India is My country – Jaisalmer

So this story started when I was in the seventh standard! In Geography we had just about begun learning about the Indian terrains – different types of mountains, plains, oceans etc.. Yeah! India has it all. I was both, fascinated and afraid of the deserts. Yet, I did want to see the Thar Desert. My interest was fuelled by the stories of Alladin, Arabian nights etc. The desert, camel, oasis, no water, no vegetation etc… was very mysterious to me. Somewhere in the rut of life I forgot all of this.

And then in January of 2019 we chose to visit. well – that part of the Thar that was within Indian limits. The golden city of Jaisalmer. Oh boy! Was I excited? I didn’t have much expectations other than, seeing camels and havelis. I was in for a complete surprise when I got to know that the place of my interest has an Airport [perhaps many know, but I wasn’t aware]. So we took off. I got off the craft like a little excited girl and the desert thrilled me simply because it was-Thar! The resort was very close to the airport and had the façade of a haveli.

That evening we had an up close and personal date with the Thar itself. We got all set to leave for the desert.

Now, just back tracking you to a problem typical to Mumbaikars. Mumbai is hot and humid most parts of the year. So we do not really understand the difference when we read 15 deg or 25 deg. We are always under prepared. And fashionwise well we hardly get good stuff at affordable prices. However the enthu cutlet that I am, I researched various sites and packed a lot of winter stuff and never mind who scoffed at me. It was really cold in the desert and we had to wear sweaters and jackets atop the warmers.

Enroute, the desert we saw the ruins of the famous Kuldhara village. I was intrigued and excited as we approached the site. We saw a bit, but it made me very uncomfortable and I didn’t like whatever we saw.

Finally, we reached the desert on the outskirts of Jaisalmer. And I was like – Okay, this is for real! For miles and miles on every side we looked, there was ONLY the gold sand and camels. Houses placed really far from each other. We did the camel ride, saw the beautiful traditional dances, it was all like one real life fairy tale. And I was smiling ear to ear.

Did you notice? Nowhere have I used the world beautiful? Because, it isn’t really beautiful. It is dry, dusty, with carcasses lying around. It is barren, lifeless and cold to say the least. But, this ISN’T a complaint. I was in the middle of one of my childhood dream destinations. I looked around at the people. Their dressing, life style, the terrain they lived it. Everything was so unique. Everything connected so well. The terrain was so dull and drab that the colours on the local traditional clothes made up for the lack of colours in nature. Both the men and women covered their heads, perhaps to protect their hair from the fine sand. The spicy cuisine perhaps helped the body to fight the heat. There is so much I learnt here in those few hours. I wondered how they beat the cruel heat in summers, what they do when there is no work etc.. With all these observations and thoughts I left the desert and went back to the comfort of our resort. I was happy.

The following days were spent seeing all the common man’s idea of ‘beauty’ like the havellis, lakes, fort etc.. Each and every structure stood the test of history told many stories. These structures are amongst the best architectural treats to the eyes. And every creation was based on the local culture and geographic conditions. It was amazing AMAZING trip is an understatement.

Visit it! But have no expectations and be willing to take in all that your eyes see.