Jaisalmer - Rising from the heart of the Thar Desert like a golden mirage is the city of Jaisalmer. The name Jaisalmer evokes a vivid picture of sheer magic and brilliance of the desert. A commanding fort etched in yellow sandstone stands, with all its awesome splendor, dominating the amber-hued city. This frontier town of Rajasthan's is today conssider the best-loved tourist destinations. Local color and warmth prevail over the inhospitable and forbidding terrain, imbuing the medieval town with a special magic.

Rail : Jaisalmer is 290-km from Jodhpur via Pokhran, Dechu and Balesar or 330-km from Bikaner via Pokhran and Phalodi. It is well connected by train with Jodhpur and other major cities of the country by a meter gauge line.

Road : A good network of roads joins Jaisalmer with Jodhpur and many other destinations in and around Rajasthan.

» Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan
From a distance, the Jaisalmer fort seemed to be rising from the heart of the Thar Desert. Clothes, quilt and puppet shops dot the stone path to the courtyard. Men were peddling the manjira - I walked to them and they began playing an intoxicating tune. I found rest of the fort as a tranquil town obsessed with its own beauty. Atop the fort, stand two cannons, least intimidating. The view of the entire toy-like golden town was enchanting.

» Havelis
Havelis are the mansions built by the wealthy merchants to flaunt their ever-growing status in society. The most beautiful havelis built by Jaisalmer's wealthy merchants are Patwon ki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli and Nathmal ki Haveli.

» Jain Temples of Jaisalmer
Within the palace there were three exquisitely carved Jain temples dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras- Rishabhdev, Sambhavnath and Parshwamnath. There was also a library with a huge collection of some extremely old manuscripts. Really, there were surprises all over the palace and the journey was just started.

» Gadsisar Sagar Lake
While driving me back to the hotel, my cab driver insisted to visit this lake. There were many beautiful temples and shrines around the lake. But the sight of countless birds flocking over the water was the most enchanting.

» Sam Sand Dunes (42-km from Jaisalmer)
It is the closest point to witness the total sandy desert. Sam (pronounced 'sum') has a truly magnificent stretch of sweeping dunes, with little or no vegetation. The best way to see this and other sights around Jaisalmer is to take a came safari.