India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (315 page)
Built entirely from yellow sandstone, the fort rises like a giant sand castle from its desert environs, with great views from the overhanging cannon ramparts; stare down on the city and desert vista, and you get a sense of how forts such as these once served the most basic of needs: protection against invaders from the plateau below. Sadly within you will find a place that has been commercialized—its alleys lined with goods for sale and buzzing with traffic (tuk-tuks, hawkers, and tourists), excessive pollution (no bins or sewage infrastructure, and watch out for the cow dung), yet still with an awesome sense of timelessness (bar the motorcycles and persistent salesmanship). It takes no more than a few hours to tour the fort, including stops to visit the Jain and Hindu temples. And if you want to ride a camel into the sunset, Jaisalmer is one of the places to do it, as is Bikaner. So plan to spend 2 or more nights here, not least because it takes so long to get here (until the new airport is finished, that is) but also to acclimatize to the desert pace and climate, and seek out the essence of this border town.
ESSENTIALS
VISITOR INFORMATION
You’ll find the
RTDC tourist office
near Gadi Sagar Pol (
02922/25-2406;
Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; closed second Sat of every month and Sun).
GETTING THERE
At press time, Jaisalmer’s new airport was expected to open late 2010, finally making it possible to fly to India’s easternmost city directly from Delhi. Until flights commence, the nearest airport is at Jodhpur (a 51⁄2-hr. drive; about 2 hr. longer in a bus—not recommended).
Tip:
The best place to stop for lunch or a snack on this route is
Manvar Desert Resort
(near Shergarh;02928/266-137;
www.manvar.com
), which serves a mean chicken
pakora.
It takes 6 to 7 hours to get from Bikaner to Jaisalmer by road (and there is now a train too which leaves at 10:45pm from Bikaner and arrives in Jaisalmer at 6am). The train journey from Jodhpur takes 51⁄2 hours (on the overnight Jodhpur-Jaisalmer Express), arriving at the station 2km (1 1⁄4 miles) east of town. Avoid the touts soliciting riders by asking your hotel to arrange a transfer. From Delhi, take the Delhi-Jaisalmer Express from Delhi’s Sarai Rohilla Station; it departs at 5:25pm, arriving in Jaisalmer at 11am the next day. From Jaislamer to Delhi the daily train leaves at 5:15pm and arrives at 11am in Delhi.
GETTING AROUND
Both inside and outside the fort, the town is small enough to explore on foot; for journeys farther afield you will need to hire an auto-rickshaw (at the station or Gadsisar Tank) or taxi (Sam Dunes). For the latter, you’ll probably take an all-inclusive trip with your hotel, almost all of which offer safaris of various duration; or contact Mr. I. V. Singh from Travel Plan at02992/252759
or on his mobile at 09928022496 ([email protected]). Mr. Singh has over 20 years of local travel experience and can arrange unique travel experiences. For Sam and Khuri camel safaris contact Harish Bhai at
K.K. Travels
(02992/253-087;
[email protected]). You’ll also find taxis around Suraj Pol or through one of several travel agencies at the entrance to the fort.
FESTIVALS
The
Desert Festival
held at the end of January or in February (incidentally, the best time of the year to visit Jaisalmer—in 2010 it will be held Jan 28–30) is the highlight of the year, when dance shows, turban-tying competitions, and camel races are held below the fort, cheered on by colorful crowds who are as much a part of the spectacle as the entertainment. While its relative inaccessibility keeps tourist numbers down, during the festival the town is packed.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
Jaisalmer’s main attraction is its yellow sandstone
fort,
whose 9m (30-ft.) walls grow in a roughly triangular shape, springing from Trikuta (Triangular) Hill, on which it is built, and buttressed by 99 bastions. Within you will find a number of elaborately carved havelis overlooking the narrow streets, but the best examples of Jaisalmer’s unique
havelis
are situated in the town below. Hordes of tourists end the afternoon by taking a trip out to Sam Dunes or Khuhri to watch the
setting desert sun
from the back of a camel; with a little planning, however, you can enjoy a totally unique
dune-and-camel experience
that will have you falling in love with the desert (see “Camel Safari,” below, for our recommendation). If you’re more sedentary, head for
Saffron,
the rooftop terrace at the Nachana Haveli, for a view of the fort, which starts to glow as the sky darkens; you’ll also witness all manner of daily life on the town’s rooftops.
Other attractions are
Gadsisar Tank,
excavated by the Maharaja Gadsi Singh in 1367, which has a few temples and a
chhattri
(cenotaph) overlooking it, but is principally worth visiting to access the nearby
Folklore Museum.
The private museum contains some interesting exhibits, particularly the handcrafted items (look for the mobile temple, and the depiction of the tragic love story of Princess Moomal and King Mahendra, which, incidentally, is told in detail on the Palace Museum audio tour). Exhibits are not well labeled, however; if the proprietor, Mr. Sharma, is not on hand, a guide could prove useful here. The small entrance fee is not always charged, but do leave a donation; hours are 8am to noon and 3 to 6pm daily. A shop at the end of the museum sells reasonably priced postcards (and overpriced books).
The best way to experience Jaisalmer’s desert surrounds is on a
camel safari
(see below), many of which include the following places of interest.
Amar Sagar
is a small settlement with a palace and a restored Jain temple built around the shores of a lake that lies 5km (3 miles) northwest of Jaisalmer.
Barra Bagh,
which lies 6km (3 3⁄4 miles) north of town, is a collection of old and recent cenotaphs to Jaisalmer’s Rajput rulers, set paradoxically between two wind farms. Note the decrease in size of the recent structures (daily 6am—8pm Rs 50, cameras Rs 50). Another 10km (6 1⁄4 miles) north lies
Lodurva,
the capital of the Bhatti Rajputs from the 8th to 12th century, until it was devastated by Mohammed Ghori before Jaisalmer was built. The main attractions here are more restored Jain temples, with the usual fine carvings (daily 8am–6pm; Rs 20, camera Rs 50, video Rs 100). The entrance to
Thar Desert National Park
lies about an hour (45km/28 miles) from Jaisalmer, near Khuri. Wildlife you are likely to encounter include deer, desert fox, black buck, and the rare long-necked bird known as the Great Indian Bustard.
Tip:
For the best views (and photographs) of the fort, the sprawling town below and the encroaching desert, make your way to Shuli Dungari on the northern side of the Fort. From here you can see the desert sun setting into the vast arid plains and have unencumbered views of the fort unspoiled by power lines and mobile network towers (which have been erected with scant regard for the towns profile) while the locals go about their business, kids fly kites and play on swings, and dinner is prepared.
Exploring the Golden Fort
Some 1,000 people still live in the tiny village inside
Sonar Killa,
or Golden Fort, which has twisting lanes so narrow they can be blocked by a single cow (be warned that these animals
know
that they have the right of way, so step aside, and watch their waste products too). Exploring the fort is easily done in a morning—you access the fort through Gopa Chowk, ascending the battle-scarred ramparts to enter the main courtyard, overlooked by seven-story Raja Mahal, or Maharaja’s Palace, which now operates as the
Fort Palace Museum & Heritage Centre
(02992/25-2981
). Thanks to a brilliant audioguide tour, the palace has become one of the most alluring tourist attractions in the state, packed with information that not only brings to life the history of this unique place, but waxes vividly about the aristocrats who built and frequently defended it. It also does an excellent job of shedding light on intriguing aspects of regional culture. Set aside around 2 hours for the tour; admission is Rs 250 and includes the audioguide as well as still camera use (video is Rs 150)