Trip to Jodhpur and Jaisalmer
The Province of Rajasthan is India's most beautiful state and is also known as “The Land of King’s” as many rich kings have build their majestic royal residences and Forts here which are remarkable structures. The State is very famous for it’s Desert specially The Great Indian Thar Desert.
Day 1
I had planned a 5 day trip to Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. I took a direct flight from Mumbai to Jodhpur Airport which shares its airside with the Indian Air Force.
Jodhpur and Jaisalmer are full of fascinating places here are the places which i visited during my trip.
Day 2
Umaid Bhawan Palace
The Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the popular tourist destination in Jodhpur. The palace was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh. The palace is isolated in 3 different sections. The first section of the palace is where the Royal family still lives. Many Premium vintage cars are displayed here which are all owned by the Royal family. As of now the Palace serves as a 5 star hotel to the visitors from all around the world. The hotel is managed by one of the most popular Indian hotel brand, “TAJ”. The hotel was awarded as world's best hotel by tripadvisor. Though the palace is very large and enormous only a little part of it is open to public. Considering that we have to buy tickets to visit this place that too with area restrictions i don’t find it value for money. But if you are still interested about the royal family and have some time you can visit this place.
Jaswant thada
The Jaswant Thada is a Cenotaph located in Lawaran, Jodhpur. The place was built by Maharaja Sardar Singh as a memorial to his great father Maharaj Jaswant Singh II in the year 1899. The main building of this thada is made up of dazzling white marble which are highly polished and is encompassed by lushy gardens which makes this whole place is a lot more attractive.
Mehrangarh Fort
The Mehrangarh fort is one of the largest fortress not only in Rajasthan but also in the entire nation. The Fortress is situated on a mound which is approximately 400 Feet above from the surface of the city. One of the major tourist attraction of this spot are the marks of Cannonball which were fired by the attacking army of Jaipur are still present here on gate no 2. The fortress houses one of the most majestic palaces which include Daulat Khana, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), and Sileh Khana. The fortress even houses museums which have a great collection of palanquins, howdahs, musical instruments, costumes, and paintings. As the fortress is located on the mound you can either climb the mound or can buy a ticket of elevator.
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park is a 72 hectares wide spreaded park and it is situated very close to the outstanding Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur. The park has organically restored desert. This place is outstanding if you are interested in trekking and travelling in a group but the place is open in afternoon during that time it’s quite difficult to trek here due to those high temperatures. There are 5 or 6 distinct tracks which you could follow. One can easily spend 4 to 5 hours easily here.
Day 3
Clock Tower
The Clock tower of Rajasthan is also called out as Ghanta ghar in Jodhpur. The tower was built by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur. This landmark is situated in Sardar market which is also the main reason behind the name of the market. The market is not only a popular shopping center for locals but it is also very famous among the tourists as one can buy clay dolls, small figures of camels and elephants, decorated marble items, and ornaments. The market does not only offer great variety of items but also provides a scenic view of clock tower with a fort in background.
Bishnoi Village
The Village Bishnoi is located 25 km away from Jodhpur and is one of the most practical and simplistic sect of Hindu religion. The village was founded by the holy saint Guru Jambheshwar, popularly known as Guru Jambhoji. There is small story behind the name of the village, it is said that the Guru laid 29 rules in the year 1485. This 29 rules gave rise to the name of the village as Bishnoi as the name is derived from two words “Bish” and “Noi” which literally means “twenty” and “Nine” respectively. When you add both the digits you get the sum as “29” or “twenty nine” which is equal to the number of rules that were laid by the guru. The rules here are quite practical for example if someone is dead they have to buried as they are not allowed to cut trees or plants. The place is a like a heaven for wildlife lovers as one can find thousands of migratory birds migrate here in the month of November not only that one can spot Black bucks and deers near the beautiful Guda Bishnoi Lake. The village is very well known for their Pots and Rugs, specially rugs made from camel hair. During your trip to this village make sure to try some tasty local cuisines which include Dal Bati, Ker sangri, Pyaz kachori and Mirchi vada.
After visiting all this place i headed towards Jaisalmer which is approximately a 4 hours drive from Jodhpur. Here are the places that you must visit while you are in Jodhpur:-
Day 4
Sam Sand Dunes
The Sam Sand dunes is a scenic resort which is located 42 kms away from the ain town. The Scenic resort is completely surrounded by desert. Here you will find many tour operators which give great offers like camel ride, Desert safari packages along with local folk dance and dinner, Tent stay (AC and NON AC). I chose to go with Desert Safari which was overall good experience but if you have experienced desert safari in dubai then i would recommend don’t choose desert safari here as it not even close to it. The views of sunrise and sunset are just great here try not to miss it out. As i was not having enough time i didn’t stay here for a longer period but i had some food which was provided by my tour operator. The taste of the food was decent. If you are planning to visit this place i will highly recommend you to do some research online and negotiate the pricing before booking.
Patwon ki Haveli
Patwon Ki Haveli is a series of five wonderful palaces which are located near Patwa Complex of Jaisalmer. Patwon Ki Haveli is one of the largest and the first palace built in entire Jaisalmer. The palace was built a rich Gujarati Family who were silk traders and money lenders for the kings and their Kingsmen. As the family consist of 5 children they made 5 palace for each one of them. The palace was built using a very different kind of interlocking system of stone without using cement and water as the area was facing scarcity of water at that time. The palace was of 5 floors 2 underneath the ground used as basements and 3 levels above the ground. Many individuals believe that the Gujarati family used to store and smuggle Opium. For now the place serves as a museum.
Jaisalmer War Museum
The Jaisalmer War Museum is a popular museum which showcases the history of Indian military and promotes awareness for soldiers who are risking and sacrificing their own life for entire nation. This war museum is situated on Jaisalmer - Jodhpur highway which is approximately 10 km away from Jaisalmer. The main attraction here are the vehicles and tanks which were displayed in open area here. One of the hall of the museum displays the progression of Battle of Longewala. Battle of Longewala was a war between Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the border of Longewala which is located in Thar Desert. Some different types of arms and ammunitions of some wars are also displayed here.
Day 5
Gadisar Lake
The Gadisar lake has great historical importance as it was the only reservoir in the city of Jaisalmer. This place offers splendid and one of the most mesmerising views of Sunset and Sunrise. The temple is surrounded by a many temples and shrines. Boating is also available here. Overall a it’s a very good place to relax and spend some time with your friends and family.
Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer fort is one of the largest fort not only in India but all over the world. The fort is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The fort was built by Rajput Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD. The fort is encompassed by the great Indian desert, The Thar Desert. This enormous fort is made up of yellow sandstone which appears a tawny lion yellow colour during day time and honey like yellow during sunset periods. Due to this the fort is also known as The Golden Fort or the Sonar Quila. I visited a number of place inside the fort some of them are the 7 Jain temples, Raj Mahal palace, Laxminath Temple, and the four gates of the fort. Staying for 2 days is highly recommended here.
Mandir Palace
The Mandir Palace is 200 year old palace and a part of the palace serves as a luxurious hotel. The other part of the palace is kept open for tourists but it is quite small. The structure of this palace is very fascinating and attracts magnificent amount of tourists. Though the place is quite small visiting here is highly recommended as you can experience the luxurious lifestyle of the royal family.
Visiting Jodhpur and Jaisalmer was a wonderful experience. From here i would be returning back home with lots of memories and unforgettable moments. The trip was definitely worth every penny i spent and stay tuned for other travel posts !
