The golden city of Jaisalmer, situated in the Thar Desert is an oasis in the middle of rolling sand dunes. A sandstone fort cast shadows over the bustling town below, as well as offering sensational views of this magnificent city, nestled in the western corner of the state of Rajasthan.
The entire city of Jaisalmer is made out of decoratively designed sandstone buildings and homes, providing a cool relief for residents when temperatures reach into the high 50s during the stifling heat of summer.
This is where all of India’s stereotypes come to life, where men wearing bright coloured turbans walk the pavement trying to sell their goods, while a rainbow of saris pass us in the street, as women do their daily fruit and vegetable shopping. The sun beats down and lashes its rays on our bodies, though surprisingly as soon as we step out of the sunlight, we are met by a cool breeze.
Deep and I were very lucky as we booked a hotel which was situated in the heart of the fort. It offered panoramic views of the town allowing us to peak into the lives of locals below. We were even lucky enough to be invited to the hotel owner’s niece’s wedding. It was the traditional Indian experience Deep and I had been longing for the entire trip and now we could experience firsthand one of the most sacred ceremonies in India, the wedding ceremony.
Deep and I were taken to a series of local stores in town trying on and bargaining for a beautiful sari for myself and a traditional men’s outfit (a kurta) and turban for Deep. With our wedding attire bought and the excitement building, we were told that the ceremony would not kick off until 10.30pm, while I was to visit the women’s quarters to have my sari fitted correctly by 9pm.
As the clock struck 10.30pm, a single firework lit up the sky, signifying that the celebrations had begun. The groom, who rode on a decorated white horse was led through the streets of town as men danced to loud music behind him. An hour later, the groom arrived at the bride’s family home though he stayed on his horse for 45 minutes longer. The men and male children of town continued to dance merrily into the night to the beat of four loud drums. The funny thing about the entire experience was that Deep and I were more dressed up than the bride and groom. The looks we were getting from the wedding guests were hilarious.
After our wedding experience, Deep and I headed into the heart of the Thar Desert, outside of the town centre for an overnight camel experience. We envisioned a night under a sea of stars, as a camp fire crackled in the distance. It was a beautiful experience and I am very grateful to be able to say that I spent a night in the Indian desert; however the bugs, snakes and ticks kept my eyes wide open with fear all night. So let’s start with the man eating bugs (slight exaggeration but really not too far from the truth). These black “dung beetles” would literally chase you up the sand dunes, somehow curious of our presence in desert. Then there was the snake in my blanket and the mass amount of ticks crawling around the dunes. I know I sound like a princess, but if that’s the case then I’m happy to take that title as those desert creatures were bloody scary.
After our encounters with the desert creatures, I managed to get sick from the dinner we were served and am still recovering a few days on. Aside from the experience in the desert, Jaisalmer was amazing, a truly beautiful golden city which lived up to every expectation.
One thing I would like to mention in this post is how welcoming and kind the people of Jaisalmer were. We were welcomed into stranger’s homes, some opening up to us with their tales of pain and heartache, of loss and love. We definitely made friends in Jaislamer and look forward to our return one day.
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