Rajasthan, the land of the kings, in India at its exotic and colourful best with its battle-scarred forts, its palaces of breathtaking grandeur and whimsical charm, its riotous colours and even its romantic sense of pride and honour. Jaisalmer is a great place to simply wander. The old city was once completely surrounded by an extensive wall, much of which has sadly been ripped away in recent times for building material.

Some of it remains, however, including the city gates and, inside them, the massive fort which rises above the city and is the essence of Jaisalmer. The main market area is directly below the hill, while the banks, the new palace and several other shops and offices are near the Amar Sagar Gate to the west.

Jaisalmer history

The 'Golden City' of Jaisalmer was founded in the year 1156 by a Bhatti Rajput prime Jaisala named the city from the vulnerable former capital of Lodhruva, 15 kms to the southeast. The succession of Maharajas of Jaisalmer trace their lineage back to the ruler of Bhatti Rajput Clan Jailasimha. It was in fulfillment of Lord Krishna's prophecy that a distant scion of his Yadav clan would build a kingdom here. There was water on the hill, a miracle performed by Krishna to quench the thirst of Arjuna. The hilltop offered the safest fort location, dominating and surveying the desert for miles.

The Lunar clan of Bhattis is Krishna's descendant, valiant and most feared of the dessert marauders, perennially locked in territorial skirmishes with Jodhpur and Bikaner. One Bhatti scion-Gaj Singh had founded the city of Ghazni in Afghanistan but ultimately lost it to forces from Khorasan. One of his grandsons reclaimed Ghazni, embraced Islam, and came to be called Chagattas (Mughals). They later plundered the land of their ancestors between 1000 and 1025 A.D. Again, led by Babar they came to found the Mughal Empire in India. Today, tourism will soon rival military bases as the pillar of the city's economy. The military bases hardly impinge at all on the life of the old city and only the occasional sound of war planes landing or taking off in the distance ever disturbs the tranquillity of this desert gem.

It's not always been so peaceful, of course, since fortresses have rarely been constructed for aesthetic reasons and medieval desert chieftains were not known for their pacific temperaments. Chivarlic rivelry and ferocity between the various Rajput clans were the order of the day and the Bhatti Rajputs of Jaisalmer were regarded as a formidable force throughout the region. While Jaisalmer largely escaped direct conquest by the muslim rulers of Delhi, it did experience its share of sieges and sackings with the inevitable jauhar being declared in the face of inevitable defeat. There is perhaps no Rajasthani city in which you can more easily conjure up the spirit of those times.

Desert Festival :- Desert Festival is the perfect occasion to take a glimpse into the royal past and affluent cultural heritage of Jaisalmer. The festival offers a breathtaking spectacle of folk dances, traditional songs and various competitions that virtually set the deserted land of Jaisalmer on fire. The festival exudes a delightful spirit and for three days the entire town is clustered with colorfully dressed people.

Rajasthan Travels invite you to travel in Northern India especially to the Place of Kings RAJASTHAN, Royal Castles, Fresco Paintings, Glorious Forts.

11 Days / 10 Nights
Duration : 11 Days
Location : India
Departs : Jaisalmer
Visits : Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Ranakpur, Udaipur, Pushkar, Jaipur, Agra, Orchha and Khajuraho.

Day 1: Arrival in Jaisalmer
Pickup from Jaisalmer Railway Station / Bus Stand by placard carrying driver and transfer to your respected Hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Evening visit Jaisalmer Local Market. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 2: Jaisalmer City Tour
Morning visit Jaisalmer. Visit the Fort, Bazars and the old mansions known as "Havelis". People still live in these ancient buildings dating from 12th to 15th century. Every house has exquisite carvings and filigreed work. Evening visit Sum / Khuri for Camel ride and Rajasthani Traditional dinner at Dunes with dance and music. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 3: Jaisalmer - Jodhpur
Morning drive to Jodhpur. Afternoon visit the Meharangarh Fort, situated on a low sandstone Hill, including Moti-Mahal and Phool Mahal. Also visit Jaswant Thada, an imposing Marble Memorium built in 1899 and the museum located in the Umaid Public Gardens. Overnight Jodhpur.

Day 4: Jodhpur - Ranakpur - Udaipur
Morning drive to Udaipur visiting Ranakpur Temples enroute. Ranakpur - 98 kms from Udaipur, the Jain Temples built in the 15th century are situated in the lovely valley of the Aravali. Its surrounding is quiet and picturesque. Ranakpur has grand structures and beautiful sculpture. There are 1444 pillars in the temple and none of them are similar. The magic of light & shade is really awe inspiring. Surya Temple and other Jain Temples are side attractions. Overnight stay at hotel in Udaipur.

Day 5: Udaipur
Morning tour of Udaipur. Visit the City Palace, Jagdish Temple, drive around Fatehsagar Lake, Sahelion ki bari (Queen's resort for her friends) and Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandir (Folk art museum). Evening do a Romantic Boat ride at Lake Pichhola visiting Jagmandir. Overnight stay at Hotel.

Day 6: Udaipur - Bundi
Morning drive to Bundi. Bundi rises from a narrow gorge in rows of terraced gardens & arched Rajput houses like a two dimensional miniature painting imposed on the landscape. Visit the palace with its intricate spy-holes, secret trap doors and underground passages. Also see the spectacularly ingenious water supply system. Overnight in Bundi.

Day 7: Bundi - Ranthambhore
Morning drive to Ranthambore. This is Rajasthan's first Project Tiger reserve & named after a 1000 year old fort which stands in the park .It has a congenial habitat for the stately sambar, the largest of all Asiatic deer. Tigers, cital, wild boar and other animals are also found here. Woodland, ground and water-birds abound the park including the uncommon red jungle fowl & varieties of eagles. Water tank harbours marsh crocodile and python. Overnight Ranthambore.

Day 8: Ranthambhore - Jaipur
Morning drive to Jaipur. Arrive Jaipur & transfer to hotel. Day free. Overnight Jaipur.

Day 9: Jaipur
Morning visit Amber Fort with elephant ride - the ancient capital of the State. Visit the Sheesh Mahal or the Hall of Victory glittering with mirrors. Afternoon visit city. The capital of Rajasthan was given a colour coat of pink a century again honour of a visiting Prince and ever since, it has retained this colour.Built by Maharaja Jai Singh, the notable astronomer, this city is 260 yrs old. Visit Maharaja's City Palace, the Observatory & Ram Niwas Gardens. Drive past Hawa Mahal & through the pink rose residential & business areas. Overnight Jaipur.

Day 10: Jaipur - Agra
Drive to Agra visiting Fatehpur Sikri enroute. Fatehpur Sikri is 40 kms from Agra and built by Emperor Akbar in 1569 and abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity of water. See the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and other Palaces. Afternoon visit the world famous Taj Mahal built by the Moghul Emperor Shahjehan in 1630 for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. Later visit the Agra Fort containing the Halls of Public and Private Audience. Overnight Agra.

Day 11: Agra – Delhi Dropping
After breakfast drive to Drive to Delhi Airport / Train Station for your Home Destination. (Service Ends).

Rajasthan Hotels