bagh is essentially a cemetery for members of the royal family. The magnificently carved cenotaphs are what attracts most tourists here, and have even been the feature of numerous Bollywood films.

Kuldhara

Lying 17km west of Jaisalmer, Kuldhara has a story. Some 300 years ago, it used to be a prosperous village of Paliwal Brahmins under the state of Jaisalmer. According to the legend, the evil eyes of Salim Singh, the powerful and debauched prime minister of the state, fell on the daughter of the village head and he desired to marry her by force. He threatened the village with grave consequences if they did not adhere to his wish. Instead of submitting to the order of the tyrant, the Paliwals held a council and people of 85 villages left their ancestral homes and vanished. But this was not all; before leaving, they put a curse on Kuldhara that no one will ever be able to settle in their village thereafter. To this date, the village remains barren; left almost the same as its inhabitants had left it centuries ago. It is also said that people who have tried to stay there at night have been chased away by strange paranormal phenomena.

Another, more plausible reason can be that Salim Singh raised the taxes to such an extent that it became unviable for the local community to survive in the village; and they thus decided to migrate to greener pastures. However, people love the former story; after all, who doesn’t want a tinge of romance and mystery in their tales!

Tanot & Longewala

Tanot Village : Tanot is a small village with a population of about 300 people. It is the last point on that road where an Indian citizen can go without any permit. International Border Pillar, BP 609,is about 15 kms from Tanot and a permit is required from BSF to visit that post. I parked the bike outside the temple complex, and approached a sentinel, who was maintaining a register of all vehicular movement beyond Tanot towards the border. He also maintained a register for the outsider, who arrived there to visit the temple. I asked him about the permit for BP 609. He informed that nobody was allowed to go there due to some recent issues. It was a big disappointment. But, first I wanted to visit the Tanot Temple, so I went inside the temple premises after making an entry in the visitor’s register.

Longewala : In one hour, I was at Longewala. The BSF bunkers are the only human settlements there. It was the famous battleground of 1971 war, that became a graveyard of Pakistani Tanks, other vehicles and supporting machinery. At least 37 Pakistani tanks and 138 vehicles/machinery were destroyed or abandoned in the battle. A T-59 tank, hit by an Indian RCL gun at the same spot, is still there on display with some other vehicles lying around in the sand.