Each of the seven posts in this series includes a song at the beginning. These songs have their roots in the culture of Rajasthan and are intended to instill in you the same feeling I experienced during this trip. Tip: Use picture-in-picture mode to let the video play in the background while you read the post.
Renowned Rajasthani Folk singer Mame Khan does an excellent job on this rendition of Kesariya Balam. The song is about the welcome of Rajput Warriors by their wives, who return after fighting wars away from home. Balam means lover and the term Kesariya Balam signifies that this lover is a Rajput. Inspired by the story of Dhola and Maru and Rajput bravery, sacrifice, and traditions, the song is a perfect example of Rajputana Royal folk song. More about its history here.
Engrossed in my mission of reaching the last page of The Alchemist, I didn’t realize that the train had already entered Jaisalmer station until people started queuing up to get down. I looked out the window—it was a foggy winter night outside.
Someone from Zostel was supposed to pick me up from the station. After waiting for a few minutes, I saw a 16-year old kid arriving on a motorcycle.
I looked at him, then I looked at myself. My three layers of woolen clothing felt a bit too much against his single half-sleeve t-shirt.
I guess I’m sensitive to cold temperatures.
Speeding towards the hostel, my eyes were smitten by a glittering Jaisalmer fort as Rajasthan’s popular song, “Padharo Mhare Des” played in my head.Â
The sand-colored fort shone like gold against the velvet backdrop of night. I could finally feel the excitement of being in the heart of the Thar Desert now.
The next morning, bright rays of the desert sun fell on my face, waking me from the cozy slumber.
I dreamed I was walking in the desert alone, with nothing around me but sand for as far as I could see. I didn’t know which path to take, but I knew where I needed to go. And my intuition told me thatz I would reach there one day.
At breakfast, I met two other guys on a weekend trip to Jaisalmer. Coincidentally, they too had booked a Swiss-style cottage in one of the desert camps in Sam.
Things have a way of working themselves out. Sometimes you don’t need to plan everything in advance. This has been true on all my solo trips.
I had been worrying about how I’ll reach the desert camp. Going alone meant taking the local bus, which was not my first choice.
Now the three of us could just hire a car.
Through the chambers of the living Fort
Jaisalmer Fort is also known as the Golden Fort (Sonar Quila) because of the color imparted to it from the yellow sandstone.
From an architectural standpoint, it was interesting to note the stark contrast between the interiors of the Jaisalmer fort as compared to the Mehrangarh fort.
It took me about forty-five minutes to explore the museum.
The desert has a tendency to make you thirsty. At the exit, I found a guy selling cold Masala Chhaas (buttermilk) and relinquished myself.
A short walk through the narrow lanes brought me to Patwon ki Haveli.
The ‘mansion of brocade merchants’ – the Patwon ki Haveli (or Patwa Haveli) – is actually a cluster of 5 Havelis, the first one built in 1805 by a rich trader of that time named Guman Chand Patwa.
It is the oldest as well as the largest Haveli inside the fort. The Haveli houses a sizeable number of paintings and mirror works.
On a small chabutra (an open space) in front of the haveli, a young boy meticulously crafting puppets out of wooden sticks caught my attention.
Demonstrating sharp handwork, he chiseled a wooden stick within minutes to transform it into the face of a woman.
As an appreciation, I paid him 50 rs to click some pictures of his puppets to post on Instagram.
Camping in Sam Sand Dunes
Around 40 KMs from the main city lies a village called Sam, which is the first among a series of villages from there onwards – all situated amidst a sea of sand – where tourists spend a night camping in the desert.
Desert Camping was one of my most coveted goals on this solo trip.
We started in a Mahindra Scorpio around 2 PM and reached our camping destination by 5 PM. The journey only takes about 45 minutes, but we had a stopover in Kuldhara—a village deserted overnight in the 19th century, now rumored to be haunted.
The village of Sam has hundreds of commercially operated desert camps lined up along the side of the road—in fact, there are a bit too many of them.
Frankly, when I thought of camping in the desert, this isn’t what I was expecting.
These commercial desert camps tie-up with local camel owners, folk dancers, performers, etc. to include a range of events throughout the evening.
However, if you’re a young solo traveler like me, I suggest you not go for it. That’s more suited for families.
Real camping is when you pitch your own tent, cook your own food, and light a bonfire in the night.
That experience can be provided by local camp organizers from the city, and I would surely recommend ‘Desert Boys’ – run by Pradeep, the owner of Zostel & Moustache Jaisalmer.
The only real good part of my camping experience was the camel ride, where I had a long conversation with Hari Singh, the camel owner.
After returning from the camel ride, pakoras were served as evening snacks. During this time, all guests were asked to sit in a semi-circle around the center stage.
The show usually includes local singers singing a series of Rajasthani songs, followed by women performing traditional Rajasthani dance balancing pots on their head, a fire-show, and then DJ music for anyone who wants to release their excitement of camping.
A Time to Chill
For my second day in Jaisalmer, I wanted to do something different, so I decided to chill out for a while and spend some time with the locals.
That’s the perk of traveling alone: plans can be changed at a moment’s notice, and how I decide to spend the day is entirely up to me. 🙂
First thing that the three of us (I and the two guys I’d met on breakfast the day before) did was parasailing in the desert while returning from our desert camps.
By afternoon, we’d reached back to our hostels.
I looked around for some options to eat. There was an Italian place right next to Zostel called Ristorante Italiano La Purezza.
But instead of having pasta, I opted for a homecooked Rajasthani thali and it was delicious!
After a filling meal, I was walking back to the hostel when I saw a group of tourists circled around in front of a building.
The guide was showing them two parts of a single haveli – one half was remnant from the time the original fort was constructed, but now remained in tatters. The other half was recently rehabilitated.
On my way back to the room, I saw Pradeep Bhai chilling in front of the main door.
The property has a beautiful area right outside where you can sit and relax.
In Rajasthan, it is customary to spend the afternoon outside the home, socializing with neighbors and passers-by.
He offered me chai and we sat together for over an hour, talking about our journeys in life. I listened to his story of how he started out as a village boy and reached up to this point – a story that was one of its kind and quite moving.
Gadisar Lake, Vyas Chhatri & Jain Temple
Suddenly, I realized that it was almost 4 PM. Soon, it would be time for sunset. And I had yet to explore a couple of places.
So I came out of the fort and first took an auto to Gadisar Lake.
Ideally, it’s good to visit the lake early morning during sunrise. However, evenings aren’t bad either.
I was able to reach there on time and click a few pictures.
However, the sunset was not really visible from Gadisar lake.
Upon asking around, I came to know that the sunset point in Jaisalmer is located at a place called Vyas Chhatri.
Vyas Chhatri is a Rajasthani-style sandstone cenotaph of the sage Vyas, who wrote the Mahabharata epic.
This monument is like a homage to the ancestral Rajput warriors and families.
The best thing about this place was neither the view of the sunset nor the architecture. It was actually the silence that I could experience for a short while.
When I first reached, there weren’t too many people around, and I quietly sat alone for a few minutes.
However, as time passed—as happens with any sunset point—the place became crowded.
Nevertheless, I was able to capture one good picture of the sunset.
And now it was time to return to the fort and visit the last popular place in Jaisalmer – the Jain Temple.
There are a total of seven Jain Temples inside the fort, the most important of which is the Parsvanath Temple.
The temples are popular not just due to the religious significance, but also for their intricate carvings, paintings, and marvelous sculptures.
I didn’t spend much time inside though.
A bunch of solo travelers together
It was dark now.
I came back to the hostel and went to sit in the small terrace-like area with great seating. You could watch the entire city shimmering in the background while enjoying the cool breeze and serene quietness.
A young lad showed up, asking about the hostel. He was from Jaipur, and after the usual introductions, he became curious about my solo sojourns.
We talked at length about my decision to quit the job and how I planned to try my hand at an entrepreneurial stint. He seemed fascinated.
We then moved to the terrace, where a birthday party was already ongoing.
Two girls and a guy from the Philippines, a man from Israel, a girl traveling solo from Kerala, another guy from Siliguri, and two girls from Mumbai—all these people were hanging out around the dinner table.
Time flew by as I joined them and we laughed at each other’s stories from different corners of the world.
This part – right here – is one of the most wonderful experiences of any solo trip. You’re never truly alone. There are always other solo travelers from all across the world, with whom you get to meet and share experiences.
We talked and talked until it was almost 1 AM. I then realized that my train is scheduled to depart early morning, so I should get some sleep.
At dawn the next day, the same 16-year-old boy who managed the hostel was ready to drop me at the station.
The weather was still pretty cold, I was still wearing three layers of woolen clothing, and he was still wearing just a thin half t-shirt.
Everything looked the same, and yet, nothing was.
It was time to embark on the train for the last destination on my solo trip – Udaipur.
I sat on the platform bench, looking towards my right, waiting for the train to emerge from the fog.
*****
This story is part of my solo trip series—Backpacking Rajasthan.
Check out the entire series here.
