The Golden city of Jaisalmer, Sand Dunes, the blue city Jodhpur, and much more

Jaisalmer - Thar Desert: Sam Sand Dunes and beyond 

The much awaited trip after Rann of Kutchch was the Sam Sand Dunes. It came as a surprise as it was a last-minute plan and we could not get confirmed train tickets and flight prices were sky rocketing already. Since we had made up our mind, I decided to drive down all the way to Jaisalmer. Now the next challenge was that it was a long journey and could not be completed in a day. Hence, I decided to break it up and cover few more cities in Rajasthan. 

The final route map looked like the one below: 

Jaipur < Ajmer < Pushkar < Jodhpur < Jaisalmer < Sam Sand Dunes < Longewala border < Bikaner < Back to Home 

Jaipur - Bhangarh Fort, Hawa Mahal and a Movie in Raj Mandir 

Bhangarh Fort is 30 Kms before Jaipur and need to take a detor. It is closer to Alwar / Siriska. 

Up next, we moved to Jaipur. Since we had already visited Jaipur last year, we wanted to see a movie in the cinema. 

Watching a movie in the famous Raj Mandir Cinema is a must with its Dolby Audio and Screen which can be viewed when the curtains roll up. This gives an entirely different experience and larger than life experience than the regular PVRs where we go these days. 

The cinema has a unique way of opening the screen with a curtain which rolls up. Usually, the curtains open towards the sides and not upwards or downwards. There was also a photo booth placed near the cafeteria. The views from Cafeteria were also nice as it was overlooking the ground floor. It was really a princely and royal feeling on the movie theatre. 

 

There are few monuments which look alive and Hawa Mahal is one of them. We decided to spend some time viewing the monument and enjoy the wibes. There is a cafe just opposite to it - The Tattoo Cafe which has a cover charge of Rs 250 per person but is totally worth the experience. We chose to have Italian and must say that it was worth it. 

Next destination was Ajmer. It was more of a hault between Jaipur and Jaisalmer as I did not want to drop for too long. 

Ajmer - Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Ana Sagar Lake, Bajrangarh (Hanuman) Temple - situated on hill top, Seven Wonders Park, Soni Ji ki Nasiya Jain Temple, Prithvi Raj Samarak (on the way from Ajmer to Pushkar) 

Ajmer is famous for the Dargah and we also planned to drop by for the same. The road that leads to Dargah was from Delhi Gate. The locals say that there are more than five roads that lead to the dargah. Even Dhai din ka Makbara is just 500 meters away from Dargah. We walked 500 meters from Delhi gate and passed through the market which was crowded with devotees as well as local shops. 

There are two big Utensils - one where devotees donate and the other where cooking is done. Both of these have a great significance as it is there from the former days when King's wish was completed as he was blessed with a son. 

Soniji Ka Nasiyan Jain Temple and Museum - There is a Jain temple on the way to Dargah. 

Seven Wonders Park in Ajmer: This is a hidden gem. Not much talked about but it is a good place to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour. When I myself tried to recall which are the seven wonders, I could not recollect more than four. Can you try to identify the seven moments before scrolling down :-) 

 Taj Mahal

Leaning Tower of Pisa 

Colosseum

Christ The Redeemer  

Eiffel Tower

Pyramids of Giza

Statue of Liberty

Ana Sagar Lake, Ajmer - We got first glimpse of the lake while we were at the Hanuman temple situated at the hilltop which is on the way to Pushkar. 

I must say that it is nice lake with lots of birds around. It is a delight to watch when birds sit just next to you and that too in a large group. We can feed the birds as well. The lake has a walking track around it from all sides. 

We started for Pushkar and on the way came across Maharana Pratap Statue. There is a restaurant also just next to it. It can be a quick halt place on the way to Pushkar. 

We reached Pushkar in less than thirty minutes. This place has a religious significance especially for Hindus. Brahma Temple is the main attraction of the place. It is said that there are more than 500 temples in Pushkar. It is not possible to visit all of them and hence we also visited a few prominent ones among them. 

Pushkar - Places to visit include Brahma Temple, 52 Ghats (Gau Ghat, Brahma Ghat), Savitri Mata Temple, Old Rangji Temple, New Rangji Temple. 

Brahma Temple is the most prominent temple in Pushkar. Till a few years back, this was the only temple of Lord Brahma - the founder of mankind on earth. Due to a curse by Mata Savitri, wife of Lord Brahma, this was the only place where he can be worshipped. 

Photography was not allowed inside but it was a nice temple and a must visit when in and around Pushkar. There are lot of shops around the temple making it an attractive place for adults and kids alike. 

Just 300 to 400 meters from the temple is the Ghat section. There are 52 Ghats in this area. In Savitri Ghat there are priests who share the entire history of Pushkar, its significance, and also do Pooja rituals in case one is interested in doing so. It was a nice place to hang around. We did not go to all the Ghats but a few prominent ones only. 

This is the place where the priests tell stories about the significance of Pushkar. They also offer to conduct Pooja here. 

We can offer donation and do the necessary rituals for our family here. 

Savitri Mata Temple is an interesting place to go as there are 300 - 400 steps by foot and also a ropeway in case anyone does not want to climb the stairs. It is situated on a hill-top from where the entire Pushkar city can be seen. The best time to visit is just before sunset to enjoy the beautiful views of the city and the sunset.  The temple closes after sunset. 

The cable car took us to the top of the hill. The cable cab operator stops the cab car in-between so that the devotees can enjoy the view from the top. Once we reached the top, the view was very good. 

The temple at the hilltop with an open roof. There were monkeys all around and looking for things to eat. Devotees had to save their belongings especially water bottles, chips, biscuits as they usually snacks food items.

On the way down, we were fortune to see the sunset. 

Rangji Temple - We visited both Old Ranji and New Rangji temple which have been dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The architecture is quite similar to Tirupati Balaji temple and for a few seconds we are confused if we are in Rajasthan or in a temple in South India due to its synonymous architecture.

After a satisfying day in Pushkar, we moved to Jodhpur. We have covered all these places as they provided us with a refreshing break while on our way to Jaisalmer. 

Jodhpur - Places to visit are Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada, Blue city area, Toorji ka Jhalra, Clock Tower, Umaid Bhawan

Jodhpur is called the Blue City and rightly so after seeing the following picture. We captured this when we were at Mehrangarh Fort.   

Mehrangarh Fort is the largest Fort in India. We went up using a lift till 13th Floor and there were still 6 floors left to climb. It was a wise decision to use the lift for going up and walking down by foot. It helped us save our energy while we were enjoying the fort. There are cafes and museum inside the fort. It would easily take at least two hours to cover the fort. 

Jaswant Thada is called the Taj Mahal of Rajasthan. It was just a few meters away from the Fort. This had pictures of the Kings who ruled the Fort till date. 

I am sitting at a big rock at the entrance of Jaswant Thada. 

Soorji Ka Jhalra Step Well - This is in the heart of Jodhpur City. When we visited the place, there was a photo shoot going on for a bride. This place is a happening place with a lot of Cafes surrounding it, where one can sit for hours and enjoy the view of the step-well. 

Clock Tower and City area in Jodhpur 

There is an option to get to the first floor of the Clock Tower

Finally, after spending some good time in Jodhpur we left for Jaisalmer. The Jaisalmer fort can be seen the moment one enters Jaisalmer. We were excited to see the fort from a distance and it could be seen from most of the hotel rooftops in Jaisalmer. 

Jaisalmer - Fort, Patwon ki Haweli, Gadisar Lake, Kuldhara (Haunted Village) 

Jaisalmer Fort - While we were inside the Jaisalmer fort, the view from the top clearly signified why it is called the Golden City. There are shops, hotels, restaurants inside the fort. There is a Jain Temple, King Palace and Queen Palace, and a museum inside the Fort. There is also a sunrise and sunset point for the tourists. 

Kuku Cafe is a popular place for coffee and is situated on the border of the fort. This is one of the best places for viewing sunset while having snacks. 

Patwon Ki Haveli - This place has five Havelis. One is managed by the Government, while other two are private called Kothari's Patwon ki Haweli, the remaining two have been closed for the visitors. 

One can climb to the top floor which is fifth floor and enjoy the views of the city and the fort. There are also artifacts kept inside the private haveli. The government one is the most authentic haveli with small doors and windows. It also has multiple entrances to the same floor, making it even more interesting for the kids. Lot of tourists can be seen taking photographs from the outside. 

There are several other havelis next to Patwon ki Haveli but the architecture, look and feel are all the same. I even felt that the hotel we stayed had a similar architecture. 

Gadisar Lake - This is a nice place to do boating and enjoy a light-show in the evening. 

Government Museum - There is a government-run museum which has paintings, utensils, clothes used by the Kings and have been preserved. We spent around 30 -40 minutes in the museum before moving to the Kuldhara village, popularly known as the haunted village. 

Jaisalmer War Museum - Just 5 kms away from the city is the Jaisalmer War Museum. This is a nice place to spent time with family and see the sacrifices made by our brave soldiers. There is also a cafeteria serving nice snacks and ice cream scoops at very reasonable rates. 

Kuldhara Village - This is a haunted village on the way to Sam Sand Dunes (pronounced as Sum Sand Dunes). It is 30 minutes drive from Jaisalmer and there is slight deviation of around 5 Kms just before the Sum Sand Dunes. There is a parking fee of Rs 50 which is worth as they allow the vehicle to go inside at least 1 Km. 

There is a temple also in this haunted village but there is no idol or photograph of any God. It is vacant from inside. There are some houses which have been in ruins while there are a few which seem to have been maintained and recently painted for the purpose of tourism. 

On the way, we stopped at Gobindgarh for lunch. We have been told that there are very few places for food and it is advisable to have lunch before reaching the resort in the Sand dunes and we religiously followed the advise. 

Finally, we reached the much-awaited Sam Sand Dunes. 

Sam is all about the Camel ride, Jeep Safari, quad biking, Paragliding, and immersing oneself in the sand.   We stayed at the RTDC Samdhani resort which was located quite perfectly. 

Longewala - Longewala Yudh Sthal, War Museum and Sound Show, Tanot Mata Temple, India Pakistan Border

The Longewala Ydh Sthal was interesting place to visit. It has a sound and light show of 20 minutes. There is also a border cafe which serves fingure-licking Rajma Chawal, Masala Maggi, and Tea at very reasonable rates. Also, there have been tanks from the Pakistan side which got damaged in 1971 War and bunkers created which can be seen making the visit all the more interesting. 

Tanot Mata Mandir - This place has a great significance as all the bombs dropped by the Pakistan Army in 1971 war on this temple did not blast and they have been kept till date for viewing. Post that war, this temple was taken over by the BSF (Border Security Force) till date. 

India Pakistan Border - A pass needs to be taken from the Tanot Mata temple which will allow the visitors to go Zero Point i.e. India Pakistan Border. We spend around 30 minutes in getting permission and then drove for another 20 Kms to reach the border. There was a huge gate and a watch tower which can be climbed to see the fence which separates the two countries. A Pakistani post was also visible on the other side of the fence. 

There is also a war memorial as well as museum set up at the Longewala Yudh Sthal. 

We proceeded to Bikaner after visiting the border. It was a smooth drive. However, one needs to be careful about the speed limit as we could see the speed interceptors on the way and catching a few cars who were over-speeding as the roads was smooth. 

Bikaner - Karni Mata Temple (rat temple)

We visited this amazing and unique place which is house to more than fourteen thousand rats. The temple belongs to Goddess Karni. There is a museum just opposite to the temple and has the entire life of the Goddess depicted in pictures.  

The rats can be seen all around the temple. They are friendly and we even touched them, though we are scared of rats. They are believed to be the ancestors of Karni Mata. We initially felt odd but got comfortable as we entered the temple and spent time inside the premises. It is a must visit place when around Bikaner. 

Finally, we started our way back home with beautiful memories. 

Some random pictures taken while on the way. 

P.S This has been my personal experience, and it might be different for different travelers based on the journey time, route, choice of mode of travel, place of stay, and physical wellness.