Jaisalmer and Bikaner - Notes

Once the most romantic city on earth, the rampant touristification of Jaisalmer over the last few years has taken its toll and it is sadly on its way to becoming another place like Goa or the Thamel district of Kathmandhu where nearly every trace of genuine local culture has been erased and replaced with the kind of theme-park orientalism so beloved of the Lonely Planet/Rough Guide backpacker set. I first visited Jaisalmer in 1991 - when I went back in January 1999, it was like visiting a completely different city. Nonetheless, the dramatic location on the edge of the Thar Desert and the breathtaking architecture of the fort still holds an irresistable charm. If you can go out of season, ignore the 'Camel Safari' touts and trinket sellers (nearly all of whom travel up from Pushkar for the tourist trade) and stay in one of the quieter corners of the fort, you may still find some of the old magic. Jaisalmer became rich in the 12th and 13th centuries as a result of the taxes the local Rajput kings extorted from travellers on the spice & silk routes towards persia and the West. That money paid for a citadel that encompassed the whole town, some extravagently decorated private houses (havellis) and some beautiful cenotaphs (chattris) - all constructed from the gorgeous local honey-coloured sandstone which glows like gold at sunset. Sadly, when I was there in January the cold air brought down from Mt Abu by the south winds meant that it was foggy most days - September/October is probably the best time for sitting at Vyas Chattri watching the horizon turn to blazing gold (though you might have to fight your way through quite a few other tourists to get a decent view...
Bikaner, although theoretically far less interesting than Jaisalmer of Pushkar is actually one of the best places for seeing traditional Rajasthani life as the tourist incursion here has been far more restrained.