Rajasthan is full of breathtaking destinations, extravagant palaces, Aravali mountain range, lakes, temples and a lot more. It has a pink city called Jaipur, a blue city called Jodhpur. But did you know that it has an ethereal travel destination called Jaisalmer also known as Golden City. But why is Jaisalmer known as a golden city?
Well, well we will tell you everything about Jaiselmer that you need to plan a trip to the Golden City. We visited Jaiselmer in 2018 and it was one of our best trips together. You can also plan a vacation to the city of windmills, sand dunes and golden architecture and desert safari.
Jaisalmer The Golden City
Jaisalmer is a city on the western border of Rajasthan. The city is located on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. The fort has a royal palace and several ornate Jain temples. This is one of the rare forts which are still full of life, not a lifeless monument. The location of Jaiselmer is very interesting as it is located in the Thar desert. The yellowish sandstone gives the entire city a Golden feel.
In fact, all the structures in the entire city are made of yellow sandstone which gives this city a golden feel. Jaisalmer is named after Rawal Jaisal who founded the city in 1156 AD. Jaisalmer literally translates to Hill Fort of Jaisal.
The fort dominates the skyline and looks beautiful during all times of the day.
We stayed inside a beautiful airbnb inside the fort. And we recommend you try it, the place offers rooftop dining with an amazing view and lip-smacking cuisine.
How to Reach Jaisalmer?
Thanks to the super awesome roads of Rajasthan, you can easily drive to Jaisalmer from Delhi. Although the drive is 766 km long if you leave early morning then you can easily reach by the evening. You can also break the journey at Jaipur / Pushkar/Jodhpur. Then leave next morning for Jaiselmer. You can also reach Jaisalmer via flights or trains but these facilities are effected due to Corona outbreak.
Below is the route we took, we left Delhi at 11PM on a Friday night and reached Jodhpur at 9AM the next morning. We visited the Jodhpur fort followed by a nice lunch and then head on to Jaisalmer.
It was absolutely worth it!!
Places to Visit in Jaisalmer
There is a long list of the historical and architectural marvel that is found in Jaiselmer. For example Jaiselmer fort, Bada Bagh, Gadisar Lake, Nathmal-ki-Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli etc. And trust me all these places have their own beauty. We would recommend that you visit Bada Bagh, Gadisar Lake and the fort.
Other than these
- Sam Sand Dunes: This is the place to experience the desert safari in the sand dunes of the Thar Desert in a classical JEEP. The beauty of this place, the expanse, the colours and vibes are just amazing.
- Tanot Temple: It is another must-visit place. Tanot temple is located in a village close to the Pakistan border. It has a very interesting history. The temple was attacked by the Pakistan Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. They fired 3,000 bombs at the temple. However, as per local lore, none of them exploded. Tanot was attacked again during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. This time also they could not harm the temple instead the IAF destroyed the tanks. Hence this place is a must-visit for the local, spiritual and historical context.
- Desert National Park: If flora fauna and biodiversity interests you then you should visit this one of a kind national park.
If you’re looking for more ideas to travel this winters then go through our blog on ideas for winter vacation.