Sun, sand dunes & serenity

The legacy of Jaisalmer shines through its cultural attractions especially when it is bathed in the golden hues of the sun, writes Kavita Kanan Chandra

Desert safari camp

Camel safari

After months of wait, the ‘Golden city’ of Jaisalmer is ready to shine as tourists have begun to flock here again. It’s sunny days in the land of sunshine again.

It was therapeutic to sit on a mound of sand in the desert and watch the yellow and orange glow of the fading sun cast its spell. It was indeed a surreal experience watching the twilight hues play tricks as miles and miles of sand stretched before me. As the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness descended, the desert became cold.

That night, as we ensconced ourselves in the warmth of our tents, we couldn’t help smiling. In the wee hours, I woke up to the gusts of the wind whooshing through the tents. It would be biting cold outside. Even when the sun came up, a light fog hung in the air.

In the morning, some rode atop the camels while few opted for the adrenaline rush of a jeep safari. We chose to explore the nearby villages, interact with locals and visit the mud dwellings typical of the desert.

The barren landscape does have its share of green in its flora of hardy grasses, drought-resistant succulents, deciduous trees and evergreens. Neem, babool, googal, thhor, kankera, kair, kheep, kumat and grass like sewan dot the desert. Khejri is one predominant deciduous tree elevated as the state tree of Rajasthan. The thorny branches, small leaves and yellow flowers in their spikes look beautiful.

With the Thar desert bordering Pakistan, we couldn’t forget the many battles fought there. On the way to the sand dunes we visited the Jaisalmer War Museum constructed by the Desert Corps of the Indian Army. Stroll along the huge compound and admire the fighter planes, tanks, vehicles used by the Defence forces in various battles and the information of their daredevilry and sacrifices through photos, audio-visuals and newspaper clippings. One can also visit the Longewala battlefields, the Tanot Mata Temple, the Khuri sand dunes and the Desert National Park (DNP) from there or Jaisalmer. Wildlife enthusiasts should visit DNP for its efforts to conserve endangered Great Indian Bustard (Godawan in local) which has received a boost as ten chicks were born in the hatchery. There are only 150 GIB in the world, with 98 percent in the desert.

While returning from the sand dunes, we visited the village of Kuldhara, abandoned in the 19th century by the Paliwal Brahmins. An interesting folklore woven around it gives a spin to a spooky tale that it is cursed and no construction or rehabilitation has been possible here The popular story attributes it to Salim Singh, a powerful minister who got attracted to the village headman’s daughter. The angry Brahmins abandoned the 84 villages overnight for fear of persecution and cursed the place. Even though other villages were inhabited with time, Kuldhara remains in ruins. The yellow sandstones lend a charm to it and it’s becoming a major attraction, even as a pre-nuptial wedding shoot.

In the desert towns, the yellow sandstone, unique to the region, is used throughout in the architecture of the fort, havelis and houses. It imbues the city of Jaisalmer with a cheerful yellow during daytime and golden-yellow in the dusk, thus called the ‘Golden city’. Founded by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD, the name Jaisalmer means the hill fort of Jaisal. Sprawling on the Meru hill, it is one of the few livable forts in the world. It is immortalised in Satyajit Ray’s detective novel and the film Sonar kella as the Golden fortress.

In the city’s outskirts, the chhatris of Bada Bagh have the cenotaphs of the Jaisalmer rulers. It is a beautiful place for photography. The rows of wind turbines standing on undulating low-lying hills give it a nice backdrop.

In and around the city, enriched by the Jain community, are many Jain temples dedicated to the 16th Teerthankara Shantinath and 23rd Teerthankara Parshvnath. Do visit the havelis of the desert city for it gives a sneak peek into the lifestyle of the rich merchants.

The cluster of five havelis in the foothills of the fort include Patwon ki haveli and far down the lane, Nathmull ki haveli and Salim Singh ki haveli.