Jaisalmer is literally the Golden City from first sight. Almost every single building you can see is made of yellow sandstone, which gives it a golden colour, especially during sunset. The skyline is always dominated by the giant turrets and towers of Jaisalmer Fort, and the whole city is best seen from atop one of the many rooftop cafés. My favourite was a candlelit one called “Café the Kaku”, lit solely by candlelight, with phenomenal views and delicious cuisine. It’s still my favourite café ever.
Ok, I got carried away. Let me backtrack a bit. I have visited all the coloured cities of Rajasthan, and I was going to put them all in one blog, but Jaisalmer, the golden city, is just so unique, with its own unique vibe; that I HAD to put it in a new blog.
More on its unique features later. Continuing from the 1st paragraph:
Though Jaisalmer is the capital of cafés, it is also a richly historical and cultural place. On the day we arrived, we saw a traditional Rajasthani puppet show in the Desert Cultural Centre (see, cultural!). We walked through their museum of traditional Rajasthani dolls, toys, musical instruments, and cloth exhibits.
It is quite the initiative to preserve the heritage! We also visited an old haveli that day: the Patwon ki Haveli. It is a massive structure, the kind to rival even the havelis of Shekhawati. We took a local guide, which is a must, and explored the early 19th century interiors and old appliances.
The next day, we set off to visit the Jaisalmer Fort. It is a “living fort” which means the fort has a little city with people’s houses, cafés, shops, and markets inside its massive walls. People still live in the old sandstone buildings and houses inside, and we toured the city-in-a-city with amazement. It was a smart way to protect the people: surround them with state-of-the-art security walls.
I had never seen a “living fort” before. It is the most famous living fort in India, and one of the best parts of my stay in Jaisalmer.
A lesser-known part of Jaisalmer are the cenotaphs nearby. Cenotaphs of Jaisalmer are monuments built over the buried ashes of ancient royals. The collection of charming old monuments covered a part of the hillside, and almost blended in with the landscape. A guide is not necessary here, but a good hour or two is!
The golden city has a ‘Wild’ side to it as well; in… Desert National Park! It is a scrubland desert area which houses the rare Great Indian Bustard, desert foxes, jungle cats, raptors, vultures and many more desert wildlife.
We did not spot the Bustard, but saw 3 desert foxes, a few vultures and raptor birds.
We also visited some sand dunes, not part of the famous Sam Dunes, but all dunes look the same
Camel rides are available everywhere, but they can be a bit injurious to your back and the motion is also quite jerky. As for me, I walked up the whole dune, and yes, it was tiring. However, the view totally made up for it.
Enjoy Jaisalmer!
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In Jaisalmer, the golden city, the skyline is always dominated by the giant turrets and towers of “living” Jaisalmer Fort, best seen from atop the many rooftop cafés!
