Chandratal Lake: Guide to the magnificient lake of Spiti Valley
Chandratal Lake – the most awaited part
What do you think about the idea of embarking on a memorable to Rajasthan? Explore Jodhpur, the blue city of Rajasthan while getting close to Marwari villages. You also get to adventure in the mighty Thar Desert on this trip and also explore Jaisalmer, the golden city of Rajasthan. Enjoy this trip with mesmerizing folk dance and music, vibrant colors, bonfire, rustic surroundings, and a group of like-minded people.
Starts: from Jodhpur
Ends: at Jodhpur
Group: Mixed Gender
Start: 20 Oct 2023
End: 24 Oct 2023
₹ 22500
Rajasthan, the largest state of India, is not just a royal state where every inch of every palace is adorned with exorbitant decorative and pages of history books are filled with the stories of heroism of Rajasthani kings. From being home to India’s largest desert, Thar, to having a hill station, from having color-coded cities to mysterious villages and haunted forts, Rajasthan offers a lot more than our visualization. Did you know that people in Rajasthan wear vibrant colors to compensate for the dull and barren landscapes?
On this trip, we are going to wander through the history, culture, and landscapes of the districts of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. We are ready to go so deep so that we have to loosen up ourselves to the vitality of rustic Rajasthan.
Jaisalmer, also known as a golden city because of its yellow sandstone architecture, is the home to ravishing Havelis, forts, and sand dunes. It’s located in the heart of Thar desert where riding on the back of the camel, watching the sunset over sand-dunes, and doing some stargazing has always captured the attention of adventurers.
Jodhpur, the blue city, is the land of affluent Marwars. It’s home to one of the biggest and the best-preserved forts in India, known as Mehrangarh fort. To engross ourselves more in the culture, we go beyond the city and gain a memorable experience of staying in a village that too in the most luxurious way possible.
Just a few miles away from Jodhpur, lays a village that houses the Bishnoi community. Bishnois are nature worshippers found mostly in the Western Thar Desert and a few other northern states of India. You must have heard about the famous forest conservation movement also known as ‘Chipko Aandolan’ which was actually started by Bishnoi Community? Bishnois are highly devoted towards conserving nature and have even sacrificed their lives to save trees.
So, what do you think about hoping on a new year trip to Rustic Rajasthan?
In Jaisalmer, we have arranged for a stay in semi-luxury Swiss tents where you satiate your thirst for camping in the desert and feeling the taste of adventure. Be ready to be pampered by beautiful views and a lot of cultural experiences.
You get to stay in a centuries-old Haveli, which is now a hotel, still managed by the Royal family. It’s a beautiful picturesque place. Did you know that this Haveli has been featured in the Bollywood movie “Bachhan Pandey and the actor Akshay Kumar stayed here for a long time during the shooting of the above movie.
Built-in 14th century, Mehrangarh Fort is one of the most magnificent and the largest forts in India. It stands 400 feet above the skyline of Jodhpur. The beige and yellowish hue of the sandstone makes it recognizable even from miles away. Not to mention that a few famous Bollywood and Hollywood movies have been shot here.
Jaswant Thada is the cenotaph of King Jaswant Singh II, located in the city of Jodhpur. It was built in the 18th century with pure white marbles. It’s also known as ‘The Taj Mahal of Marwar” which is perfectly justified by its intrinsically carved marble and whimsical domains.
Umed Bhawan Palace is one of the world’s largest private residences. A part of the palace is managed by Taj Hotels, and a part of the palace is a museum. The palace became even more popular after our very own Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra got married here. The Umed Bhawan Palace Museum can easily be accessed by paying a very reasonable entrance fee, however, in order to visit the hotel, an entry fee of almost 5000 INR is imposed which can be reimbursed in the hotel cafes and restaurant. We will visit Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum which is known for its vintage car collection.
Toorji ka Jhalra is a fascinating stepwell that was built by the queen of Jodhpur. It is extremely beautiful and appealing due to its impressive architectural style. This 250-year-old structure has a depth of around 200 feet and was once adorned with ancient carvings of dancing elephants, medieval lions, cow waterspouts, and many niches of ancient Indian deities. These days it is used as an unofficial swimming pool consisting of clear water and fish.
We will visit a Bishnoi house to satiate all our curiosity about their origin, distinct lifestyle, and the set of 29 commandments they follow. There is a secret surprise for the group during this visit that will completely leave you hooked on them.
Jodhpur is home to rich and captivating pottery. We will get an exclusive opportunity to closely interact with the artisans and try our hands on pottery in a workshop. If you wish, you can buy some beautiful pottery too.
Did you know that a rich variety of flora and fauna resides at the gateway to the Thar Desert? We will get to see Khejarli trees and some wild animals near Bishnoi Village including Black Buck, Peacock, Antelope, Blue Bull, a few migrated birds, etc. This tour of wildlife is indeed a photographer’s paradise.
Riding on the golden sand dunes of Jaisalmer while the sun is going down turning the whole sky reddish making it a perfect backdrop for postcard photos, has been the dream of every traveler. We will have an opportunity to take an hour-long camel ride during our stay in a camp resort near Jaisalmer.
The red and yellow hues of the sun falling over the golden sand looks very heavenly and peaceful during dusk. Many tourists stay at sand dunes and witness the beauty of the sunset while clicking Instagram-perfect pictures. Going to a desert area and not seeing the sunset over the dunes is indeed a sin!
Stargazing in the middle of the Thar Desert has always been an enchanting experience for visitors. After all, all we can see in the skies of our metro cities is smog and pollution. Lying down in the middle of the desert and gazing at the dark sky dotted with glittering stars is going to be an experience worth taking back our homes.
Be ready to treat your taste buds and your soul with traditional Rajasthani meals on the trip!
Jaisalmer War Museum was set up to exhibit India’s rich military history and to create an awareness among civilians about the sacrifices made by the heroes of the Indian Armed Forces. The war museum was set up by the Indian Army, and one can find a large collection of war trophies, army weapons, battle tanks, etc. The aesthetic creativity of this museum is so powerful that you feel that war history has come alive. Museum also screens a short documentary film which often gives a sense of pride, and goosebumps, to the patriots.
Patwaon ki Haveli was the first Haveli which was built in Rajasthan. It’s also one of the most interesting Havelis of golden city because it’s the combination of five different mansions and its construction took almost 50 years to complete. It was built by Guman Chand Patwa, who was a very renowned brocade trader of that time, for his five sons. It’s also known as ‘House of Brocade Merchants’.
Gadisar Lake was built by Jaisalmer’s first ruler, Raja Rawal Jaisal, in the 14th century and it used to be the only source of water in the region during those days. The lake is surrounded by beautiful temples, ghats, and some cenotaphs standing beautifully in the middle of the water. It’s a very interesting place for some portrait photography, bird-watching, boating or just to spend some relaxing time.
Jaisalmer Fort is among the biggest forts, and one of the few living monuments in the world. The fort was built in 1156, and it’s 250 tall, protected by 30 feet long walls. The entire fort is made from yellow sandstone which gives a beautiful golden look to the fort, especially during the times of sunrise and sunset. Located in Trikuta Hill in the city of Jaisalmer, the fort is the most popular landmark of town. There are 4 gates to reach the fort i.e. Ganesh Pol, Akshaya Pol, Suraj Pol, and Hawa Pol. Did we tell you that Jaisalmer fort seems like those forts from outside which are often shown in fairytale serials and movies!
Bada Bagh, which means big garden, is home to approximately 104 royal cenotaphs which were built in the honor of the different royal family members. The first-ever cenotaph of Bada Bagh was built in the 16th century by Maharawal Lunkaran Singh to commemorate his father Maharawal Jai Singh III. All the cenotaphs are constructed using yellow sandstone and adorned with beautiful carved ceilings. Being an architectural marvel, Bada Bagh is also a preferred place by people for portrait photography.
Almost 200 years ago, Kuldhara used to be a prosperous village inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins, which is now an abandoned and haunted place. Legend says that deeply tormented by the village chief, one-night entire community fled leaving behind their homes. No one actually saw them leaving and no one knows where Paliwal Brahmins resettled. All we know is that they cursed the village while leaving that no one will be able to settle in Kuldhara there which stands true even today. Not to mention that houses are still intact and look beautiful.
A trip to Rajasthan is not culminated without experiencing their music. We are going to have a relaxing but fun evening with renowned local artists who are going to perform Kalbelia dance and play Rawanhatta while singing some heartwarming melodious folk songs. We have two cultural evenings scheduled for this trip.
Stay excited for this part as usual!
Our small group size ensure a personal touch, and our group leaders make sure to bond the entire group like long lost friends. Hence, along with an amazing travel experience, you are in for a great of great social bonding.
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Chandratal Lake – the most awaited part
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