When you imagine Jaisalmer, an image of sky with golden hue with camels in desert come to mind. Perhaps this was some advertisement at some time but that image has stuck. I actually thought that as we will get closer to Jaisalmer while driving from Bikaner, we will get those rolling sand dunes and desert all around. There were no rolling dunes and though terrain was rough and sandy - there were quite a few green trees and vegetation. Closer to Jaisalmer some people were actually farming on what would have been barren land a few years ago. The Indira Gandhi canal (formerly known as the Rajasthan Canal) which starts from Harike Barrage which is a few kilometers below the confluence of Beas and Sutlej rivers in Punjab has a big role to play in changing the lives of millions in several regions of Rajasthan.
The scheduled driving time between Bikaner and Jaisalmer is 5 hours but with empty roads and no tea breaks - we arrived in 4 hours at our hotel. It was a nice drive and as mentioned above I was quite surprised to see considerable amount of greenery and some full grown green trees. Before we entered the city we were welcomed by the sight of a gigantic fort perched on a hill. And as we were approaching the city - the presence of armed forces was very evident in the area with prominent 'Jaislmer war museum' building standing out. The border with Pakistan is not far away and Longewal is where the famous battle was fought in 1971 as depicted in J P Dutta's 'Border.' A friend who is a senior officer in Indian Army did offer all help if I wished to go to the border but then I didn't have the appetite for another 2 hours of driving one way just to be near the border.
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| The Jaisalmer fort can be seen much before you reach the city |
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| Armed forces are an integral part of this region due to proximity to the border |
The Thar Desert - Sam Dunes
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| This is a Desert Camp. There are hundreds of camps like this near Sam Dunes but suffering due to Covid19 |
As usual we didn't waste time and the travel desk of the hotel asked us to reach the camp at Sam dunes (pronounced 'sum dunes') which was an hours drive for camel and jeep safari. I was astonished to see hundreds of camps in that area. As you approached the camp area, guys on motorcycle would approach you for giving you deals to join their camps. Many of the camps were huge with several tents for accommodation. But where was the desert ? I couldn't see the dunes or desert anywhere. The jeep safari guy did take us to the dunes nearby and it was not a very large area of desert. It wouldn't be even half square km ! What would be happening when all camps were functional ? There must be chaos and it must be dangerous as well. The area was just too small to be called a desert. How did it accommodate so many people, jeeps and camels ? You certainly could not get lost in this desert or see mirages. But the jeep ride was fun as we were taken up and down on those dunes and often the steep descent would make us have our hearts in our mouth.
Many camels were being managed by children and we were told that they were experts. When asked why they didn't go to school the reply was that all schools were shut due to covid.
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| Sam Dunes may not spread for miles but a camel ride gives you a feel of being in Desert |
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| Jeep Safari is thrilling and from the hollaring that you hear, it is evident that people were asking the drivers to drive fast down the dunes and then screaming with excitement. |
The camp owner wanted us to stay for the cultural show and dinner but we declined the invite. We had tea and pakoras while the folk dancers practiced. Unfortunately there would not be many people to see the show. This area was without any street lights and it had become pitch dark so we navigated our way through the deserted area in pitch darkness till the main road and then sped off to our hotel to have our dinner there.
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| Once in the Sam Dunes you do get the feel of Desert. |
Gadisagar Lake
We were staying at Club Mahindra resort which is located in total isolation near Jaisalmer airport. Other than the airport there is nothing around for miles but for desert. This airport also is hardly functional. The city was 10 km's away and it didn't take much time to reach there from the resort. The resort arranged a guide for us and he met us at Gadi Sagar lake. This lake is very special for a city which has serious water scarcity. The banks consist of several temples and shrines and it also has lovely view of Jaisalmer fort. The famous Gangaur festival is held here each year. It was the only source of water during olden days and was a man made reservoir. It was rebuilt in 14th century by Maharaja Garisisar Singh who revamped the whole reservoir. It has a lot of history associated with it and the maharajas and royals used the areas with chattris for their pleasure and to cool themselves. An interesting story is about a top prostitute Tilon who commissioned a gate here in 1909 known as Tilon-ki-Pol. Not finding this appropriate, it was decided to bring down this gate but Tilon was much too smart and commissioned a statue of Lord Krishna on top of the gate. No one dared to break down the gate after that. Tilon-Ki-Pol with lord Krishna atop still welcomes you to Gadi Sagar Lake.
Jaisalmer Fort - A living Fort
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| It is the last of India's living fort with thousands of people still living inside. |
Jaisalmer Fort is a place where the whole city lived for centuries. As it glistens in the bright sunlight it is also known as Sonar Qila (Golden fort). While in the last 50 years the city has spread outside the fort, the fort itself continues to be a living city with houses, temples, shops, cafes, hotels and restaurants. People live here like they would live normally anywhere except that houses and lanes are tiny. Some areas remind you of slums. I have seen and lived inside the Dubrovnik fort in Croatia but that is very upmarket and touristy. Living condition in Jaisalmer fort seemed to be basic. It was built in 1156 and has 99 bastions around it. The temples inside are beautiful and the Jain temple is a big tourist attraction. The Jains have a history with Jaisalmer going back to the silk trade route. I learnt more about Jains on this trip than at any time before.
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The facade of the jain Temple
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The Jain Temple inside the fort
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The ceiling of Jain Temple
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UNESCO has declared the fort a world heritage site and the conservationists call it a crumbling fort. It was built at this location due to so called prophecy of Lord Krishna which was narrated to Rawal Jaisal by a sage in 12th century. The fort was built at a time when there was hardly any rain in Jaisalmer. Over the years the rains have increased and water is accessible to the residents of fort through other means as well. Indira Gandhi canal has made water accessible to the city and much of it gets pumped inside the fort. The water goes into the faulty sewage system and percolates down to the foundation which is not at all prepared for this moisture. This is not good at all as this is causing the fort to move and crumble as foundation is collapsing. How long it will last we don't know but the only way to save the fort would be to evacuate it and that seems very unlikely to happen in near future.
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| Jaisalmer is known for its yellow stone from which houses are built. It gives a look of Gold to this city. |
The Patwa Havelis & The Jewelers Hub
The Patwa Havelis nearby built by the rich Patwa have amazing intricate work. It is a cluster of 5 havelis built in 1805 and it took 55 years to complete first haveli. Each haveli has five floors and each floor has a large suite. The idea was to first make a floor for each of his son's and then a haveli for each son. So rich was the Patwa and had so much clout that our guide described him as 'Ambani' of that time. Yet, they were not given land on the hill but some land down in the city so that their havelis didn't overshadow the fort and buildings in the fort. These Patwa havelis are now taken over by the government but one of them still have residents living. It is very rich from inside as well as no expense was spared to do inlay work. The more you look at the craftsmanship the more you tend to appreciate it. Patwa Havelis remain to be one of the top tourist destinations of Jaisalmer.
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| Look at the beautiful work at the facade of Patwa haveli. |
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| Part of haveli |
Very near the Patwa havelis is the Sonar lane where the jewelers live and work from home. It is a famous lane and even though these jewelers supply their wares to the shops, you can buy jewelery directly from them. The Jeweler we met said that his family has been in this business since time immemorial. They had been the official jeweler for the royal family. As you walk down the lane you can see the Sonar's at work at their homes.
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| Jeweler at work |
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| Devicka trying to select Jewelery |
Our last evening at Jaiselmer
Many restaurants have shut down due to lack of tourists. The guide recommended a restaurant and I promptly ordered the famous Rajasthani platter of
'Daal, Baati & Choorma.' I always have this whenever I go to Jaipur and it was thanks to my boss during CA days Mr K S Mehta that I have developed taste for this. Baati is full of ghee and to add to it they give extra ghee. But combination with their panchmel dal (Dal which is a mix of five dal's) and choorma (this is sweet tasting) is quite tasty. What you see in this snap is 50% of the meal as I shared the platter with the guide.
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| Enjoyed the local food of Daal, baati, Choorma |
As guide was telling me how Jaisalmer was once a sea and how geology had evolved I ended up buying Habur Fossil glass from one of the shops. Habur village is near Jaiselmer and the Habur stone is famous there and is said to have magical medicinal properties. Now each morning I sip water from that glass in which water is stored overnight. Will let the world know if I see any change in myself due to this special glass.
A friend called from Delhi saying that we must visit Tanot. He said that this would give us the real feel of rolling sand dunes and desert. It would also give us a chance to visit the famous Tanot temple. The story is that during 1971 war Pakistan tried very hard to blow up this temple but could not do so and even the bombs which landed in the temple compound did not explode. We were to leave Jaisalmer the next morning so unfortunately there was no time though I would have loved to drive in the middle of real desert. Instead we took a trip to Bada Bagh.
The light had faded as we reached Bada Bagh and looking at those beautifully carved chattris as the sun was setting was very special. On the other side were the windmills which generate power for the city.
Bada Bagh was made so it could be an oasis in the desert with a dam and a reservoir. Then rulers started making chattris with carved pillars in memories of erstwhile rulers of the area. The overall effect is tremendous and I wish we could have spent more time here but we were not allowed as the Bagh was shutting down. I am glad that we did drive here and could experience the sun go down behind the chattris.
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Bada Bagh Chattris
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| Windmills at work as the sun goes down |
Once again it was time to drive back to resort in pitch darkness but the distance was not much. In these Covid times one just could not be casual and spend the evenings loitering around the markets and interact with the locals. It was time to be careful and staying safe. We enjoyed being in Jaisalmer very much and meeting locals and learning more about their ways of life would have been interesting. Kuldhara (A prosperous village which was abandoned overnight) on way to Sam dunes also has several stories associated with it, which only locals can explain.
Next morning it was time to move onto our next destination.
Next destination was another fascinating Rajasthani city called 'Jodhpur.'
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