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Situated amid picturesque
Thar Desert, the Jaisalmer city commands premiere
position among the tourist attractions scattered all
over the desert land of Rajasthan. The Jaisalmer city is
revered both by Indians as well as foreign tourists.
Among many of them you will find Salim ji ki haveli and
Nathmal ji ki haveli as the most striking. There are
other monuments too, which are equally important because
of their distinct and individual architecture. The
amalgamation of ancient and the medieval era
architecture will catch your fancy. Like various other
cities of Rajasthan, you will discover different facets
of Jaisalmer as you explore this wonderful city with us.
Tough there are historical monuments scattered all over
the city but the Jaisalmer Fort will immediately command
your attention. Made of sand stones and locally known as
Sonar Quila, the Jaisalmer Fort is a dominating
structure amidst sands. The Jaisalmer city is also known
for its old mansions, better known as Havelis.
The Jaisalmer city is a prominent educational as well as
cultural hub in the region and regularly showcases the
vivid cultural aspects of Rajasthan. Among others, it
includes folk dances as well as semi classical and folk
music.
Accessibility
By plane : A military airstrip has recently been
opened to limited civilian flights, with Kingfisher
offering flights from Delhi (only from October to
March). A new, dedicated airport is planned for 2010.
By train : There is a direct train service from
Delhi When arriving by train you will pass the station
of Pokharan, India's nuclear testing area!
By bus : Bus or car-taxi from Jodhpur or by bus
from Bikaner. A daily bus runs to and from Jaipur.
By camel : Another option is to arrive by camel;
Jaisalmer is famous for camel trips. The most grueling
is the 14 day trip from Bikaner. When booking a few days
in the desert on a camel, remember to shop around in
order to get the quality you pay for.
What To See
One of the most magnificent attractions is the
Jaisalmer Fort known as the "Sonar Kila" due to the
yellow stone it was built out of.
Gadi Sagar is a rainwater lake which supplies water to
the city. It is surrounded by temples and tombs of
saints. Boat rides are offered. Nearby is the desert
cultural centre and a local museum built out of the
collections of a local schoolteacher.
Jaisalmer Fort: Jaisalmer fort is also known as
the “Sonar Quila”. Colourful shades of the setting sun
and golden hues of the desert ambience give a fairy tale
look to this mega structured fort. The interior of this
fort is amazing. Tourists can also visit many havelis of
rich merchants, which are also having a touch of great
classical interior and design.
Jain Temple: There are 7 beautifully curved
temples built inside the fort walls. These temples were
built in between from 12th century to 15th century. All
the temples are connected by walkways and corridors. It
is compulsory to remove your shoes, and all other
leather articles (belts, wallets, purses etc...) before
entering any Jain temple. The very first temple which a
tourist can visit is dedicated to Chandraprabhu, who is
the eight tirthankar (Jain God). The symbol of the God
Chandraprabhu is the moon. This temple was built in
1509. It is built with fine stones.
What to Buy : The usual: in Jaisalmer this means
items made of camel leather, intricate textiles,
especially embroidery and silver jewelry. Local advice
is to seek out shops outside of the fort for better
value and service.
Get Out : Sam sand dunes Sam is about 40 km from
the city. Watch the sunset from the Sam sand dunes. RTDC
has limited accommodations (huts) at Sam; or you can
chill out at the one of the camps/tents, right in the
middle of the desert, organized by many tour operators.
You can watch cultural programs and dances organized by
RTDC and many private organizers. Highly recommended to
spend one night at Sam (early evening to late morning
next day).
"Khuri Sand Dunes" Just about 45 Km from the city is the
village of Khuri. It is equally famous for the sand
dunes as sam. However at khuri you are away from the
maddening crowd and the hawkers. As khuri is slowly
emerging on the tourism map, it still has all the basic
necessities but the crowd is non exsitant. That Means
you can have a couple of dunes just for yourself and do
whatever you feel like there. Khuri also boasts of
numerous private Hut/Tent resorts, available at very
reasonable rates with accommodation, food, camel safari
to the dunes and folk dance thrown in as accompaniments.
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