This time I am starting a three-part series blog on my recent vacation in Rajasthan. It starts with the “Golden City” of Jaisalmer. Sandstone buildings fill the streets that still have medieval royal architecture. Shreya was again my company during this travel. Below given are 5 compelling reasons and not to miss aspects that will pull you towards Jaisalmer.

#1 Longewala visit

Our flight landed in Jaisalmer on a hot afternoon and we headed straight to Longewala 125km from there in a taxi. The route was full of beautiful landscapes of the Thar desert with nothing but occasional bushes and some small villages with sandstone huts, camels and sheep to survive.

We stopped for lunch at Desi Aroma restaurant along the highway. We were welcomed by the taste of Ker Sangri with Bajre ki roti which I ‘ll never forget. With happy tummies, we reached the Longewala war memorial. Unfortunately, due to the recent tensions between India and Pakistan, the border was not accessible to visitors. Nevertheless, we saw the 1971 longewala war memorial, museum and war movie there. It was certainly very awakening to see the details for our soldier’s bravery up close first hand.

#2 Worshipping the war goddess

We then headed to the Tanot temple which was a rugged 20km away from the war memorial. This is the temple that survived the long and dangerous shellings during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Locals credit the goddess for the successful outcome of this war on the Indian side. After a beautiful car ride watching the sunsets in the Thar, we retired to rest at the Zostel room in Jaisalmer. We made a good choice to stay at the Zostel which was right in the hustle of the Jaisalmer Fort residences.

#3 Boat ride at Gadesar

The next morning started with a walk to the Gadesar Lake near Jaisalmer Fort. We took a rowboat which we shared with a couple who was also on a vacation there. The boat ride could have been a calm boring one but the boat rower made it very interesting. Telling us the background of the lake and films that were shot there. Not to mention his excellent photography skills. The courtesy of each person servicing us in Rajasthan was one thing that was always pleasant and consistent across the state.

#4 Museums of Jaisalmer

We entered the Thar heritage museum after this. It was a very informative experience for us. We could understand a lot of Jaisalmer’s food, clothing, literature, opium, hukkas, art an architecture. Though a small museum, I would recommend people to certainly visit it.

We then made a stop at the Chandan hotel for lunch before entering the prestigious Mandir Palace. This is the place where the current king of Jaisalmer resides whenever he is in Jaisalmer. Famous movies like Sarfarosh are shot in this palace. The intricate detailing of each wall and ceiling is certainly breathtaking. It is to be noted that there are a number of small temples inside the palace and gives it the name – “Mandir Palace”. We got to see the Maharawal Jawahar Singh’s museum to understand how they lived in those times.

#5 Historic Sonar Fort and Patwon ki Haveli

Now it was time for the main attraction – the Jaisalmer Fort. A group of girls joined us for a group trip after this point. We ensured to visit places that are not part of the itinerary of the group before they could come and join us. The 800-year-old fort is a living fort with a huge part of city’s population residing within the fort. The fort was built by Rawal Jaisal in 1155 AD. He chose the location based on the presence of 7 wells in the area.

After seeing the Golden Fort or the Sonar Fort of Jaisalmer, we also saw the Patwon ki haveli which has intricate work done in series of palaces. It is treated partly as a museum and left partly for commercial stores space.

Did I say just 5 reasons? I can think of 2 more compelling reasons to see Jaisalmer. Keep reading to know these bonus reasons too.

#6 Dreamy Desert Safari

Hereafter we left the city to go towards the desert safari experience. We gathered to see the locals perform their traditional dances. We had dinner in the desert too. But the highlight of the safari was our night stay. The group had organized for some charpai beds to be set up in a highly isolated part of the desert. We all slept directly under the stars. No tents, no bathrooms, and no other modern amenities.

#7 Cenotaphs to end the journey

Having camped overnight in the desert, we woke up to a beautiful sunrise there. I went for a refreshing short run in the morning along with Mumpy, our group lead. We cooked up some noodles for breakfast and took to camel ride to get back to the city. On the way back to city we visited Bada Bagh Cenotaphs which is a place where the royals were cremated and special domes built on each cremation. The queens were laid down next to their king. Up until the 1800s, Sati system was followed which means that the queen has to kill herself in her husband’s pyre if her husband dies. It was sad to see sometimes 11 wives laid down next to a single dead king.

After this spot, we bid goodbye to Jaisalmer and took a bus to head to Jodhpur. Subscribe to this blog to keep reading the rest of the Rajasthan series blogs. Leave a comment if this article resonated with your experience in Rajasthan too.