JODHPUR: The Erstwhile capital of Marwar Kingdom with the Royal Grandeur of Rathore Rajputs, JAISALMER:Founded by Bhati Rajputs, the Golden City stands Shining amidst the mesmerizing sand dune ripples of the Thar Desert. Mt.ABU:’Simla’of Rajasthan.

Our Jodhpur and Jaisalmer trips:

On 29/12/2015,We a family of four(we & two children) set-off in the morning from Jaipur for Jodhpur and reached at 4pm,checked into our hotel and got refreshed before proceeding for shopping of Jodhpur specialities such as Jodhpuri suits, embroidered shoes (Jooti) and some souvenirs/presents for our near & dear ones. We had dinner of delicious local cuisine.We(I& wife)also recalled fond memories of our previous tour of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer & Mt. Abu way back in May 1987.

About Jodhpur :

It was founded by the chief of the Rathore clan, Rao Jodhaji of Mandore in 1459 (although Ahirs were the earlier inhabitants of Marwar)and was the capital of the Marwar kingdom. As per history, the Rathores were earlier driven out of their original homeland Kannauj by the Afghans. They fled to Pali.In some time they ousted the Pratiharas of Mandore (9km from Jodhpur)which served as their capital and for a more secure capital there was formation of Jodhpur by Rao Jodha. Rathores maintained good relations with Moghuls excepting Auranzeb. After death of Auranzeb, Maharaja Ajit Singh forced the moghuls out of Ajmer and annexed Marwar known as Jodhpur now. During the reign of Umed Singh ,Jodhpur prospered into a modern city.Jodhpur is located strategically on the road linking Dehli and Gujarat.This enabled flourishing of trade of Opium, copper, silk, sandalwood and dates. After death of Chandrasen Rathore in 1581,kingdom was annexed by Moghul ruler Akbar. After the death of Auranzeb in 1707,Veer Durgadas Rathore took over the throne after 30 yrs struggle.There was 50 yrs of wars and treaties and alliances with the British.1857 saw a major revolt by some Rathore nobles of Pali. Jodhpur had largest land area in Rajputana. Marwaris flourished and came to occupy a position of dominance under the British rule .Jodhpur is a city in Thar desert with a 15th-century Mehrangarh fort which is now a museum displaying weapons, paintings and elaborate Palanquins(sedan chairs).Set on a rocky outcrop,the fort overlooks the walled city with buildings painted with city’s iconic shade of blue. Its the heart of Rajasthan and the majestic jewel in its eternal crown illuminating the Thar & enriching the desert with enterpreneurship, scholorship and art.

LOCATION :

Its located at 231 mts above msl , Area 290 sqkm,population1056191(2011-census ) Hindus-77%,Islam-19.3%,Jains-2.7%,Others-1%.Literacy rate is 80.5%.There are many prominent institutions in Jodhpur : AIIMS, IIT, SNMC, DSRRAU, NLU, NIFT, ISRO, DRDO, CAZRI, AFRI, DMRC and the JNU.

On 30/12/2015, We went on a tour of the majestic Mehrangarh fort, Mandore gardens & the Royal Cinetaphs ,Jaswant Thada and all of them boasted of marvellous sculptures &great skill /craftmanship. We were mesmerised by sheer splendor & grandeur of the monuments. We had very tasty local specialities as dinner & had a good nights sleep.

Major Tourist attractions :

1)Mehrangarh fort :Its one of the largest forts, the beauty and grandeur of numerous places in the fort narrates the saga of hard sandstones yielding the chiesels of Jodhpuri sculptures-spread over 5km- Motimahal, sheesh mahal, collection of musical instruments ,palanquins, furniture and cannons on the fort ramparts are all well preserved,2)Mandore gardens :To the north of ancient capital of Marwar,8 km from Jodhpur city ,main attraction is the Hall of Heroes whose huge figures are carved out of single stone piece. The shrine of 330 million Gods and royal Cenotaphs .The greenery of the place makes it, in a true sense, an oasis in the desert. 3)Jaswant Thada :Its the 15th Century royal Cenotaph built in white marble in commemoration of the Maharaja Jaswant Singh II and three other Cenotaphs stand nearby -as reverence to their brave kings. ,4) Umed bhawan palace and museum:Its a luxury grand palace and is one of the largest private residence whose one part is managed by Taj Hotels. It is named after Maharaja Umed Singh, grandfather of the present owner GajSinghji .It has 347 rooms, a part serves as the residence of theearstwhile royal family. Another part houses a well maintained museum displaying array of items belonging to Maharaja and Royal family, weapons, antiques and fascinating clocks,crockeries and trophies. Govt. museum is located in the Umed bhawan public gardens which was developed by Maharaja Umed Singhji. 5)Balsamand lake,6)Kaylana lake is at 11kms and an ideal picnic spot with nice boating facility,7)Ghanta ghar, 8)SardarGovt.museum,9)Jaipol,10)Sardar market & clock tower shopping centre :A place for shopping of Jodhpuri Jooti,Jodhpuri suits and safas and lovely souvenirs for gifting to our near & dear ones.Also we can have many things to eat such as: mawa kachori,pyaj kachori,Makhaniya lassi,kacher mirch sabji,kadhi pakoda,lahsun ki chatni,gatte ki sabji, dal- bati-churma,mirchi bada, Raab-lapsi & many kinds of Jodhpuri sweets.11)Osian oasis is an oasis in the desert at a distance of 60 km from Jodhpur on the diversion of Jodhpur Bikaner highway.It has 16 beautifully sculptured Jain and Brahmin temples.Surya/sun temple,kali temple,Sachiya mata and Mahavira Jain temple.12)Mineral Industry: Due to availability of minerals -rich in non-metallic minerals like sandstone ,Rhyolite, Dolomite, Limestone, Jasper,granite, clay &Murram,13)Nomadic Tribe or Banjaras,14)Marwar Festival celebrated every year 15)Heritage hotels and Guest houses:a)Karni bhawan,b)Ajit bhawan,c)Ghoomer hotel, d)Umed bhawan,e)Ratnada Polo palace,f)Rajputana palace,g)Raj basera,h)Youth hostel.

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On 31/12/2015, We proceeded to Jaisalmer popularly called the golden city standing on a ridge of yellow sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer fort perched at 80mts in the Trikuta hills containing a royal palace and several ornate Jain temples made of finely sculptured sandstone. We visited the Fort & were thoroughly amazed by the skill of craftsmanship of the monuments.

About Jaisalmer :

It was founded by Rawal Jaisal who was a Yaduvanshi Bhati Rajput ruler of Jaisalmer during the 12th Century and was the sixth in decent from Rawal Devraj Bhati who had capital at Lodurva village 15 km from Jaisalmer. Lodurva was the capital of the Bhati dynasty until 1156CE,9th century when Rawal Jaisal shifted it to Jaisalmer. Devraj Bhati captured Lodurva from Rajputs of Chalukya empire. Bhati rajputs were feudal chiefs who lived off the forced levy on the caravans laden with silk and spices crossing the territory enroute Delhi or Sind.These were source of great wealth to them. The region is also famous for sale of messenger bags made of wild camel skins .The medieval majesty of the citadel still remains. On setting sun Jaisalmer transforms into a magic kingdom-the Sonar Kila. Its a UNESCO heritage site located at an elevation of 225mts above msl, Area is 5.1sqkm ,population- 65,471(2011 census)Hindus-90%, muslims-8%,Remaining 2%-sikhs /Christians/ jains/ budhists. Its the largest district of Rajasthan, the 3rd largest terrestrial region in the country. The length of International border attached to Jaisalmer distt. is 464km.The Max.temp. 49*c/min. 5*c.

Jaisalmer Fort :The Fort was built in 1156 and is a proud landmark of the Bhati clan/ kingdom.Rawal Jaisal was the founder of Jaisalmer city& Fort was built in his reign.Its 250ft tall fort protected by 30ft long walls.It constitutes99 bastions amongst these 92 were built between 1633 & 1647.One can see the fusion of Rajput &Islamic architecture .There are 4 gateways to reach the Fort-Ganeshpol,Akshaypol,Surajpol &Hawa pol.The main attractions inside the Fort are: Rajmahal,Jain temples & the Laxminarain temple Its popularly known as the “Sonar Kila” because it is made of yellow sandstone.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

1)Jaisalmer Fort,2)Patwon ki Havelli :Its a five-storey monument with extensive corridor and the chambers are supported by intricately carved pillars. One of the most exquisite building in the walled city which truly exemplifies the architectural style typical of the erstwhile Rajputana. 4)Sam village– 40km from the Jaisalmer city famous worldwide for the enchanting sand dunes,5) Bada Bagh & Windmill farms of Jaisalmer, 6)Desert Festival; Its celebrated every year in Feb/March turning it into a unique Cultural Hub with folk dances, camel races, puppet shows and bonefires for tourists enjoying the rustic open air extravaganza.7)Mandir palace near Amar Sagar Gate.8) Gopa chowk & havelis,9) Tazia tower,10) Nathmalji ki haveli,11) Salim singh ki haveli.11)Barmer:In the 13th century Bahad Rao Parmar founded Barmer.Its famous for historic monuments,remains of Juna Fort,Godess Jagdambe mandir located at 140 mtrs high over the plains.Kiradu was the headquarter of Barmer distt.Thar festival is celebrated in March every year.Its 160 km from Jaisalmer.

After the visit of Jaisalmer fort proceeded to the Sam village and checked into our pre- booked Heritage hut for the grand new- year celebrations. After getting refreshed we went for the jeep safari on the sand dunes at the setting sun.It was a very amazing spectacle& the ripples/waves formation on the sand dunes was a breathtaking-sight worth capturing on camera .After returning to the hotel we joined the campfire celebrations with folk dances in colourful costumes and local musical instruments. We had a very tasty dinner before saying goodbye to the old year & welcoming the New year with great enthusiasm and expectations. Had a good nights sleep.

SAM SAND DUNES: Its a major tourist attraction in the Thar desert for tourists and a must- visit destination on a Jaisalmer visit. Having a view of the sunrise or sun set is a breathtaking experience of a lifetime. Witnessing the ripples on the sand dunes by winds is also a unique sight.The Camel Safaris, the Campfires ,the Rajasthani folk dances /songs/music & local food are lifetime experiences to be savoured in our memories.

01/01/2016, In the morning we went for a camel ride to distant areas of desert sand dunes-supposed to be the spots of film shootings with mesmerising views of the ripples of sand dunes.Came back to the hotel to go for visit of Jaisalmer war museum which had a grand display of war vehicles /tanks, etc(some were supposed to have been captured in the 1971 Indo-Pak war)

Our visit of MOUNT ABU in May 1987:

After competing our tour of Jodhpur & Jaisalmer we two proceeded to Mt Abu or Abu Parvat or Mount. Arbuda , a hill station in the Sirohi district of Western Rajasthan near Gujarat border. The region is said to be the original abode of the Gurjars . During our two days stay we enjoyed main spots of the hill station. Best season: Nov.to June although its climate is pleasant throughout the year.

About Mount Abu :

It is located on a high rocky plateau in Aravali mountain range surrounded by forests and offers relatively cool climate over the arid plains below.Its elevation is 1220 mts above mean sea level.Population-22943 (2011 census)Average literacy rate is 81.15%which is higher than national average of 74.04%.89.31% are Hindus,7.69% are Muslims and 1.45% are Christians. Nearest railway station is Abu Road station 28km away .Nearest Airport is Udaipur located at 210kms.jaipur is 475km.

Main Tourist Attractions:

1)Nakki Lake :As per legend,the lake was scooped up by a God using his nails.Some Hindus consider it Holi lake.Its worth taking a pleasant stroll around the perimeter of the lake surrounded by hills,parks and stray rock formations such as Toad rock looks like a toad about to hop into the lake.Its a great boating point.2)Dilwara Jain temples:They are built by Mahipala Solanki (Chaulakya kings),ornately carved from white marble of great spiritual importance.3)Guru Shikhar: At 1722 mts above msl ,its the highest point in Mt. Abu and Aravali mountain range. Guru Dattatreya temple is an incarnation of Hindu Deities :Brahma,Vishnu and Shiva. 4)Achalgarh Fort: 11km north of Mt.Abu this Fort is built by Paramara dynasty and was renovated by Maharana Kumbha in 1452 (one of the 32 Forts built in his reign). In Achalgarh Mahadev temple,a brass Nandi is located here.5)Mt Abu Wildlife Sanctuary. 6)Toad Rock, 7)Sunset Point, 8) Brahma Kumari Foundation, 9 )Raghunath Temple dating back to the 14th Century stands near the lake’s southern shore.10) Ambaji Mata or Arbuda mata Temple :Located in the Banaskantha distt.of Gujarat ,45KMs from Mount Abu, is known for its historical/mythological connection with sites of cultural heritage.Its a major shaktipeeth of India& kuldevi of Barad Parmars clan whose capital is located at nearby Danta town.

After the absorbing tour started back on return journey to Jaipur after the grand & exciting tour of Jodhpur ,Jaisalmer, sam sand dunes and Mount Abu.