Amidst the Golden sand dunes of Jaisalmer

We had a wonderful time at Jaipur, and our expectations were sky high there after. With the same thought, we hopped onto the bus ride from Bikaner to Jaisalmer.

We arrived at our hotel – an exquisite haveli in the lap of nature, early that evening. As our vehicle was being parked, we marveled at the grandeur of the hotel that would be our home for the next two nights! Located in the outskirts of the Jaisalmer city, between the deserts, stood this magnificence. We couldn’t hold back from snapping pictures right from the time of our arrival.

The rooms were a state of art, with hand painted walls and amazing interiors. As we walked into the reception we noticed a jewelled chandelier reflecting rainbow colors dancing across the luxurious lobby. Every wall seemed to have delicate patterns which showed a stamp of the skilled craftsmanship. The doors that led to the courtyard were pristine white with golden handles. Exquisite paintings which looked like they belonged to the the rich, painted walls. The ceilings had dainty designs along its corners. Even the door hinges were engraved with swirls and elegant designs. We just couldn’t believe how captivated we were, all along!

We quickly freshened up and headed to the hotel courtyard, for the promised magic show followed by a flute played beautifully by a musician. The euphonious chime that the flute emanated, teleported me to another universe altogether, for those few moments. A couple of men then assembled in one corner and played on their instruments as a woman dressed in the traditional Rajasthani attire danced gracefully in front of the audience, lighting up faces and livening up the surroundings. Tapping our feet all along, we constantly had an urge to join the lady performing, at the end of which a few of us finally gave in, got up and began matching her steps, as she taught us her moves.

After an hour filled with lots of dance, fun, laughter and entertainment, tired and sweaty – we headed to the luxurious dining room and to the aromas of the freshly cooked Rajasthani cuisines. The dinner buffet was sumptuous. Having stuffed ourselves to our heart’s content, we headed to our rooms and retired for the day.

Read the experience of our visit to Jodhpur and Udaipur here: City of lakes – Udaipur

Sonar Quilla

The Jaisalmer Fort also known as the Sonar Quilla is one of the prime places to visit in the city of Jaisalmer. It has been constructed out of the yellow sandstone and it seemed to reflect the scorching golden hues of the sand. The backdrop of the orange sun dipping along the skies added on to the beauty of the fort, making it picture worthy! The fort has been built in the elegant style of the royals by the local craftsmen.  It is a UNESCO-listed world heritage site and comprises of narrow criss- crossing lanes, temples, handicraft shops, guest houses and restaurants.

Our day began early and our first stop for the day was the marvellous Sonar Quilla, surrounded  with grand palaces, beautiful Havelis, temples and sprawling forts. Jaisalmer in the past, was a very important centre for trade, and there were many wealthy merchants in the city. These merchants later built exquisite havelis for themselves. Some of these havelis have beautiful architecture and craftsmanship, hence is a popular tourist attraction. A few of them have been converted into museums, while in some of them, the decedents of the merchants still continue to live in. We visited the 5 havelis across the alleys which were constructed by the early merchants and which are now said to be a property owned by the Government.

Every inch of the interiors of the haveli’s were covered with impeccably designed walls and the detailing that we were in awe of! Too much to see and in quick time was what we were experiencing. Absolutely stunned and in delight, we moved from one onto the next, silently adoring the artistry hidden in every little nook and corner of this place.

Heading to a viewpoint, gave us the glimpse of the entire Jaisalmer city, its splendid yellow sandstone buildings as it shone a golden honey hue whilst the sun set. The streets which we strolled through, to get to these places were lined with kitschy shops selling genuine Rajasthani stuff at reasonable prices.

Colourful fabrics as exhibit, vibrant articles, stores selling genuine gem stones, musicians playing sweet melodies on their instruments, faces of warmth and hospitable people in their traditional attire, was what we saw and experienced in the whole of Jaisalmer.

Jain temple

Located inside the Sonar Quilla, these temples are known for their architectural brilliance. They were built by wealthy Jain traders hundreds of years ago, with the permission of the Hindu rulers of Jaisalmer. It is said that the permission was given only after it was agreed that within each temple, there would be a Hindu god or goddess.

The walls and ceilings of these temples have finely carved sculptures of animals and humans made out of the yellow sandstones. These temples are built in the Dilwara style which is said to be famous all over the world for its architecture. The focus laid by the artisans on the detailing, in every part of this temple is remarkable and two eyes certainly aren’t enough to appreciate the beauty of this place. A must visit location, if in Jaisalmer!

Gadisar Lake

The bank of the Gadisar lake was surrounded by many artistically carved temples, shrines and Ghats. The magnificent Jaisalmer fort could be seen from here. This is a very sought after picturesque location in Jaisalmer as one can see the Jaisalmer fort shining in a resplendent golden colour with the first rays of the morning sun. This lake is a beautiful place for a serene break, a peaceful walk and a get away from the hustle bustle of the city. The charm of the lake  lies in the fact that it was the only source of water for the city of Jaisalmer during those  days. A Variety of migratory birds believed to have migrated from far-off places can be seen on the bank of the lake, thus adding to its beauty.

Gadisar lake was our next destination, where we saw the glimmering  waters of the lake in the callow light of the noon. The calm and the crystal clear surface of the lake mirrored the skies, forts and temples, creating a perfect reflection. After having spent quality time here and a few photographs taken, we headed for lunch. On the way we stopped at a Genuine Rajasthani Handicraft store where we were shown a wide range of dress materials, sarees, bed spreads and special vessels made from the fossilised stone (particularly bought from the Habur village of Jaisalmer).

The lunch spread, back at our hotel, was undoubtedly brilliant and everything was made to outright perfection, including the spices that were added in it. We were left licking our fingers!

Desert Safari and Camel ride

We were up onto the sand dunes of the Thar desert by early evening, the same day. We had a splendid desert safari which consisted of a visit to the three deserts along side a bumpy adventurous ride on an open jeep. Hair flying in the air, sand settling in our mouths, hands holding on tight to the rods, we swayed merrily from side to side as the vehicle drove through the lows and highs of the dunes. Owing to the endless lurching of the vehicle capturing the moments without dropping our phones and cameras became more of a challenge.

The camel ride was something that we were all looking forward to, and we leapt to our feet and sprung onto the camel’s back, soon as we got the opportunity. We then arched our spines as we settled onto the camel rear, as it rose up to take us to the point of sunset, hurrumping its way through the golden sand dunes. At the sunset point, we found men playing instruments which kept us entertained. We clicked a few pictures as we sat watching the sun slowly setting in the sky and changing its colour to a dark orange.

The next planned activity for the evening was entertainment and a DJ night across the bonfire at a resort with tents. We were seated in the courtyard on little divans. The whole place was lit up with lights, a happy chatter of the people filled the air and the tantalising aromas of yummy food lingered. As we were being served delicious starters and tea, we watched men get out the Rajasthani folk instruments and play it, while the women dressed in their traditional attire and props, danced to the melodious tunes. At one point, the dancers dragged us to join them and there was no looking back. I swirled, spun and bounced around the bonfire like there was no tomorrow, on and on and on. We kept hopping, rocking and shimmying for over an hour. After a super satisfying dance session, we headed to one of the tents for dinner, shortly getting back to our room after that.

The melodious chirping of the birds woke us up early the next morning. The large windows let the sun rays pour in, warming our skins, along side a warm breeze that made the curtains flutter, soothing our hearts . I sauntered to the window which overlooked the lawns of the hotel surrounded with greenery and beautiful blooms. Breathing in the fresh air, I opened the doors of our room and slowly made my way through the royal arched corridors in my pyjamas, gaining a steady pace, I darted through them, from one floor to the next, until I reached the rooftop. Placing my hands along the fencing of the terrace, I gazed into the infinity of the sands that stretched in front of my eyes. I let my mind drift away, enjoying the liberating feeling and calmness of the moment.

We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic to creativity. When we get home, home is still the same, but somethings in our mind has changed and that changes everything.

Takeaways:

1. The Fort Resort at the edge of the desert that we stayed at was the The Desert Palace hotel. Would certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a place to stay at Jaisalmer as it has cordial service, spotlessly clean and well decorated rooms and mouth watering food.
2. The Desert Safari costed us somewhere around Rs 600 per head.
3. Its ideal to buy the handicrafts on the streets of Jaisalmer rather than the official government stores, which claim to sell articles at much reasonable prices.
4. One needs to take an auto rickshaw to reach the Jain temple in the Jaisalmer fort from the view point.
5. Photography at the Jain temple comes with a cost. Cameras and phones are allowed inside at a small fee of Rs 30-50 respectively.
6. There is a belief that the water had every morning, from the cups and the vessels made from the Habur stone(Fossilised stone articles available at stores in Jaisalmer), cures a person of all illnesses.
7. Jaisalmer is well-known for its mirror-work embroidered garments and carpets, blankets, oil lamps, old stonework items, colorful fabrics, wooden items and silver jewelry. Puppets and Jootis being the most popular items of Jaisalmer.
8. The best time to visit Jaisalmer would be anytime between November to March.

Read the post how we spent our time exploring Jaipur and Bikaner here.