Must-see attractions in Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer’s fort is a living urban centre, with about 3000 people residing within its walls. It is honeycombed with narrow winding lanes, lined with…

Towering over the fort’s main square, and partly built on top of the Hawa Pol (the fourth fort gate), is the former rulers’ elegant seven-storey palace…

The biggest fish in the haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence) pond is Patwa-ki-Haveli, which towers over a narrow lane, its intricate…

The first of the five sections of Patwa-ki-Haveli is opened as the privately owned Kothari’s Patwa Haveli Museum, which richly evokes 19th-century life.

Within the fort walls is a maze-like, interconnecting treasure trove of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples, dating from the 15th and 16th…

The silky Sam dunes, 41km west of Jaisalmer along a good sealed road, are one of the most popular excursions from the city. About 2km long, the dunes are…

This interesting little museum tells the history of Rajasthan’s princely states and has exhibits on traditional Rajasthani culture. Features include…

This private museum has an intriguing assortment of Jaisalmer artefacts, from turbans, musical instruments, fossils and kitchen equipment, to displays on…

This 450-year-old haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), once belonging to Brahmin priests that advised the maharajah, now houses an…

This stately tank, southeast of the city walls, was Jaisalmer’s vital water supply until 1965, and because of its importance it is surrounded by many…

This abandoned village is 19km west of Jaisalmer, 6km south of the Sam road. It was abandoned by its Paliwal Brahmin inhabitants – just like the area’s 83…

This late-19th-century haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), once used as the prime minister’s house, is still partly inhabited. It has an…

This 14th-century gateway, which straddles the road down to Gadi Sagar, is said to have been built by a famous prostitute. When she offered to pay to have…

This 18th-century haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence) has an amazing, distinctive shape. It’s narrow for the first floors, and then the top…

The Hindu Laxmi Narayan Temple, in the centre of the fort, is simpler than the Jain temples here and has a brightly decorated dome. Devotees offer grain,…

This atmospheric assemblage of golden sandstone chhatris (cenotaphs), in an old Brahmin memorial ground on a rise on the northwestern edge of town, forms…

This small 16th-century Hindu temple inside the fort is devoted to Surya, the sun god.