Jaisalmer: Travel Tips for Rajasthan Tours

If Jodhpur offers threshold to the stark landscapes of the Thar Desert, then Jaisalmer lies in its heart. Jaisalmer is popularly known as ‘The golden city’ due to the extensive use of yellow sandstone in the architecture that glows golden in the sunlight. The city was founded by Rao Jaisal in 1156 AD. The city was once ruled by the famous Bhatti kings of the region. Due to its strategic location on the main trade route linking India to Egypt, Persia, Arabia, Africa and West, the city enjoyed a long lasting trade-relation with these countries in medieval times.

Golden Castle in Jaisalmer

Attractions in Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is renowned for its sand dunes, camel safaris, massive forts, striking havelis and beautiful temples. Besides forts and havelis, the 3-day long desert festival is a major attraction for the travelers. Some famous attractions in Jaisalmer are as follows:

Jaisalmer Fort
The Jaisalmer fort, popularly known as ‘Sonar Qila’ (golden fort) is situated on Trikuta hill. The massive structure is built with the extensive use of yellow sandstone which appears golden-yellow in sunshine and honey-gold at the time of sunset. The magnificence of the fort lies in the several inbuilt structures which include intricately carved havelis, sculptured Jain temples, Lakshminath Temple and 99 poles (towers).

Jaisalmer Havelis
Havelis and mansions of Jaisalmer are worth visiting for their intricate designs, decorations and yellow and red sandstone carvings. Some of the famous havelis of Jaisalmer are Patwon-ki-Haveli, Salam Singh-ki-Haveli, Nathmalji-ki-Haveli and Haveli Shreenath.

Jain Temples
The Jaisalmer fort has 7 beautifully carved and decorated Jain temples inside the fort complex. These spectacular temples were built in the 12th century are a part of Jaisalmer’s cultural heritage. Some of the famous Jain temples include Dilwara temple, Parswanath temple, Tirthankar temple and Shantinath temple. Some other Jain temples around Jaisalmer are Brahmsar, Pokharan, Lodavra and Amarsagar.

Desert Festival in Jaisalmer
The 3-day desert festival takes place in the month of February every year. The festival held in the enthralling background of the Golden fort. The festival showcases the rich and colorful Rajasthani folk culture through various traditional art forms which include desert ballads, puppeteers, snake charmers, folk music and dance and camel race. The highlight of this festival is the famous sound and light show performed in Sand-Sam dunes.

Desert Safari in Jaisalmer
One of the ‘must do’ things in Jaisalmer is the camel safari ride in the shimmering glory of the golden sand. A magical safari in the undulating golden sand-dunes of Thar Desert usually lasts for two days with a camping stay in night to behold the rising sun in Jaisalmer. A camel safari ride allows tourists to explore the splendor of Rajasthan.

Shopping in Jaisalmer
Shopping forms an interesting part of your Jaisalmer trip. Shopping at the local markets of Jaisalmer is a unique experience. Jaisalmer is famous for mirror work, silver jewelry, antique items, silk and cotton textiles, handicrafts and embodied garments. The main shopping markets are Sadar bazaar, Manak Chowk, Pansari bazaar, Rajasthali and Sonaron Ka bas.

Hotels in Jaisalmer
Most of the hotels in Jaisalmer are renovated from the old havelis with their interiors designed in ethnic Rajasthani style. These hotels provide cozy accommodation to the guests. An array of hotels in Jaisalmer is available to suit the requirement of the tourists and fit to all price range. Various accommodation varieties in Jaisalmer include heritage hotels, deluxe hotels and budget hotels.

Visit the website of Indian Luxury Trains to choose from an array of Rajasthan Tour Packages. You may also visit the Flickr photo stream of Indian Luxury Trains for the images to get a sneak peek into tours to India.

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North India Temple Tour: In Search of Spirituality

North India temple tour traverses the courses of these significant places which celebrate and preserve the art and culture of various socio-cultural beliefs and practices. Meticulously crafted temple tours to select destination in northern part of India is a quest to bring out the vibrant aspect of spirituality and art embedded in some glorious monuments and temples.

Evening Aarti at Bathing Ghats by the Sacred river Ganges in Varanasi

Beginning your North India temple tour from Delhi gives you flexibility and variety of choice to cover some most significant places of worship and pilgrimage. Delhi itself is home to many temples dedicated to and serving different religious beliefs. Some of the important places worth mention includes Lotus Temple (The Bahá'í House of Worship), Akshardham Temple (Swaminarayan), Birla Temple, ISKCON Temple, Jama Masjid and Chhatarpur Temple.

Located a few hundred kilometers away from Delhi are Mathura and Vrindavan. These are the places around which lord Krishna was born and brought up. These destinations are major pilgrimage sites of Hindus. Place of interest in Vrindavan include ISKCON Temple also known as Sri Krishna-Balaram Mandir, Banke Bihari Temple, Madan Mohan temple and Sri Vrindavan-Chandra Mandir located some 145 kilometers away from Delhi. In Mathura places of interest include Dwarkadheesh temple and Govardhana Hill among others.

One of the major pilgrimage centers of international fame is located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab. Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, is the most sacred temple of Sikh community. The temple is popularly referred to as Golden Temple because of the gold plating on the upper floors of the structure.

Vacations in India

In Rajasthan, Pushkar is a major pilgrimage center of international renown famous for its annual fair. Brahma temple, situated in Pushkar, Rajasthan is the most prominent temple dedicated to the Hindu creator god Brahma. Just a short distance from Pushkar is Ajmer which is a major pilgrimage of Muslims. The Ajmer Sharif shrine is renowned for its secular character attracting pilgrims of all faiths.

Temple tours in India especially in the northern part, is incomplete without a visit to Varanasi. Varanasi is the most sacred pilgrimage site of Hindus. Considered one of the most ancient cities in world, the allure of Varanasi lies in its archaic temples and holy bathing ghats of Ganges. A boat cruise in the mythical river Ganges is a must to do thing in Varanasi.

Lotus Temple (Baha'i House of Worship) - New Delhi

India is home to an array of religious beliefs, creeds and practices. To say that North India Temple Tour is the best way to experience religious fervor and Indian culture will not be an overstatement. With almost every religion practiced here in India, patrons of art and culture have seen to it that multitude of religious monuments dot the length and breadth of India since time immemorial. These places are memorial of the beliefs, culture and practices of the society and temple tours in India offer a window to let you witness the rich heritage of India in these timeless monuments.

To select from an array of tastefully crafted North India tour packages, feel free to visit the website of Indian Luxury Trains.

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