Jaisalmer - City of Meeting

From the desert we now head to Jaisalmer, the golden city. The focal point is Jaisalmer Fort, built of sandstone and magnificently decorated. It is considered to be the oldest fort in the world that is still inhabited and, with its many bustling traders, stands in stark contrast to the solitude of the desert.

After arriving relatively late in Jaisalmer the previous evening, we start the day with an early walk through the fort at sunrise. The traders have not yet laid out their goods. Everywhere we go, people greet us in a friendly manner and we always strike up a little conversation.

We get the impression that people are genuinely interested and want to talk to us without primarily wanting to sell us something. We are invited for tea several times, which we return to later in the day.

Our hotel is located in a villa in the fort and we have breakfast on the roof terrace with a view over the rooftops of Jaisalmer. The sunrise gives the sandstone walls a golden glow and, in contrast to the pink city of Jaipur, it is clear where the city gets its nickname from.

The most important sight in Jaisalmer is probably the Chandraprabhu Jain Temple and this is exactly where we head first. The Jains are a separate religion with around 4.4 million believers worldwide, 4.2 million of them in India. Instead of the gods in Hinduism, they believe in 24 Tirthankaras, which translates as 'prohets'.

Strict Jain believers eat a strictly vegetarian diet (including no eggs) and nothing that grows underground, i.e. no potatoes, onions or similar. This is because their highest rule is absolute non-violence and they are therefore not allowed to harm any animal or insect.

We visit the Jain temple with a guide who is Jain and can tell us a lot. However, he doesn't take the third Jain law (not to harm other people's property) too seriously: He charges quite a lot (1400 Rupee), while almost elsewhere else, guides have only ever charged around 400 rupees.

Otherwise, we visit the palace and the Kotharis Patwa Haveli, but the biggest attraction is the fort itself with its many intricate sandstone decorations and bustling traders. We stop every now and then for a little chat. Of course people want to sell something, but we have the feeling that they are also interested in an honest exchange. And so we spend a lot of time chatting, drinking tea and examining the goods.

We enjoy the sunset with a Kingfisher beer on one of the many roof terraces in Jaisalmer. Here we strike up a conversation with a musician who is part of the Manganiyar caste. The Manganiyar come from the Rajasthan desert and are familiar with both Islamic and Hindu customs. He sings a few songs for us, accompanying himself on his harmonium, and we enjoy the magical atmosphere.

The next morning, we drive to Gadisar Lake at sunrise, before the crowds of tourists and traders arrive. From there, we continue on to Jodhpur.

Are you as enthusiastic about Rajasthan as we are? Then join us for another while and find out which caste gave our upcoming destination Jodhpur the name 'the blue city'.