Jaisalmer
This ancient city lies in the heart of the
Thar desert. There is facility for camel safaris into the desert. This
walled city has intricately carved golden buildings and havelis.
Fort The fort is surrounded by a 30 ft high
wall. There are gateways atthe east and west of this
fort. Jain and Hindu temples, palaces and charming havelis can be
seen inside the fort. The Juna MahalOldPalace) is a seven
storied building. It stands under a vast umbrella of metal
that is mounted on a stoneshaft.
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Courtesy
for Picture
Konstantin Novakovic
Serbia |
The historic spot of the Satiyon-Ka-Pagthiya(step of the Sati) is situated
at the entrance of the palace. There are 8 Jain temples in the fort.
These temples were built from 12th to 16th century. There are thousands
of carved deities and dancing figures housed here. Inside the temple
there is a Gyan Bhandar (Jain Library). It contains more than 1000
old manuscripts- some of them from the 12th century and written on palm
leaf . It has also a collection of Jain, Pre-Mogul and Rajput paintings
. Entry : Daily from 0800 to 1700. Jain temple is open
to visitors daily from 0700 to 1200, Entry free. The Library opens
daily from 1000 to 1100.
Havelis You can see five havelis
outside the fortress. These havelis were built by the Patva brothers
in 1800. Two of the havelis are now owned by the government. These
havelis are open to the public. The interior of the other three
havelis can also be seen with an offer of small fee to the present
residents. The Nathamal Ki Haveli was built by two brothers.
The design of the havelis are remarkably harmonious. The Salim Singh
Ki Haveli is a six-storied structure with 38 balconies and elaborate
carvings.
Folklore
Museum. It is behind the main bus stand. Opens daily from 0900 to 1200 and 1500 to 1800. This museum
narrates the back-ground of local history and culture of Rajasthan.
Pushkar
Pushkar lake
This lake is one of India's most sacred lakes. It has a superb view
at sunset and sunrise. There is a Brahma Temple at the end of the
lake. This temple is one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma.
The pilgrims visit this shrine throughout the year.
Cattle Fair The
cattle and camel fair is considered as one of the greatest mela (fair)
of India. The mela is conducted in the month of November
on Kartik Poornima ( full moon day). Over 2,00,000 visitors;
pilgrims and hordes of cattle and camels with their semi-nomadic tribal
drivers crowd the town for this fair. Here farmers, camel
traders and breeders buy and sell their animals, leather whips and
shoes .Items for women, bangles, clothes, pots, necklaces of glass
beads from Nagaur and printed cloth from Jodhpur and Ajmer are also sold
here.
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