About City:-
Jaisalmer is located in North West India in the state of Rajasthan and is known as 'The Golden City' because of the sand and the yellow sandstone buildings.
The airport here has been closed for a long time, but it opened just 6 months ago so we took the very easy 1 hour flight from Delhi. The center of town is around a half hour drive from the airport.
This is the smallest town we would visit on the trip and a lot of people we met were keen to talk about how much they depend on tourism and how we arrived at the end of the tourist season, so things were a bit quieter than normal.
Places to Visit:-
GADSISAR LAKE
JAISALMER FORT
AMAR SAGAR TEMPLE
KULDHARA VILLAGE
CAMEL SAFARI
****GADSISAR LAKE****
The Gadsisar Lake is a man-made lake and just like the fort, this was created by Raja Rawal Jaisal, the first King of Jaisalmer. Back when it was first built, this lake was the only source of water in Jaisalmer.
The Tilon-Ki-Pol archway is the entrance of the lake, and this itself is beautiful. The island in the middle is were the King would have his picnics.
****JAISALMER FORT****
From wherever you look, the Jaisalmer Fort is a commanding presence among the skyline. Thousands of people live inside and everyday it's bustling with their local markets as well as tourists visiting the various temples, Havelis, hotels and restaurants.
The architecture of the Havelis is stunning. Made of hand-carved sandstone, these beautiful buildings show the elegance of the fort's elite residents.
****AMAR SAGAR TEMPLE****
The Amar Sagar Temple is a short drive from town, out in the middle of the desert. (so it’s really hot!). Like other Jain templates, the carving work of the golden stone is incredible.
****KULDHARA VILLAGE****
After nearly 600 years of being inhabited, the Kuldhara village in Jaisalmer was abandoned in the 19th century. No one knows why.
****CAMEL SAFARI****
On our last night in Jaisalmer we rode some camels out to the sand dunes were we watched the sunset.The local kids (I forgot their names ????) who guided us were lots of fun. The older one wants to be a Bollywood star when he grows up, and even treated us to a wee song. The younger one wasn't sure but he was fascinated by my camera and taking pictures, so maybe he will be a photographer. As we waited for the sun to set I shared some of my music with them. These young bucks from the middle of the desert got their first listen of Rush, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.
Temperatures will soon hit 45-50°, but thankfully 38° was the hottest it got for us. Even that was hard work for me.
Being a desert, water is a rarity around here. Kids can go to age of 7 before they see their first drop of rain. The villagers must make daily trips to collect water, sometimes multiple trips if a neighbor or family can't make the trip for themselves.
