I just realized it’s been almost 6 months since I updated my
blog !
I traveled a bit – to Jaisalmer and to Nainital, to Kashipur
for their annual Chaiti mela and to Rishikesh again, to Amritsar and then a
small surprise – to Malaysia ! With each trip, I learnt so much, saw so much
and experienced so much. From the fine sand dunes of Thar desert to the beautiful
Naini lake, from one of the biggest melas in India to rafting in the Ganga,
from the grand Golden temple to my first trip abroad, it’s been a busy year in
terms of traveling. And I loved every bit of it. I believe each one of us ought
to travel. For there is much to see and learn out there.
Off we went to Jaisalmer :
The train journey to Jaisalmer was long – approx. 16 hours
from Delhi. So basically if you want to visit Jaisalmer – you need a little
more than a weekend. The train passed through several stations of Rajasthan
including Pokaran. It was huge tracts of arid land everywhere.
After alighting in Jaisalmer, we went to Residency point (
Hotel Rajadhani ), the place we were planning to stay. It was a simple homestay
with clean rooms. I loved it immediately. ( And for 400 bucks a night !!!! )
After settling in, we went to the terrace. The view was remarkable. Jaisalmer
is rightfully called the golden city. We could see the fort at a distance. It was
majestic.
Our first place in the ‘places to see’ was the Patwa ki
Haveli. This was the first haveli to be erected in Jaisalmer and is actually a
cluster of 5 smaller havelis. The palette that the eyes see is a hue of
sandstone color. It had started to rain there, which is so rare. It was a
blessing and a respite from the desert heat in April. We then went to the
havelis rooftop and got a little wet in the desert rain !
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| The first drop of rain |
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| Patwa ji ki haveli |
Oh, we also spotted a man who was showing off his ‘it came
in some Guinness/Limca world record’ beard.
Our next stop was the Gadisar lake. This lake acted as a
reservoir for the entire city at one point. You can sit quietly by the lake and
admire the structure in the center of the lake.
After spending an hour there, we went to catch the puppet
show in Jaisalmer'a cultural center. The puppet show was fun, a young boy left
us all amazed with his talent.
We then went to the fort ! Finally. The plentiful shops on
the way did distract us a lot. We bought colorful umbrellas, ‘camel’ leather
juthis ( so they say, I highly doubt that, one guy admitted it’s goat ),
leather wallets and sling bags and of course, some postcards. You have to
really negotiate a lot ! The fort is filled with small narrow lanes with shops
attracting tourists. At every point, you’ll be amazed with the architecture and
colors of the fort. The fort is famous
for its Jain temples.
Saturday, we hired a jeep and left for Lakhmana sand dunes
to get the once in lifetime experience of sleeping in the desert under the open
sky. We first stopped at the Bada bagh – a set of royal cenotaphs. It was
stunning. I remember thinking to myself how lucky the people are to have such
royal tombstones. Next we went to Kuldhara – the deserted village near
Jaisalmer. There are several stories about this eerie looking (and sounding)
village. Apparently, a lot of movies have been shot here.
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| Wind farms line the arid tracts outside Jaisalmer |
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| Kuldhara |
Finally we went to our camels – the beginning of the camel
safari. My camel was called Number 1, the others were Shahrukh, Salman etc. The
camel men took these names with huge pride. The rest of the evening and the
night were some of the best moments in my life. From experiencing my first
desert storm to sleeping under the starry sky so close to the Indian border
with Pakistan, each moment was spectacular. That night, it poured heavily. There
was massive lightning too. We had no place to hide other than our jeep. When
the sky cleared around 2:00 AM, we slept outside.
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| Lucky are those who can experience this. |
Just sitting on the fine warm sand in the morning and seeing
nothing but huge dunes of sand everywhere can make you smile.
If you get a chance, do experience this.
Tips :
It's best if you can arrange a desert safari and arrange for sleeping out in the open desert rather than that in camps during the summer - strictly my opinion - I'd rather be free than in a tent inside a camp with many others. Open desert is again ideal if there's a group of you. They give you simple four poster beds - nothing fancy. Great experience!
Tips :
It's best if you can arrange a desert safari and arrange for sleeping out in the open desert rather than that in camps during the summer - strictly my opinion - I'd rather be free than in a tent inside a camp with many others. Open desert is again ideal if there's a group of you. They give you simple four poster beds - nothing fancy. Great experience!
Nice post, the fort looks a lot like the Jodhpur one.
ReplyDeleteI am planning a trip to Jaisalmer soon.
Very nice pics. I just loved it. It needs no saying that the city holds great prominence in the history of India with its rich cultural heritage and ethnicity. Check out best places to visit in Jaisalmer also.
ReplyDeleteTrue ! Visiting the Fort and the city of Jaisalmer made me proud of our rich history. I also loved the sand dunes - it was my first time in any desert :)
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