Jaisalmer Overview

Jaisalmer- The Golden City

Jaisalmer, the "Golden City", is located on the westernmost frontier of India in the state of Rajasthan. Jaisalmer is close to the border with Pakistan and known for its proximity to the Thar Desert. It is very colorful, vibrant & energetic and must visit city in Rajasthan. Jaisalmer - also known as "the land of sand" is famous for its exotic sand dunes, the Fort, friendly people and interesting lifestyle. Bhati Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, after whom the city finds its name, founded Jaisalmer in 1156 AD.

The city is dominated by the Jaisalmer Fort known as the "Sonar Kila" due to the yellow stone it was built out of. Unlike most forts in India, the Jaisalmer Fort is a living fort. There are shops, hotels, age old havelis (homes) inside the fort area. The beautiful havelis which were built by wealthy merchants of Jaisalmer are yet another interesting aspect of the desert city.

Jaisalmer is a lovely and very relaxing place. One can go for a stroll, visit the palace and do the camel safari (trips available from a few hours to 14 days). The desert citadel is truly a golden fantasy in the Thar Desert. One can also try a jeep safari into the desert to see the scenery and watch the sun go down.

Climate in Jaisalmer: Climate in Jaisalmer is generally hot & dry. The summer starts in April and ends in August. Summer temperature ranges from 25 °C to max of 45.6 °C. The winter falls around Mid-November and continues till February end. Winters in Jaisalmer are a lot cooler with day temperature remaining pleasant around 24 °C. Winter temperature ranges from 23.6 °C to minimum of 4.6 °C.

As Jaisalmer is situated amid Thar Desert monsoon is as good as negligible. Though western disturbance brings around 15 centimeters of annual rainfall, Jaisalmer remains dry for most parts of the year.

The best time to visit Jaisalmer is winter when temperature stays pleasant throughout day.

How to reach Jaisalmer

By Air:There is an airport at Jaisalmer that is managed by the Indian Air Force and is operational only from September to March. A military airstrip has recently been opened to limited civilian flights, with Kingfisher offering flights from Delhi. A new, dedicated airport is planned for 2010. The nearest airport is the Jodhpur airport, 285 Km away from Jaisalmer.

By Train:Jaisalmer is well connected by rail network with Jodhpur as well as other major cities of India such as Jaipur, Agra, New Delhi and Mumbai. One can also travel to Jaisalmer by Palace on Wheels.

By Road:Jaisalmer has a well-developed network of roads and is very well connected to other cities of Rajasthan such as Jaipur, Jodhpur and Bikaner and other cities of India. Deluxe & Ordinary buses of Rajasthan Roadways & Private companies operate from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Barmer, Mount Abu, Jalore, Ahmedabad etc. Roadways main bus stand is opp. Rly station & a bus terminal near State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur Circle, Shiv Road.

Local transportation in Jaisalmer

General transportation in Jaisalmer consists of auto rickshaw and bicycles because these are good means to get around. Auto rickshaw is a cheap mode of transportation but drivers might not be friendly all the times. It is recommended to take rickshaw when you take congested roads in order to avoid bottlenecks.