Travelling to Rajsasthan and experiencing its rich culture had been a long time wish that was granted this winter with our Jodhpur-Jaisalmer trip.I had visited the state before but that was at an age when I could barely walk let alone enjoy a trip!
Our first stop was Jodhpur-the blue city.When you are in Jodhpur, visiting the Umaid bhawan palace and Mehrangarh fort will give you a glance into the luxurious lifestyle of Maharajahs of the yore. You travel back in time and marvel at the opulence and the scientific way in which the fort was built without the use of modern technology.The breath taking view atop the fort will leave you speechless and you would want nothing but soak in the history of the place and stare down at the city dotted with tiny houses awashed in hues of blue. While not much is to be seen at the Umaid Bhawan palace except for the museum due to restrictions for tourists you will definitely love the time spent at Mehranagrh fort to get a taste of royal lifestyle.
Rajasthan truly lives upto the tagline of incredible India campaign- Atithi Devo Bhava.The people are friendly,helping and warm.Also when in Rajasthan you will not forget the aromatic taste of the tea served you everywhere laced with cardamom and ginger and sometimes cinnamon.A perfect potion for the winter.
Our group of friends hired a bus to travel to Jaisalmer-The golden city of India. You may ask why golden?Well,simply because the buildings and houses in the city are built of Sandstone that have a golden hue to them. On the way we witnessed long queues of truck carrying sandstone from the quarries. You will also get to see the vast desert landscape dotted with numerous windmills generating electricity.Now that is something to watch out for!We also took short tea breaks in between to break the monotony of the long journey and to keep ourselves fresh.
Jaisalmer is incomplete without a visit to Sam sand dunes. After all when we think of Jaisalmer our mind conjures up images of vast expanse of desert with camels and men and women clad in traditional Rajasthani attire. We reached there just in the nick of time to witness the spectacular sunset on Camel.That was truly a sight to behold. This was followed by the mesmerising folk music and the brilliant Kalbeliya dance performances at the desert camp.We were served snacks and dinner under the clear sky teeming with millions of stars that made the experience truly memorable. The next morning was reserved for Jaisalmer fort to get a peek-a-boo into the region's rich architecture with its intricately carved walls,doors and windows. A visit to Gadisar lake will also transport you back in time of Maharajahs and I bet you will be enamoured with its scenic beauty.
Also,if you visit the state in winter,do not forget to pack your woollens for the winter chill at night.You can easily forego them during daytime due to the strong sun overhead.