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Jaisalmer æ Top Sights Jaisalmer Fort........................................ B3 Patwa-ki-Haveli...................................... C2 Salim Singh-ki-Haveli ............................ D3
R A JASTHAN W E S T E R N R A J A S T H A N
æ Sights 1 Desert Cultural Centre & Museum................................................E4 2 Fort Palace Museum ............................. C3 3 Jain Temples.......................................... B4 4 Laxminarayan Temple .......................... C3 5 Nathmal-ki-Haveli.................................. C2 6 Thar Heritage Museum ......................... B2 7 Tilon-ki-Pol ..............................................F5 ÿ Sleeping 8 Hotel Fort View ...................................... C3 9 Hotel Gorakh Haveli............................... D5 10 Hotel Jaisal Palace ................................ B2 11 Hotel Killa Bhawan................................. C3 12 Hotel Nachana Haveli............................ B2 13 Hotel Paradise ....................................... C4 14 Hotel Pleasant Haveli .............................B1 15 Hotel Renuka ..........................................B1 16 Hotel Siddhartha ................................... B4 17 Hotel Swastika ........................................B1 18 Hotel The Royale Jaisalmer.................. D5
hours are variable, but if it’s closed, you should find Mr Khatri at his shop, Desert Handicrafts Emporium, nearby on Court Rd. Other Attractions Gadi Sagar
LAKE
This stately 14th-century tank, southeast of the city walls, was Jaisalmer’s vital water supply until 1965, and because of its importance it is surrounded by many small temples and shrines. It’s a waterfowl favourite in winter, but can almost dry up before the monsoon. The lake’s large catfish population swarms in a writhing mass to the shore whenever someone is tossing breadcrumbs. Boat hire (h8am-9pm) costs ₹50 to ₹100 for 30 minutes. The attractive Tilon-ki-Pol gateway that straddles the road down to the tank is said to have been built by a famous prostitute. When she offered to pay to have it constructed, the maharawal refused permission on the grounds that he would have to pass under it to go down to the tank, which would be beneath his dignity. While he was away, she built the gate anyway, adding a Krishna
19 Mandir Palace Hotel...............................B2 20 Residency Centre Point......................... C1 21 Shahi Palace ...........................................B4
ú Eating 22 Bhang Shop ............................................C3 23 Chandan Shree Restaurant...................A2 24 Desert Boy's Dhani.................................C5 25 Free Tibet................................................C4 26 Jaisal Italy ...............................................C3 27 Natraj Restaurant...................................D3 Saffron ...........................................(see 12) 28 Sun Set Palace .......................................B4 The Trio..........................................(see 19) þ Shopping 29 Bellissima................................................C3 30 Desert Handicrafts Emporium..............B2 31 Hari Om Jewellers ..................................C3 32 Jaisalmer Handloom..............................B2 33 Light of the East .....................................C4 Transport 34 Bus Stand ...............................................A5 35 Hanuman Travels...................................A2 36 Private Bus Stand ..................................C5 Swagat Travels............................. (see 35)
temple on top so the king could not tear it down.
T Tours The Tourist Reception Centre runs sunset tours to the Sam sand dunes (₹200 per person, minimum four people). Add ₹100 if you’d like a short camel ride too. Another tour visits Amar Sagar, Lodhruva and Bada Bagh for ₹500 per car.
4 Sleeping Staying in the fort is the most atmospheric and romantic chocie, but you should be aware of the pressure tourism is exerting on the fort’s infrastructure (see the boxed text, p187). There is a wide choice of good places to stay outside the fort. Rates at many places fluctuate with the seasons: if there’s a festival on, rooms are expensive and scarce, but at slow times most places offer big discounts. You’ll get massive discounts between April and August, because Jaisalmer is hellishly hot then.