Places to visit in Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer, the Golden City of effervescent culture and vibrant facets, is a great place for kids. The flora and fauna of the Desert National Park is a great attraction for kids. The vast stretch of sand dunes, the desert safari on camels and ancient the fortresses will inspire most of the kids.

The most exciting outing that you can plan around Jaisalmer would have to be to the Sam sand dunes.  Rolling sand dunes cover a large area of Sam which is around 42 kilometres away from the city and is very popular for day trips. One can also take overnight camp excursions, if interested. Besides a camel safari you can also enjoy live folk performances.

The most famous landmark in the city is the Jaisalmer Fort which is one of the largest forts in the world. It was built in 1156 AD, and it is also popularly known as Sonar Quila.  It is one of the biggest tourist attractions of the city. The Havelis include the Patwonki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli, Nath Mal ki Haveli and others.

While at Jaisalmer, you can visit Khuri. This is the site from where one can access the sand dunes of the Thar. Regular buses are available from the city to the town of Khuri from where you can ride camels to reach the done. You can also visit the beautiful garden of Bada Bagh, around 6 kilometres from the city of Jaisalmer. The Jait Sar Tank and the Jait Bandh are also popular attractions. 

The Akal Wood Fossil Park is a natural wonder. It is believed that the park has fossilized wood from 180-million-year old forest.

The park extends across 21 hectare of land and has fossils buried deep inside. Excavation activities are done here by archaeological teams. The region is protected and conserved because of its archaeological value.

The Desert National Park is one of largest national parks in Jaisalmer and stretches across an area of 3162 square kilometres. Primarily comprising of rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, the sand dunes form only 20% of the park. The park is known for its abundant flora and fauna and is home to a number of migratory birds such as short-toed eagles, laggar falcons, tawny and spotted eagles and kestrels. If you are lucky, you might sight the Great Indian Bustard, the endangered bird. 

The Government Museum in Jaisalmer displays cultural artefacts from the Thar Desert. Some of the highlights of the museum exhibit are the 8 inscriptions, 72 stone sculptures, 65 coins, 179 embroidered dresses, puppets, 13 paintings, and handicrafts. Other interesting exhibits in the museum include a collection of fossils going back to 160 to 180 million years ago. 

The museum displays ancient manuscripts and coins along with royal weaponry and musical instruments.

The erstwhile royal residence converted to a museum exhibits a great and rare collection of artefacts depicting the rich history of Jaisalmer.

The Ramdev temple is dedicated to a popular Hindu folk deity of Rajasthan. The temple structure is supposed to have been built in 1931 around the deity’s final resting place by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. It also has the Samadhis of some of his chief disciples and the tombs of five Muslim Pirs, who had come from Mecca. Sometimes, this place is also known as the Samadhi Mandir.

Located inside the Golden Fort, the temple is one of the seven Jain temples. This 16th century temple is dedicated to Shri Shantinath, a Jain Tirthankar. Established in 1536 AD, the temple displays a beautifully crafted idol the saint making it a rare attraction for devotees and tourists. 

As the name suggests, the temple is dedicate to the eighth Tirthankara – Chandraprabhuji. It is one of the seven temples that traces back to the 15th and 16th Century. Constructed in red sandstone, the Chandraprabhu Temple is located inside the Golden Fort and is a resplendent symbol of Rajput style of architecture. The intricate carvings and curved facades of the temple are a rare sight.

The Rishabhadeva Temple takes its name from the presiding deity in the temple – Rishabh Dev or Adinatha, the first of 24 Jain Tirthankaras. The temple is very popular with tourists because of its magnificent carvings and the grand corridors.

The most important religious places of attractions in Jaisalmer are the Jain temples within the Jaisalmer Fort. The temples were constructed in the 12th century. The Jain temples, known for intricate carvings, bear resemblance to the Dilwara Temples in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. 

Some of the important monuments are

• Jaisalmer Fort
• Patwonki Haveli
• Salim Singh ki Haveli
• BadaBagh
• Khaba Fort
• Maharaja’s Palace