As children we have heard countless fairytale stories from our elders. Then, we grew up and got carried away along with the courses of our individual life. However, some of those stories are still afresh in our memory and we do share them with the kids whenever time and tide favour us. Now, let’s put these things in the background for a while as we are preparing ourselves to turn on a fresh leaf. What’s your idea about visiting a fairytale city as a weekend destination? Well, if I have heard you correctly, you may have uttered …very interesting, right? So, let’s begin!
Jaisalmer is a small fairytale city situated at the bosom of the Thar Desert in the state of Punjab. It earned its popularity as the ‘Golden City’ and ‘Sonar Quila’ among the Indians. According to mythology, once lord Krishna prophesied to lord Arjuna that someday a descendant of the Yadava Clan would set-up his capital at the top of the Trikuta hills. Now, History reveals that Rajput Rawal Jaisal shifted his capital to the top of the Trikuta hills in 1156 AD. The historic Jaisalmer Fort constructed during his reign.
Attractions and activities
Either you plan to come here for a short weekend trip or on a tour of few days; the city would leave you spellbound for sure. Explore the yellow coloured Jaisalmer Fort build with sandstone, City Palace, Haveli and the dwelling units of the local residents here. Take special note of the artworks on these houses especially the finely decorated walls, doors and windows.
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| Side view of Jaisalmer Fort |
Jaisalmer Fort in the Jaisalmer city is one prime attraction of Punjab. Since the fort is located at an elevation of around 78 metres above the ground on a hill, it’s visible to the visitors from distance. According to stats, it’s the only living/dwelling fort of the country buzzing with people, residents and shops. The interior of the fort is equally attractive as the exterior. Hop inside the City Palace, the Museum and roll your eyes on the delicate artworks displayed on the walls. You may enter the Museum anytime between 9am to 6pm by paying an entry fee of RS 30. Besides, the City Palace houses the Megh Durbar, Rani Durbar, the historic Takht-E-Rawal, Rang Mahal, etc. Next, inside the fort, make your way through the narrow passage and watch the ancient Jain Temples built between 13th to 16th century. These temples open for the visitors from 7am to 1pm. You would notice that all these temples are made of yellow sand stones while the structure of the Tirthankar made of white marble.
The fort is the shelter for thousands of people living here. This second ancient fort of Rajasthan has four entrances, and a terrace that provides the panoramic view of the Jaisalmer city to the visitors. You would find several handicraft and miniature painting shops located outside the fort.
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| Camel ride |
The city has three famous havelis namely the Salim Singh ki Haveli, Patwon ki Haveli and Nathmalji ki Haveli. Besides, make sure to view the Tazia Tower, Gadisar Lake, Temple Palace, Vyas Chhatri Sunset Point, Folklore Museum. Akal Wood Fossil Park, Desert National Park. Moreover, the Sam Sand Dunes of the Thar Desert located 45 kilometres away from Jaisalmer. If you plan to go there, you would find on your way, Lodhuba, the ancient capital of Jaisalmer, Bada Bagh Chhatri, Amar Sagar Lake and Temple. Enjoy a camel ride at the Sam desert or view the sunset while sitting on the camel. You would treasure it as an awesome experience in your memory for long which you would never forget.
To get there
The roadway distance between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer is around 280 kilometres. A bus journey may cost around six hours. However, you may board Jaisalmer Express from the Jodhpur Station at 11:45pm and reach Jaisalmer early next morning at 5:30 am. Alternatively, you may board Delhi-Jaisalmer Express from Jodhpur at 5:30 am and reach Jaialmer at 11 am.
However, if you are travelling from Kolkata, you may board Jodhpur Express from the Howrah Station or Howrah-Jaisalmer Express (weekly) on Monday.
To stay
The two RTDC hotels available for suitable lodging are hotel Moomal and hotel Samdhani Resort. At hotel Moomal, the rent for the double bed room ranges from RS 1300 to RS 2400 while at Samdhani the rent for the double bed room is RS 3000. Besides, the rent of Swiss Tent is RS 3000. However, one should take note that during desert festival, Swiss Tent is available at a rent of RS 5000.
Moreover, plenty of private hotels like hotel Paradise, Jaiswal Palace, Akashdeep, etc., are available on rent as well for the visitors. The rent of these hotels varies from RS 1000 to RS 3000.