Sunset at Sam

After covering all the areas in Jaisalmer we moved out to outskirts of Jaisalmer. Sam village is on the edge of the Desert National Park. One of the most popular excursions is to the sand dunes on the edge of the park, 42 km from Jaisalmer along a very good sealed road.

It is best to be here at sunrise or sunset, and many camel safaris spend a night at the dunes. Just before the sunset jeep carrying loads of day-trippers arrive from Jaisalmer to be chased across the sands by tenacious camel owners. Despite of the tourist hype, it is still quite a magical place, and it is possible to frame pictures of solitary camels against lonely dunes. The desert dung beetles are fascinating to watch.


From Jaisalmer we traveled to Jodhpur, blue city.

Distance: Jaisalmer ---> Jodhpur 285 kms

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

Jaisalmer, Golden City and more

After completing the tour of the Havelis we moved ahead to see other attractions that this city has to offer. The city has lot beautiful lake and cenotaphs that are a must watch.

Tazia Tower

The delicate pagoda like Tazia Tower rises from Badal Mahal (Cloud Palace). Rising in its five-tiered splendor, with each story graced by a delicately carved balcony, the tower is of historical significance. Muslim craftsmen built it in the shape of a Tazia and gifted to their royal patron. Tazia’s are ornately decorated bamboo, paper and tinsel replicas of a bier carried in procession during Mohurram.

Gadisar Lake

Gadisar is a man made reservoir in Jaisalmer built in the 1700s. This tank outside the city walls, once held the town's water supply, and, befitting its importance in providing precious water to the inhabitants of this arid city, is surrounded by small temples and shrines. A wide variety of waterfowl flock here in winter.

The tank was built by Maharaja Gadsi Singh, taking the advantage of a natural declivity that already retained some water.

The main gate that leads to the lake was unknowingly built by prostitutes, and so, noble people never pass under it, but rather use a rather humble step path to the right, under the tree.

Royal Cenotaphs

These monuments are located on Ramgarh Road 6kms from Jaisalmer. These cenotaphs also known as chattris and were constructed by the various Bhatti rulers. One cenotaph has been erected for each ruler. The oldest among them is the cenotaphs of Maharawal Jait Singh who reigned from 1470-1506. This tradition was discontinued when in 1947, one of the prince died of a mysterious disease. This was taken as a bad omen and thus this tradition came to its end.

We next move ahead to desert area to explore Sam Sand Dunes .

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

For more sky shots join us @ Sky Watch

Havelis of Jaisalmer

After going around the fort we set our eyes in other monuments of the city. The city is not only famous for the Golden Fort, but also the haveli's that are built by wealthy merchants of that time, Some of the prominent havelis are:

Patwon-ki-Haveli

This haveli was built between 1800 and 1860, by five Jain brothers who made their fortunes by trading jewelery and fine brocades.

Nathmalji-ki-Haveli

This late 19th century haveli was also used as a prime minister's house and has a superb exterior.

The designers exhibited unwavering tenacity and dexterity in executing the massive haveli.

That is my family

This is one of the favorite spot to click snaps.

Next we moved ahead to see other attractions of the city.

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

Jaisalmer, the Golden City

Next day we left Bikaner in the early morning and reached our next destination Jaisalmer in the evening. We stayed 2 nights in this place as there are lot of places to be seen.

There is interesting legend associated with Jaisalmer city. It is believed that, Lord Krishna, had once told Arjuna that a remote descendant of the Yadav Clan would build his kingdom atop the Trikuta Hill. In 1156 A.D. Rawal Jaisal, a descendant of the Yadav Clan and a Bhatti Rajput, abandoned his fort at Lodurva and founded a new capital - Jaisalmer, perched on the Trikuta Hill.

It is also known as the Golden city of India as the yellow sand gives a yellowish-golden touch to the city & its surrounding area.

Golden Fort

Built in 1156 by the Bahtti Rajput ruler Jaisala, and reinforced by later rulers, the fort crowns the 80 m - high Trikuta Hill. This is one of the oldest living fort, where one quarter of the old city's population is still residing in it. The fort has 99 bastions around its circumference and is protected by three walls.

The fort looks especially magical when it is lit up at night.

The above snap is taken using film SLR Canon camera without the assistance of tripod. Out of the 4 shots, two of them were successful.

Apart from the massive fort the city has many more attractions which are not to be missed.

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

To see the World visit other participants at: That's My World Tuesday.

Nandi Teertha Temple, Bangalore

Malleswaram, located in the north-west of Bangalore, derives its name from the famous Kaadu Malleshwara temple originally, a village named Mallapura.

Malleswaram is one of the areas in Bangalore where you can find many Hindu Temples. It has old Hindu constructed using the Dravidian architecture which were built during King Venkojirao Bhonsle of Thanjavur's (17th century B.C.) like the Kadu Malleshwara temple. Other famous temples in the area are Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Sri Krishna temple, Circle Maramma Temple, Kannika Parameshwari Temple.

The 17th cross, 2nd main road, Temple Street is adorned by various temples. One among them is Nandi Teertha Temple. Here one can see water fall onto an idol of Shiva through the mouth of Nandi. This was discovered in the year 1999, but it has stood for 7,000 years on that spot. Being buried over the years hasn't diminished its aura at all. The temple was completely buried and the land above it was a flat stretch. When the land was dug, they found buried underneath, this temple and it was in perfect condition, preserved by the thick layers of soil. This underground temple was enclosed within a stone cut courtyard supported by ancient stone pillars. At the far end of the courtyard, a Nandi was carved out of a black stone with eyes painted in gold. From its mouth a clear stream of water flowed directly on to a Shivalinga made out of the same black stone at a lower level. There were steps that led to a small pool in the centre of the courtyard where the water flowed and collected. The pool's center had a 15 feet deep whirlpool.

Nobody knows where the water comes from and how it passes from the mouth of the Nandi idol on to the Shivalinga. Nobody knows how the whirlpool came into being, the source of water, the sculptor, even the time when it was built remains a mystery.

For more visit Watery Wednesday.

Bangalore Temples

Bangalore is home for huge number of temples and they attract large number of devotees from across the country. Some of these temples are very old and they reflect the ancient history, heritage, culture and history. These temples with their ornate carvings on the walls and stone pillars stone pillars, beautiful statues have become popular tourist attractions of the city. Majority of temples in the city are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.

For example, the Venkataramanswamy Temple is more than 300 years old. It is built in the Dravidian style. Each of the temples in Bangalore are known for their own unique architecture and religious importance. Some of the temples are very popular among the tourists. There are some which are not so famous due to lack of awareness among the people of their heritage.

Some of the popular temples in the city are:

Bull Temple
Dharmaraja Temple
Gangadhareswara Cave Temple
Venkataramanswamy Temple
Someshwara Temple
Nandi Teertha Temple
Kadu Mallikarjunaswamy Temple
Dodda Ganesha temple
ISKCON Sri Radha Krishna Chandra Temple
Shiva Statue

For more visit ABC Wednesday T for temples

Bikaner, Camel Country and more

Apart from the Junagarh Fort, Bikaner has lot to offer to the tourists. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

The other major attractions here are:

Devi Kund

Eight Kilometers east of Bikaner, this is the site of royal chatris of many of the Bika dynasty rulers. The royal crematorium has several exquisite cenotaphs (Chatris). Each Chatri is dedicated to the memory of rulers of Bikaji dynasty and is situated on the exact place where they were cremated.

There are beautiful paintings on the interior of the chatris inside the dome. The paintings even today appear very fresh.

A sample of one of the interiors of the dome can be seen below.


That is for the tourist attractions of Bikaner. Apart sight seeing in the city we went around the streets of the city in the market area. You will find lot of sweet stalls or bakery's around. Bikner is famous for Bikaner Bhujia. It is a spicy snack made from moth dal, spices and edible oil. There are lot of varieties in them. We purchased quite a few varieties for te rest of the trip.

From Bikaner we traveled to Jaisalmer, the Golden City.

Distance: Bikaner ---> Jaisalmer is 333 kms

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

Bikaner Camel Country

On the way to Bikaner from Mandwa, we had our lunch at the road side Dhaba. We reached Bikaner around 3:30 in the afternoon.

Binaker’s history dates back to 1488 A.D, when a Rathore Prince, Rao Bikaji, established his kingdom here. Bikaji choose a barren wilderness called ‘Jangladesh’ and transformed it to an impressive city, called Bikaner after the founder’ name. More popularly called the camel country, the city is renowned for the best riding camels in the world.

The wells of Bikaner: an important source of water is other attractions of the city. These are built on high plinths with slender minareted towers on each of the four corners and can be noticed even from a distance. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

The major attractions here are:

Junagarh Fort



Junagarh Fort was constructed between 1588 and 1593 by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of Mughal emperor Akhbar. , with embellishments in the form of palaces and luxurious suites added by subsequent
Maharajas. This fort has a 986m-long wall with 37 bastions, a moat and two entrances.

Despite that fact Junagarh doesn't command hilltop position, as do some of the Rajasthan’s other grand forts, it is no less imposing and a credit to its planners and architects has never been conquered.

The Surajpol or the 'Sun Gate' is the main entrance. The palaces within the fort are on the southern side and make a picturesque ensemble of towers, courtyards, balconies and windows. A major feature of fort and palaces is the superb quality of stone carving.


Bijai Mahal Palace is yet another exquisite palace situated inside the fort that’s worth visiting while here, that has excellent paintings and tile work.

Anup Mahal Palace Intricate golden pen work decorates this building and is worth seeing while visiting the fort.

Durga Niwas of the fort is a beautiful courtyard with excellent paintings and tile-work worth seeing.

Chandra Mahal Palace or Moon Palace is a beautiful puja (worship) room covered with remarkable frescoes of Hindu gods and goddesses.

Diwan-e-Khas or Hall of Special Audience, with intricately carved stonework so fine that it seems as though it is carved out of wood. Worth seeing is a beautiful window in Blue Dutch tiles and a pair of golden gates which lie, behind iron bars (for security). The place is located within the fort and shouldn’t be missed.

Ganga Mahal Palace added to the fort by Maharaja Gailga Singh, now houses the Fort Museum and contains a fine collection of antique Rajput, weaponry, jade handle daggers, camel hide shields, inlaid handguns and camel guns, gold and silver howdahs, jhulas, kis and a first-world war biplane. Other important objects include a pair of drums belonging to jamblioji, the saint who predicted the foundation of the dynasty by Rao Bika for 450 years.


Apart from the fort and the palaces within in, Bikaner has quite a many more attractions.

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

The Shekhawati Region

After a good night sleep we were up early morning on the 2nd day of our trip for the visual splendor. We were ready by 8:00 a.m after the good continental breakfast. (Click on all the images for bigger & clear picture)

We visited various Havelis constructed by wealthy business men in the nineteenth century in the Shekhawati region. These Havelies are decorated with colored painting adorning their walls. But as the merchant families migrated, these visual attractions did not fade away and today they are some of the major attractions for the tourists visiting Rajasthan.

Next we visited Mandwa's imposing fort, right in the center. Castle Mandawa was build in 1755 by Thakur Nawal singh, a descendant of Rao Shekha, the founder of Shekhawati. Two imposing gateways lead to the central courtyard where cannons stand as a reminder of the past when they were used to repel the enemy. The palace in the fort hosts beautiful paintings. At present it is converted into the most famous hotel in the region.

From Mandwa we moved to Fathepur. The town is packed with elaborately painted mansions, temples, wells and chhatris. The Hawelis in this region depict the scenes from Mahabarath and Ramayana.

With this due to shortage of time we decided to travel to Bikaner, the camel country.

Distance: Mandwa ---> Bikaner is 164 kms

P.S: Shekhavti comprises of important towns like Mandwa, Fathepur, Jhunjhunu, Nawalgarh.

Glimpses of Royal Land Itinerary

The exiting tour of "Glimpses Of Royal Land" was of the duration 11 days. From Jaipur we proceeded further to other places before reaching back Delhi. The stays were made at comfortable budget hotels. Some of the places we stayed for 2 nights and others only for 1 night. The itinerary we followed is as follows:

The sight seeing begins with the first place of Mandwa.