Jaisalmer is a city in the western Rajasthan just near the Thar Desert . It is the last city in the way to the Desert . Most of the people start their Camel safari towards that from Jaisalmer . There is also a famous Golden Fort in the top of the city made by Bhatia Rajput kings . Local handicraft specially bowl and glass made from local golden coloured rock is very famous . Local economy is mostly dependent on the tourism. Jaisalmer was founded by the bhatia ruler Rawl Jaiswal in the yr 1156 AD. Traditional Jaisalmer music is very famous throughout the India and the world . They used simple instrument to make the music . In front of the golden fort gate you see people practish traditional folk music .
How to reach to Jaisalmer ?
Jaisalmer is well connected by Airport , Train and Road services are available to all the bigger cities in India . In bengali film ‘sonar kella ‘ you will find the beautiful footage of the train journey to Jaisalmer .
Jaisalmer airport is situated 17 km distant to the city . Though it was not a big airport but it has direct flight to ahmadabad , Delhi , Mumbai airport .
Jaisalmer is well connected by the rail link to the rest of the country . It has direct train to all the major cities like kolkata , Mumbai , Delhi and Madras.
Jaisalmer has direct bus service towards the Jaipur and Udaipur City . NH 11 and SH 68 passes through the Jaisalmer city .
Story
First I visited Jaipur then I travel towards Jaisalmer by Bus . It is a overnight almost 13 hour bus journey to reach Jaisalmer . Before the city comes in beside the road from the bus you will find Bush and throne trees which will give you the desert feeling . The city is situated in the ridge of the yellow sandstone rock . Here you will find most of the building are made of this stone . Hindu , Jains , sikhs , christan and muslims are the major religion in the Jaisalmer city . Inside the Fort there is some Jain Temples which are as old as 12 th to 15 th century . They are dedicated to 16 th and 23 rd jain Tirthankar. Inside the Fort there is Kings’s palace from where you can get the panoramic view of the Fort and the city . From here you can also get a glimpse of the desert .
The bus get me down in this city around 7 in the morning . From the roadside I got the first glimpse of the Fort . In the soft sunlight of the morning It looks Golden Palace . Then after I inquire 2-3 Hotels for the desert safari and the stay . Their packages are mostly luxury and they offer the Rajasthani Dance and this kind of experience but I want pure Desert experience . So I roam around the place suddenly My eyes goes into the Real desert Man Camel Safari , I have seen it in the Wiki travel so I immediately enter their centre and inquire about the Camel Safari trips . They said in this day in the evening they have a tour and it would be desert safari and they have simple plan no dance or other thing just only enjoy the nature and the stars in the night . I was looking for this type of trip . I immediately subscribe to their trip and they said they have guest house to stay also . So I went with him and stay in their guest House .
After reaching their guest house first I take a bath then take food in a nearby restaurant and then then make a small sleep and around 2 pm I reached their office . In out tour there is two foreigner man a foreigner woman and a Indian man and me . The Indian men is from Hyderabad . It becomes good friendship with the boy . Now finally Our jeep leaves around 3 in the afternoon . First stop is 17 km from the city Kuldhara , It is a Ghost Town . 300 years ago it was a living village but the prime minister of area want to marry the village heads daughter by force . They were reluctant . When they find that there is no other way then they cursed the village and just vanished from the village left just the abandoned village . From that time no one able to live this village . In this village you will find a temple and ruins of the building where in most building there was no roof . We spent there might be 15 minutes and then our jeep run toward the Desert National Park from where the actual desert starts . It is almost 40 km from the Jaisalmer city to the Desert National Park .
After that we go to the sand dunes by the camel . Now starts the camel safari Jaisalmer .My camel is a middle aged Male Camel . From the gate of the desert National Park to the sand dunes it is 10-15 km . In the way only comes some small village of the desert tribes . After sometimes comes the sand dunes . It is like the mountain of sand . Like sea all sides you just see sand . This sand has very fine grain. Our tour organizer says they are going to camping there . They have water water cooking material and some bed previously arranged there . But one thing find very bad is that they serve food on plastic plate and after using they don’t care that becomes the camping area dirty . In this place I only found some dogs and the crow no other animal than our camels . Sometimes we found some other safari groups passing by .
Now it comes the sunset time . It is really beautiful to see sunset from this place . After the sun goes down still the sky colored with the golden light . Now comes the real magic . Night sky is most beautiful . Night starts twinkled and looks very prominent . If you can look for sometime in the night sky you can spot the shooting stars . In our childhood we seen this . After long years I have seen such a clear night sky .
After sometime they served the food . The food is very simple rice , roti , Dal and some vegetables . There was two cook . They made the cooking in the wooden fire . I and this Indian guy sleep in the Ground bed and they sleep in the uplift bed(Khatia). In desert as in the day time it is too much hot like same in the night time it is too much cold . You have to use Blanket in the night . Long time in the night I just gazed towards the sky . It looks amazing and the quietness makes it more beautiful . After long time sometime I just sleep .
In the morning I try to woke up very early for seeing the sunrise though the sun already rises from the Horizon . Morning weather is nice . After taking the breakfast we all started our journey in the Camel . Around 9 we are in the gate of the National park and the jeep takes around one hour to reach to the City . So now we goes to our room and take a bath .
After that I went for the Jaisalmer Fort which is also famous as “Golden fort ” . It is one of the living ford in India . Almost a quarter of the population of the city still lives in the Fort . It is made of yellow Sandstone . In front of the Gate of the fort I found some Rajasthani musician sing the folk songs of this area . This is very pleasant to listen the Music . Inside the Fort there is Maharaja Palace and a old Jain Temple . Here all buildings are made of the Yellow Sandstone . From any part of the city you can see this fort . It is like the roof of the city . In the way to the Fort you will find local people selling different bowl and souvenir made up of this yellow stone . There also you will find different handcrafted elements , hand loom cloths ect .
For going inside the Fort there is no ticket but to enter the Palace there is ticket . The palace is very beautiful . There is detailed carvings in the doors walls and specially the windows . Either in the palace you can take a local guide or can take audio guide which will tell you the stories and the history of this palace . At first people only live in this fort but when the population increases then people live nearby area outside the Fort . This palace have been build by the Bhatia Rajputs . This Fort is also the 2nd oldest Fort in the whole Rajasthan .
After spending 2 hours I finally come out of the Fort and buy some local souvenir from the shops . Now I take the lunch . I ordered the Maharaja Rajasthani thali . In the thali there was different items . In between them I found the Gatte kii sabji very delicious . As in Rajasthan vegetation is very less so this sabji is not actually sabji they made with different flour . The thali was very delicious . They put the Roti soaked in Ghee . After Lunch I take a afternoon sleep and in the evening I take bus toward Udaipur city , another Fascinating city in the Rajasthan .
Key Point for Jaisaslmer
- It is very hot in summer so avoid traveling in summer . If you still come better be prepared .
- Jaisalmer Fort and the Thar Desert are the major attraction .
- Food here is also very delicious and also you can try for the camel milk .
- Camel is one of the major transport in this region .
- It is well connected by the Rail , Road and Air transport .
- It is also major pilgrimage for the Jain Community .
- Local rajasthani folk dance and music is very famous among tourist.
