Station advanced on the desert of Thar, the remote city of Jaisalmer formerly controlled of it the crossing by the many caravans which ensured the trade between the west and the north of India. While arriving at Jaisalmer by the road, the first vision is that of the strengthened emerging from the horizon, impressive citadel with its massive walls and its towers. The beauty of Jaisalmer is due largely to its exceptional architecture, of a great homogeneity. And indeed, this small city knew, thanks undoubtedly to its ancestral way of life, to preserve itself intact while crossing the centuries.
In the citadel, one visits the Fort with the palate (Gaj Mahal); his ramparts, one enjoys superb sights on the city and the surroundings. In the citadel still, one will be interested in two small Hindu temples and a very beautiful unit of temples jaïns magnifiquement carved, built at the 15 2nd century.
One walks and one strolls in the lanes of the low city where the activity of the city with its many craftsmen concentrates: shoe-makers, tailors, jewellers, hardware merchants, pastrycooks and, of course, of fort many salesmen of memories in all kinds, because the tourist here abounds.
Jaisalmer still testifies to its opulence of antan by sumptuous residences of merchants to the finely engraved sandstone ochre-pink frontages. These superb and vast houses of Masters, called haveli, are built around courses interior which ensured a little freshness during the hot months. Loggias with posts are equipped with balconies and windows for open-type screen.
Nathmal-ki-haveli, the 19 2nd century, whose worked frontage is superb
Patwon-ki-haveli: vastest because composed of five buildings of six stages coupled ones with the others, appearing with the turning of a narrow street in which it seems with the narrow one. Patwon-ki haveli is undoubtedly most beautiful of Jaisalmer. A store, expensive, memories and not very old antiquities, is installed there
Moti Mahal, in the low part of the city, with its elegant tower of six stages
Salim Singh-ki-haveli, dating from the XVIIème century, with its beautiful sculptures of peacocks.
Contrary to the haveli of Shekavati, those of Jaisalmer almost do not have mural frescos, but they are not less remarkable by the beautiful work of the yellow ochre sandstone which was used for their construction.
One loses oneself easily while strolling in the lanes of the low city, if the principal street is left, but in fact, one finds oneself there very quickly without it being necessary for guide.
A small museum of Arts and popular Traditions (with the door of Tila) presents an inheritance of objects, tools, instruments and clothing.
In the quietude of the evening, while leaving the city, one can go to contemplate the procession of some women who, the jug on the head, will draw water in Gadhisar Tank, small artificial lake, bordered of temples and houses.
Bara Bagh
Close relations of Jaisalmer, in Bara Bagh (6 km) old garden of the sovereigns of Jaisalmer, one highly advises to go to visit decorative the chhattri (cenotaphs) of Mahârawal (sovereigns) of Jaisalmer. They are built on a hill located close to a small lake downwards, in a very beautiful decoration. Under the dome of each chattri, small a stele representing one or of the "sati". Initially, a sati was sovereign which was immolait by fire not to survive her royal husband. Then, this habit was spread in the company. It was prohibited at the 19 2nd century by the British but in the mediums traditionalists, even nowadays, this form of suicide is regarded as a supreme act of courage and, in any case, the sati of formerly are very venerated.
Lodurva
The very beautiful temple Jain de Lodurva, is especially remarkable by its splendid torana,
Khuldara
The "medieval" village of Khuldara. Personally, I do not advise the visit of it: one or two reconstituted old houses and a small temple without attraction, also reconstituted, is drawn up at the end of a line of ruins. This visit is not worth to in no case to be diverted road of Sam.
Sam
Dunes sand fine with Sam (40 km of Jaisalmer). In this part of the desert of Thar, made up in National Desert Park, one can meet, if there is much chance, a specific fauna (wildcats, foxes, hares, bustards, etc). It is easier to meet hirers out of dromedaries, musicians travelling or a young active boy who transports his refrigerator full with Cokes under the sun. To lay down sun on the dunes is splendid.
The dunes of Sam constitute the obliged passage of the tourist who goes in Jaisalmer, in search of "true" desert. One can to have crossed it since Bikaner or Jodhpur, that the desert of Thar is rather a steppe or a dry savanna. It is rather populated besides, but the living conditions, with a pluviometry of desert, are very hard there.
The dunes of Sam (which are not the only ones of the area, but the others are more difficult access), finally give to the visitor the feeling to be in the desert. There are concentrated, on a relatively small surface (1 km out of 3, about), of the photogenic dunes (a little of plastic pollution is there however to regret) and of the dromedaries of hiring...
Other dunes are worth also the visit, because they are attended, they are the dunes of Khuri, to 40 km approximately in the south-west of Jaisalmer.
Bikaner
Surrounded by the desert, the city of Bikaner was founded in 1408 by a rajpoute head and remains inhabited by its heroic past. With the shelter of its walls, the old city still has in its labyrinth of moyenâgeuses lanes and its animated bazaar, some of its haveli, family residences of the commercial rich person who lived trade of the caravans.
The powerful castle of Mahârâja, of Bikaner, is inside an impressive citadel, Strong Junagarh. It contains a collection of weapons. One also visits the room of crowning (Anup Mahal), the room of the audiences to the gilded decorations, the small palate of mirrors, the room of the reef tackles. Higher terraces of the palate, one enjoys a remarkable sight.
Bikaner also has interesting a small museum, Ganga Jubilee Museum; in the archaeological section, one admires fabulous Sarasvatî, (goddess of Arts and Knowledge) of white marble.
If there are time of them, one can also devote a moment to visit the temples jains.
At the outside of the city, Devi Kund is the necropolis of Mahârâja de Bikaner. In the white marble mausoleum of Surat Singh, paintings are preserved.
It is in Deshnoke, with little distance from Bikaner (30 km in the south), that the strange temple of Karniji Mata is, mystical woman which lived in XVème century. There hundreds of crowned rats are venerated. The legend says that they would be the reincarnation of the members of a caste of the Rajasthan to which Karniji Mata belonged precisely. Although these animals (of small size, they are closer to the mice than rats) are familiar and nonaggressive, the impressionable visitor can find the experiment unpleasant.
Pokharan
Pokharan is right a village with the crossing of the roads which join Jaisalmer, distant of 110 km, in Bikaner on the one hand, and in Jodhpur on the other hand.
This small city however has a fort with the seizing seal, cut in a rock whose red color brick forms a contrast dazzling with the blue sky of the desert and the tender green of the lawns of the hotel installed in these places...