Jaisalmer – Travel Guide to the Thar Desert

Rajasthan is diverse and beautiful in countless ways. This post is about the desert city of Jaisalmer, that I loved the most in Rajasthan. Jaisalmer is said to be the Golden City of India mainly because of its captivating yellow sandstone architecture. The city is located closest to the Thar Desert and thus also very close to Pakistan’s border. Apart from the desert, the unique thing about Jaisalmer is its living fort. “Jaisalmer – Travel Guide to the Thar Desert” is a continuation of my blog posts on the Rajasthan series.

Exploring places to visit in Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer fort

Jaisalmer fort, also known as Sonar Qila is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is India’s only living fort and it houses a palace, ancient havelis (homes), shops, temples, restaurants, and hotels. The fort is 250 feet tall with 30 feet long walls. It was built in 1156 AD by Rawal Jaisal Singh from Yadu clan who are said to be the descendants of Lord Krishna.

Jain Temples of Jaisalmer

Jain traders were said to be thriving centuries ago and they built multiple Jain temples in and around Jaisalmer. There are 7 Jain temples to visit within the fort premises itself. It is said that these temples are connected to each other through gates and corridors, but we aren’t allowed to temple hop via those gates.

Gadisar Lake

Gadisar Sagar is an artificial lake built as a water reservoir by the then king, Maharaja Gadsi Singh in the 14th century after whom it is named. The lake is a 2 km walk from the fort. We visited the lake for its famous sound and light show.

Patwaon ki Haveli

Patwaon ki haveli is one of Rajasthan’s architectural marvels. The beauty of the intricately carved house will make one speechless for few seconds. The haveli comprises of 5 different houses of brocade brothers which was meant for 5 Patwa brothers. Currently 3 out of the 5 houses still have people living in them while the other 2 are open for tourists.

Nathmal ji ki Haveli

It is a private haveli known for its intricate exterior carvings. We had a look at it from the outside.

Desert National Park

There are 2 major sand dunes in Jaisalmer, 45-50 km from the city. They are Sams and Khuri dunes.

Sam Sand Dunes

Sam Sand Dunes are the most famous and commercialized with luxury tents, camel and jeep safaris, dance and dinner. In Sams the desert vegetation is very less and for a distance of 3-4 km there is nothing but sand which keeps changing due to the wind.

Khuri Sand Dunes

Khuri Sand Dunes is where I visited. It is not commercialized and hence very less people visit. There aren’t as many activities like Sams Sand Dunes but you can still enjoy the camel ride and a beautiful night right under the sky full of stars far from the city.

Kuldhara

Kuldhara is a ghost village which falls in between Jaisalmer city and the Desert National Park. The village was the residence of Paliwal Brahmins from the 13th century. One night in the early 19th century everyone in Kuldhara and the 83 nearby villages vanished. It is also said that they had cursed the village such that nobody else can ever spend a night there. The ruins of Kuldhara are now protected by the Archeological Survey of India. The place and the stories behind this ghost village are spooky.