Jaisalmer – Complete Guide to the Golden City of Rajasthan

Jaisalmer is an old city that has bundle of facts to declare, tales to impress, uniqueness to wonder and spirit to live. It is one such city, which offers facts about the courageous rulers, tales of unequalled valor, unique in its beauty and undaunted spirit to keeps us alive and kicking.

Places to visit in Jaisalmer

The magical golden sandstone city of Jaisalmer, situated in Rajasthan's Thar desert, conjures up images of an Arabian Nights fable. Trust me, there can be no words to explain the experience of Jaisalmer, here are few places you must visit here,

1. Jaisalmer Fort 

Jaisalmer Fort is one of the two living forts of India. Rising from the desert sands like a mirage, the fort is a real sight with its 99 turrets during night. The Fort stands tall and proud displaying the magic of Rajasthani architecture.

Jaisalmer Fort is famously known as Golden Fort of Rajasthan. It was constructed by Raja Jaisal, Rajput ruler in the year 1156 AD. It ranks amongst the largest forts in the world. The golden and yellow mixed sandstone offer magical look to the Fort. Since it is a living fort there are lot of houses and hotels in the fort premises. People are welcoming and humble. You can shop, photograph and try cusines inside the fort area.

2. Bada Bagh

Bada Bagh means ‘Huge Garden’. Maharawal Jait Singh’s, built it in the 16^th century. The garden serves as memorial where the nobles and their families were cremated. The garden offers a stunning view. The place is isolated. If you visit the place during sunrise and sunset, you are guaranteed of beautiful moments, which you cannot avoid clicking.

3. Patwon-Ki-Haveli

It was built by a famous trader named Guman Chand and his sons. He was a rich man and his richness can be seen in the structure of these set of 5 havelis. This massive five-storied construction has five intricately decorated huge suites. The large corridors and the decorated walls are excellent representations of the art form that prevailed. The entire construction is made of yellow sandstone. The grandeur and the architecture of the monument add immense value to the cultural heritage of the city. Out of the five havelis, one is converted into a museum. The third haveli houses the works of local craftsmen of the bygone era.

4. Sam Sand Dunes

 Sam Sand Dunes is the ideal location to set off for the Desert Safari. You will love the safari on camelback that would take you along crests and troughs and you could watch the picturesque sunset on the desert. Jeep safaris are available as well. Desert festival is organized in the months of February and March. If you are around this time, you would not want to miss the folk dances, camel races and other cultural events conducted here. You can know about the activities in our other blog.

5. The Thar Heritage Museum

Thar Heritage Museum presents you the history, culture, art and architecture of the famous Thar Desert. Sea fossils aging over million years let us in on how the sea eventually became the Thar Desert. The museum houses unique ornaments of the ship of the desert and horses. Documents and coins of Jaisalmer, ancient manuscripts and weapons are some of the collections found in this museum. You will love the puppet show here.

6. Gadisar Lake

Gadisar Lake  was constructed by the first ruler of the land, Raja Rawal Jaisal and later reconstructed by Maharawal Garsi in the year 1367 AD. The people of the desert city depended on this tank for their water needs. You will find temples, Holy shrines and Chattris around the banks of this lake. The artistically carved entrance made of yellow sandstone offers breathtaking view. You can enjoy boating and photography here.

7. Jain Temples

Jain temples here can be traced back to the 12th century. The temples are known for their distinctive architectural style modelled after the Dilwara temple of Mt. Abu. Beautifully carved and well interconnected, these temples are completely made up of yellow sandstone and are a vision to behold.

8. Salim Singh Ki Haveli

Salim Singh Ki Haveli is the most famous haveli in Jaisalmer. It was built by the then minister, Salim Singh who wanted to make as high as the fort but was prohibited by the king. It has 38 balconies with their own distinctive style of architecture and a peacock shaped roof. This haveli provides a good glimpse in the past and the photographs taken here would be awe inspiring.

9. Kuldhara

Have you really not heard about this?. It is a abandoned ghost town, Kuldhara was once a prosperous town occupied by Paliwal Brahmins. The reasons for why a whole city was abandoned within a night is not clear but the popular belief holds the then state minister Salim Singh is responsible for the same. The minister wanted to marry the village chief’s daughter and therefore delivered an ultimatum to the village chief to accept his demands or let the whole community face dire consequences. Rather than giving in to the minister’s demands, the whole village decided to move away. Before leaving, they cursed this place to never have any kind of human settlement and this has been proven true to this date. Visit Kuldhara to get a glimpse of the past and get spooked by its tales.

What Not to Miss when in Jaisalmer

·       Kachori outside the fort Gate is superb

·       You can try Gotua sweets in Jaisalmer, you will get it in the lane opp the gate.

·       Watch puppet show at that museum

Drink Bhang if it suits you, if never tried, try it here

·       If you crave for beer in the fort, look for Cannon point. Near the Jain temple. Here is a small restaurant that serves chilled beer and some good hukka.

·       Feeding fishes are not allowed in Ghadisagar lake, take some fish food with you, they allow that.

·       There are no toilets around Ghadisagar lake. Do things when leaving your room.

·       Do try amazingly spicy Maggie in the lane connecting Ghadisagar lake.

·       Hire a guide to see the fort. It is worth the price.

·       Enjoy chilled beer in the desert. It will come to you while you halt for sunset. They know our taste better then us.

·       Do visit the indo-pak border and mata mandir nearby

Some tips for Jaisalmer Trip

1.     Always stay in a hotel inside the fort, live like a king

2.     “if you like it then pay, else FREE” if you hear this voice in the main fort chowk, do stop. Talk to him for interesting stories about the fort and also drink the orange juice that me makes. Its awesome.

3.     If you are visiting Jaisalmer in winters, do carry good amount of warm clothes. Winters are too chilling here.

4.     If you are here during summers. Ask for a place called ‘hawa Pol’ within the fort. Enjoy the cold breeze while sipping some nice cold coffee there in the fort.

5.     Bargain on prices of Sam desert camp. Insist on Rajput’s runned camp. They are extremely good, Do not compromise if they force you.

6.     Tip gracefully to the camel ride guy at Sam desert. They wait for tourist all round the year to find some fortune.

Lesser Known Facts about Jaisalmer

·       Jaisalmer's Fort was only a small fort when it was built in 1156 AD and it was slowly and slowly built by future kings.

·       Well in history you might have heard about defeats but have you heard about half-defeat.Yes Jaisalmer was once half-defeated. When Amir Ali, an Afghan chieftain obtained Rawal Lunakaran’s permission to let his wives visit the queens of Jaisalmer. Instead of a retinue of palanquins containing women they were full of armed warriors, which took the guards of the fort by surprise. When it seemed to the Rawal that he was fighting a losing battle he slaughtered his womenfolk with his own hands as there was insufficient time to arrange a funeral pyre. Tragically immediately after the deed was done, reinforcements arrived, sparing the men from the Jauhar and Amir Ali was defeated and blown up by a cannonball. Hence, it is called a half jauhar or Sako.

·       Jaisalmer was voted by 20% tourists as face of India next to Agra's Taj Mahal.

·       Jaisalmer makes an image of a sandy place but at some time Jaisalmeris had their own farms of Mangoes,dates and many other fruits and vegetables.

·      Pollution rate and Crime Rate is near Zero. 

How to Reach Jaisalmer

By Air: 

The Jodhpur Airport is the nearest aerodrome, serving the Golden City of Jaisalmer. About 280 km away from the city, the airport enjoys good connectivity with Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. Flights of Air India and Jet Airways provide their services from all these cities. However, people do not consider air as the best mode of travelling to Jaisalmer owing to the long distance between the airport and the city. After reaching the airport, travellers can easily avail of taxi and bus services from outside to reach Jaisalmer. 

By Road: 

Jaisalmer enjoys excellent connectivity with several cities in Gujarat and Rajasthan via several well-maintained state and private buses. There are two major bus stands in Jaisalmer, namely Golden Bus Terminal and Roadways main bus stand. All the major buses operate from here only. 

By Train: 

The Jaisalmer Railway Station has good connectivity with major Indian cities through a broad network of trains. From major cities such as Delhi and Jaipur there are direct trains available for Jaisalmer. Some of the prominent trains that operate from Delhi are Jaisalmer Express and Jodhpur Jaisalmer Express. Visitors can easily get rickshaws and auto from outside the station.

The city may be in the heart of a desert but the heart of the city is vibrant and pleasant. When you plan your Rajasthan trip do remember to keep atleast 2 to 3 days for Jaisalmer. You will love every minute spent here. Visit Jaisalmer and make it the most memorable part of your life. 

It is not a place; it’s a Dream castle.