Sights in Western Rajasthan
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Mehrangarh
Still run by the descendants of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Mehrangarh is captivating. As you approach, the walls soar overhead in a mesmerising demonstration of the skills of the builders. Cast off your audio-tour prejudices, as this tour, covered by the foreign-visitor admission charge (which also includes camera fees), is terrific, with a mix of history, information and dramatically narrated anecdotes. It’s a real treat to wander around at your leisure, taking a fix of information when you feel like it. Personal guides are available for Rs150.
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Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer Fort is a living fort - about 25% of the old city's population resides within its walls. As well as a palace and various temples, its carless streets are packed with houses, handicraft shops and beauty parlours, and honeycombed with narrow, winding lanes paved in stone.
Built in 1156 by the Rajput ruler Jaisala and reinforced by subsequent rulers, Jaisalmer Fort was the focus of a number of battles between the Bhattis, the Mughals of Delhi and the Rathores of Jodhpur. The lower layer of the fort's three walls is composed of solid stone blocks, which reinforce the loose rubble of Trikuta Hill. The second wall snakes around the fort, and between this and the third…
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Salim Singh-ki-Haveli
This private haveli has an amazing, distinctive shape – the top storey mushrooms out into a mass of carving, with graceful arched balconies surmounted by pale blue cupolas. It was built about 300 years ago; part of it is still occupied. Salim Singh was a fearsome prime minister when Jaisalmer was the capital of a princely state.
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Junagarh Fort
Constructed between 1588 and 1593 by Raja Rai Singh – a general in the army of the Mughal emperor Akbar – this most impressive fort has a 986m-long wall with 37 bastions, a moat and two entrances. The Surajpol (Sun Gate) is the main entrance to the fort. Here you will be accosted by private guides, even though your ticket includes either the audio guide or an official fort guide (leaving every 15 minutes or so from the ticket office). The palaces within the fort are on the southern side, and make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, kiosks, towers and windows. The museum here is fascinating and well labelled, with over-the-top costumes, jewellery and a rar…
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Jain Temples
Within the Jaisalmer fort walls is a mazelike, interconnecting complex of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples, dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries. Opening times have a habit of changing, so check with the caretakers. The intricate carving rivals that in Ranakpur or Mt Abu, and has an extraordinary quality because of the soft, mellow stone. Chandraprabhu is the first temple you come to and is dedicated to the eighth tirthankar, whose symbol is the moon. Around the upper gallery are 108 marble images of Parasnath, the 22nd tirthankar.
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Nathmal-ki-Haveli
This late-19th-century haveli was also a Jaisalmer prime minister’s house and is still partly inhabited. It drips with carving, and the 1st floor has some beautiful paintings that used 1.5kg of gold. A doorway is surrounded by 19th-century British postcards from the prime minister’s time, and there’s also a picture of Queen Victoria. The left and right wings were the work of two brothers, whose competitive spirit apparently produced this virtuoso work – the two sides are similar, but not identical. Sandstone elephants welcome visitors/shoppers.
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Fort Palace Museum
The Jaisalmer fort is entered through a forbidding series of massive gates leading to a large courtyard fronted by the elegant seven-storey palace. Part of the palace is open to the public as the Fort Palace Museum. The foreigner admission includes an audio guide and camera fee. With floor upon floor of fascinating rooms that peep creepily on the outside world, the highlights are the mirrored and painted Rang Mahal, a small gallery of finely wrought 15th-century sculptures and the spectacular 360-degree views from the top.
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Kothari’s Patwa Haveli Museum
Most magnificent of all the havelis, its stonework like honey-coloured lace, Patwa-ki-Havel i towers over a narrow lane. It was built between 1800 and 1860 by five Jain brothers who were brocade and jewellery merchants. It’s most impressive from the outside. The first of the five sections is opened as the privately owned Kothari’s Patwa Haveli Museum, which richly evokes 19th-century life. Next door is the forlorn and empty (apart from pigeons and bats) government-owned haveli.
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Jain temples
The narrow streets of the old city conceal a number of old havelis and a couple of notable Jain temples. The temples date from around the 15th century. Bhandasar Temple is particularly beautiful, with yellow-stone carving and dizzyingly vibrant paintings. It's said the foundations contain 40,000kg of ghee, and the floor still gets greasy in summer. Sandeshwar Temple is smaller, but has some fine carving. Nearby, the unassuming Laxminath Temple comes alive at around 22:30 each night.
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Main Temple
About 15km northwest of Jaisalmer are the deserted ruins of Lodhruva, the ancient capital before the move to Jaisalmer. The Jain temples, rebuilt in the late 1970s, are sole reminders of the city’s former magnificence. The main temple enshrines a finely wrought silver image of Parasnath, the 23rd tirthankar. Apparently a cobra lives in the complex. A taxi will cost about Rs700 and will include a visit to Amar Sagar.
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Pokaran Fort
At the junction of the Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner roads, 110km from Jaisalmer, Pokaran Fort is a dusty berry-coloured sandstone stronghold that overlooks a tangle of narrow streets lined by balconied houses. It dates from the 14th to 17th centuries and once had charge of 108 villages; part of it is now the hotel Fort Pokaran. There’s not much to see here, but a stop breaks the journey between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.
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Maharaja's Palace
The fort is entered through a forbidding series of massive gates leading to a large courtyard, fronted by the elegant seven-storey Maharaja's Palace. The square was formerly used to review troops, hear petitions and present extravagant entertainment for travelling dignitaries. Part of the palace is open to the public - floor upon floor of fascinating rooms that peep creepily on the outside world.
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Karni Mata Temple
The extraordinary Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok, 30km south of Bikaner, is one of India’s weirder attractions. According to legend, Karni Mata, a 14th-century incarnation of Durga, asked the god of death, Yama, to restore to life the son of a grieving storyteller. When Yama refused, Karni Mata reincarnated all dead storytellers as rats, depriving Yama of human souls.
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National Research Centre on Camels
The National Research Centre on Camels is about 8km east of the town centre. Here you can visit baby camels, go for a ride and look around the small museum. The on-site Camel Milk Parlour doesn’t look much but can whip up a lassi for Rs5. The round trip, including a half-hour wait at the camel farm, is around Rs150 for an autorickshaw or Rs300 for a taxi.
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Desert Culture Centre & Museum
Next to the Tourist Reception Centre is the Desert Culture Centre & Museum, which has interesting information on Rajasthani culture, as well as textiles and traditional instruments. A new addition is the interactive mini-DVD presentation which helps bring the static exhibits to life. There’s a nightly one-hour puppet show at 6.30pm.
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Patwa-ki-Haveli
Most magnificent of all the havelis, its stonework like honey-coloured craggy lace, Patwa-ki-Haveli towers over a narrow lane. It was built between 1800 and 1860 by five Jain brothers who were brocade and jewellery merchants. It's most impressive from the outside, but the fort view from the roof is superb, and the interior richly evokes 19th-century life.
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Sachiya Mata Temple
This ancient Great Thar Desert town, 65km north of Jodhpur, was an important trading centre between the 8th and 12th centuries. It was dominated by the Jains, who left a legacy of exquisitely sculptured, well- preserved temples. Sachiya MataTemple is an impressive walled complex.
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Camel Research Institute
Eight kilometres north at Jorbeer, you'll find the Camel Research Institute. Between 16:30 and 17:00 you can watch a cavalcade of camels returning, in biblical fashion, to their enclosure after a day's grazing. A small shop sells the usual knick-knacks, including jootis of camel hide.
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Ahhichatragarh
Nagaur, 135km northeast of Jodhpur, has the massive, 12th-century restored ruins of Ahhichatragarh, which has a unique water-recycling system. At the ruins’ heart is a richly painted Rajput–Mughal palace complex.
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Desert National Park
The Desert National Park has been established in the Great Thar Desert near Sam village. One of the most popular excursions is to the sand dunes on the edge of the park, 42km from Jaisalmer.
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Ganga Government Museum
The Ganga Government Museum houses a small, well-displayed collection of sculptures, handicrafts, musical instruments and gold paintings. Entrance is to the back left of the building.
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Jaisalmer Folklore Museum
Admission to the Desert Culture Centre includes entry to the small Jaisalmer Folklore Museum, which has traditional everyday items, ranging from camel ornaments to opium bottles.
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Sadar Government Museum
The Umaid Gardens are home to the Sadar Government Museum, which feels frozen in time. The poorly labelled exhibits include weapons and 6th- to 10th-century sculptures.
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Parasnath Temple
Behind Chandraprabhu temple is Parasnath Temple, which you enter through a beautifully carved torana (architrave); it has a lovely, brightly painted ceiling.
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Prachina Bikaner Cultural Centre & Museum
The Prachina Bikaner Cultural Centre & Museum is a well-labelled museum featuring over-the-top costumes, jewellery and a rare glimpse of everyday paraphernalia.
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