My Rajasthan Diary - Part 3

Jaisalmer:

Our train (Ranikhet Express) was over two hours late, and instead of 11.15 p.m., we reached Jaisalmer at the unearthly hour of 2.00 a.m. Thankfully our hotel, Wanderlust, had sent a car which brought us through the deserted roads to our destination. Even at that late hour, we were excited on glimpsing the Golden Fort or Sonar Kella.

The jewel in the crown of Rajasthan, this sandy town is located at the western most tip of the state, in the midst of the Thar Desert. The gold colour of most of Jaisalmer’s havelis and edifices comes from the sandstone, which is available in plenty here.

Our safari to the desert was planned the next day, followed by a folk song and dance performance by local artistes at a desert campsite.

The safari on camels was both bumpy and thrilling to say the least. Unaccustomed to such ‘lively’ forms of travel, we sat precariously as the camels made the way through the rocks and sand of the desert. The keepers prodded the camels to pick up speed occasionally, alarming us.

But to our disappointment (and a little relief too) the camels dropped us at the edge of the desert. Any further trip would cost us more, the keepers said. We didn’t want a repetition of the uncomfortable ride, so let them leave us there. People had crowded at that place, which was the periphery of the Thar, from where a clear view of the sunset was visible. 

But our hearts wanted more, and we soon had the opportunity of a shared trip on a camel-driven cart. The owner took us on with another family, and we launched on another safari to further interiors. From there, the sunset was breathtaking. We also heard a local artist play some mellifluous pipes for us.

The folk song and dance performance organized at the desert camp resort was nothing to write home about though. We had looked forward to authentic Rajasthani folk dance, but they played and danced to mostly Bollywood songs. Filmy shows are not expected in the land of the royals.

We decided to make the most of our last day in Jaisalmer. We started our exploration with Pattawon ki Haveli, the largest palace in the city. 

The palace was crowded with tourists and locals since it was a Sunday. What amazed and cheered me the most was the presence of a colourful market inside the haveli grounds.  Handbags, bangles, wall hangings, bed spreads, cushion covers - all the handicrafts of the place were available at the place, and at reasonable rates. I shopped to my heart’s content, because a trip to Rajasthan is incomplete without the colourful souvenirs of the place. 

After a traditional thali lunch, we started our trek to discover the massive, awe-inspiring golden fort. The fort is very well maintained, thanks to the popularity it has received, courtesy the maestro Satyajit Ray’s memorable film “Sonar Kella”. Locals thank the film for popularizing their earlier remote town. From the eighties, when the film was released, the place has received a steady stream of visitors, all eager to explore the place where the child protagonist Mukul finds his roots.   

There are several breathtaking sights inside the fort, and on its ramparts a bustling city thrives. Descendants of the erstwhile royal family stay in residential quarters that are housed in the fort premises. They run their businesses and shops from the fort, making the fort a living, breathing entity. 

Everywhere we look there is a riot of colours and a sea of humanity.

The sun set on the fort while we had some tea in one of the many cafes dotting the fort campus. We visited a temple on the premises, where the evening arati and bhajans echoed through the walls. An enterprising shop owner showed us the place where Mukul ran through in the film, Sonar Kella, and the place where his earlier home was.  We saw a bit of cinematic history in the fort.

Exhausted, but still reluctant to leave the fort and the beautiful city, we started our journey back by the midnight train. 

We promised ourselves we would return to savour some more of the magical land of Rajasthan.  

(Concluded.)