Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is a breathtaking heritage city that lies in the heart of the Thar Desert. Surrounded by sand dunes, the city has the spectacular golden Jaisalmer Fort towering over it and apparently rising out of the desert haze. Made of yellow sandstone, Jaisalmer Fort, Havelis, Palace of the Maharawal, several Hindu temples, exquisitely sculpted trio of Jain temples and Gadsisar Lake are the places that are not to be missed out on your trip to this beautiful city.
The most famous havelis are Nathmalji ki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli and the Patwon ki Haveli. The Desert Culture Centre and Museum is a place which gives visitors an inside view of Jaisalmer, with its extensive collection of old coins, textile, weaponry, traditional Rajasthani musical instruments and fossils found in the desert. The Gadsisar Lake is an artificial water body that stores rainwater. In the harsh desert landscape, it becomes a major attraction and a favourite picnic spot. Including a desert safari during a visit here would also prove to be an unforgettable experience. The city is well connected by air, road and railways.
Best time to visit: October to February
Languages spoken: Rajasthani, Hindi, Urdu
Climate: Very hot summers and cold winters
Heritage sites: Jaisalmer Fort, Palace of the Maharawal, Nathmalji ki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli, Patwon ki Haveli.
Holy places: Several Hindu and Jain Temples
Activities: Desert Safari
Places to visit: Desert Culture Centre and Museum, Gadsisar Lake

Jaisalmer – The golden city

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Not that this was my first trip to Rajasthan. Having traveled to Jaipur and Udaipur before, I was quite sure of what to expect when we decided to vacation in Jaisalmer. The flight from Mumbai to Jodhpur (the closest airport) took about an hour and thirty minutes. Indian Airlines of course lived up to its expectation of reaching late to any destination but we finally made it to the land of the staunch ‘Marwars’ – Jodhpur.

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Delhi -> Jodhpur ->Jaisalmer -> Bikaner Road Review

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A road trip starting from Delhi to Jodhpur, then over to Jaisalmer and a return back via Bikaner is an amazing experience. It is always advisable to start the journey at the break of dawn to avoid the rush hour. We started around 3:00 AM (did I say break of dawn?) and were in Jaipur by 7.00 AM. The Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH-8) is under construction for expansion. Be prepared to face a lot of mud & deep craters on the roads. We still managed to go maintain a speed of 60-70 Kmph and sometimes accelerated to about 110 kmph. Good facilities for breakfast and refreshments along the highway provided by Rajasthan Tourism & other privately held outlets make the journey comfortable.

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