Enchanting Royal Rajasthan

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Jaswant Tada, Jodhpur : This white marble memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II has an array of domes having a superb view of the Meherangarh fort. There is a memorial to a peacock that flew into the funeral pyre. There is some beautiful jali work, and it's the definitive tomb with a view (admission Rs 10, camera Rs 25, 1 km from the fort).

Clock tower : It is surrounded by the vibrant Sardar market. The route towards west leads to the city bazaar.

Sadar Government museum : It displays old weapons and sculptures and is located inside the Umaid gardens (Rs 3, Friday closed).

Umaid Bhavan palace & museum : The construction began in 1929, took 3000 workers and 15 years to complete. Royal members of the family resides here and a part of the palace is now a hotel. The museum has photos showing strange hybrid Art Deco/1970s design of the palace interior and some ornate clocks (admission Rs 15, near the Umaid gardens).

Osiyan (65 km): It has exquisitely sculptured Jain temples viz Sachiya Mata temple is an impressive walled complex. The Mahavira temple surrounds an image of the 24th tirthankar, said to be over 200 years old (admission Rs 5, camera Rs 30).

Location : Rajasthan, India.

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Jaisalmer : A giant sand castle, Jaisalmer is a breathtaking sight, a Golden City, an age of Chivalry mirage in the middle of a barren desert scape. Ninety nine huge bastions encircle the narrow streets of the fort, still inhabited, with elaborate houses, splendid temples, magnificent gateways and a beautiful palace, all carved out of the same gleaming golden sandstone.

Spreading from the fort is the old city containing lavish sandstone havelis with carving as delicate as lace, and all around the scrub, dunes and villages of the Thar desert.

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Jaisalmer fort : The sandstone fort has a palace, temples and hundreds of deceptively simple looking havelis. The fort is rising at a height of 80 m and can be entered through a forbidding series of massive gates leading to a large courtyard. The former maharaja's elegant seven storey palace (admission Rs 20, camera Rs 50) fronts onto this. Parts of the palace is open to public.

The highlights are the mirrored and painted Rang Mahal, a small gallery of finely wrought 15 century sculptures and the spectacular 360 degree views from the summit.

Jain temples : Within the fort walls is a mazelike, interconnecting complex of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples (admission Rs 10, camera Rs 50) dating to the 12th to the 16th centuries. The intricate carving has an extra ordinary quality because of the soft, warm stone. The first temple Chandraprabhu (7 am to noon) is dedicated to eight thirthankar. Around the upper gallery are 108 marble images of Parasnath, the 22nd thirthankar.

To the right of this temple is Rikhabdev (7 am to Noon). Parasnath temple (11 am to Noon) is nearby has a beautiful carved torana (gateway) and a brightly painted ceiling. A door to the south leads to Shitalnath temple (11 am to Noon) with an eight metal image. A door in the north wall leads to the beautiful Sambhavanth temple (11 am to Noon) - in the front courtyard, Jain priests grind sandalwood for devotional use. Steps lead down to the Gyan Bhandar (10 to 11 am) a fascinating tiny library of ancient manuscripts, founded in 1500.Shantinath and Kunthunath temples have plenty of sensual carving.

Laxmminath Hindu temple is nearby has a silver architecture around the entrance to the inner sanctum.

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Havelis : Jaisalmer has some incredibly fine sculpted sandstone buildings which were built by wealthy merchants.

Patwa ki haveli : Most magnificent of all havelis, its stonework like honey coloured caggy lace towers over a narrow lane (admission Rs 20, camera Rs 20). It was built between 1800 and 1860 by five Jain brothers - brocade and jewellery merchants. It's most impressive from outside, but the fort view from the roof is superb,and the interior evokes 19 th century life.

Salim Singh ki haveli : This haveli has an amazing, distinctive shape - narrow for the first floors, the top storey spreads out into a mass of carving , with graceful arched balconies surmounted by pale blue cupolas (admission Rs 15, camera Rs 10).

Nathmal ki haveli : This 19th century haveli dips with carving, and the first floor has some beautiful paintings, which used 1.5 kg of gold. A doorway is surrounded by 19 th century British postcards from the PM's time, and also there's a picture of Queen Victoria. Sandstone elephants keep guard (admission free).

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Museums : Desert culture centre & Museum is near the fort (1 km, admission Rs 10) has interesting information on Rajasthani culture, as well as textiles and traditional instruments. There's a nightly one hour puppet show at 1830 h (admission Rs 30, camera Rs 20). With this entry ticket one can visit the nearby Jaisalmer folklore museum (camera Rs 20). The museum displays everything from camel ornaments to opium bottles.

Gadi sagar tank with boating facility is nearby.

There is a government museum near the RTDC hotel Moomal (admission Rs 3, free on Mon, closed on Friday).The museum has a well captioned collection of fossils of the Jurassic era (160 to 180 million years ago).

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Around Jaisalmer

Lodhruva (15 km) : The Jain temple rebuilt in 1970s enshrines a finely wrought silver image of Parasnath (admission Rs 10, camera Rs 50). A cobra lives in the complex. Bus to Lodhruva ( 3 daily, 20 minutes).

Sam sand dunes (42 km) : The Thar desert at Desert national park has huge, silky, undulating folds of sand. It's best to be here at sunrise & sunset, and many camel safaris spend a night here (admission Rs 3, jeep Rs 5). Here one can frame pictures of solitary camels against lonely dunes. Bus to Sam ( 3 daily, 1.5 hour, Rs 22).

Tourist Reception Centre runs sunset tours to the Sam sand dunes (Rs 130) at 3 pm, returning after sunset. The tours to Sam may stop at Kanoi village, 5 km before the dunes, from where it's possible to get a camel to the dunes in time for sunset (around Rs 200).

Location : Rajasthan, India. Access from Jodhpur.

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Udaipur : Rajasthan's most romantic city is packed with palaces, temples, havelis and at the centre lies lake Pichola. The lake has two islands Jagniwas and Jagmandir. Boats leave regularly from the city palace jetty (Rs 100 for 30 min).

Jagniwas island : The 1.5 hectares palace hotel is built by Maharaja Jagat Singh II in 1754. It has shady courtyards, lotus ponds and a pool shaded by a mango tree. Non guests can only come over for lunch or dinner by hotel launches from city palace jetty.

Jagmandir island : It is said that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan derived some of his inspirations for the Taj Mahal from this palace after staying here in 1623 - 24 while leading a revolt against his father, Jehangir. Flanked by a row of enormous stone elephants,the island has an impressive chhatri carved from grey-blue stone, and fantastic views across the lake to the city and its golden palace.

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City palace & museums : The imposing city palace (admission Rs 25), surmounted by balconies, towers and cupolas, towering over the lake, is Rajasthan's largest palace, with a facade 244 m long and 30.4 m high. The palace is entered from the northern end through the Baripol (1600) and the three arched Tripolia gate. To the left, seven arches commemorate the seven times maharajas weighed here and their weight in gold and silver distributed to the lucky locals.

The city palace museum (admission Rs 50, camera Rs 200) includes the Mor chowk, with its lavish mosaics of peacocks. The Manak Mahal has glass and mirror work, while Krishna Vilas has a remarkable collection of miniatures (no photography). In the Bari Mahal there is a pleasant central garden. The Moti Mahal has beautiful mirror work and the Chini Mahal is covered in ornamental tiles. More wall paintings can be seen in the Zenana Mahal. There's a large tiger catching cage near the Zenana Mahal entrance.

Enter the museum from the north side (up the hill from the Jagdish temple), otherwise there's an extra Rs 25 visitor fee.

The government museum in the complex exhibits freaky monkey holding a lamp as well as more serious stuff, such as sculptures, and maharaja portraits with a spectacular array of moustaches.

The nearby Fateh Prakash palace hotel has a stunning crystal gallery (admission Rs 325, no photography). Maharaja Sajjan Singh ordered this rare crystal from F & C Osler & Co in England in 1877; he died before it arrived, and all the items stayed packed up in boxes for 110 years. The extravagant, unused collection includes crystal chairs, sofas, tables and even beds.

Palace ladies once used the gallery to observe the grandiose durbar hall.

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Jagdish temple : The temple is near the city palace entrance, which enshrines a black stone image of Vishnu. A brass Garuda statue is located in front of the temple.

Bagore ki haveli : The 18th century 138 rooms haveli is in the Gangaur ghat area. The haveli has a good art gallery and also displays the world's biggest turban. Rajasthani dance is performed daily at 7 pm.

Fateh sagar : The lake is north of lake Pichola (Rs 20 one way by rickshaw) has a garden park - Nehru park - at the centre.

Shilpgram : The crafts village is 3 km from Fateh sagar and has displays of traditional mud huts, with glittering mirrored interiors from Rajasthan, Gujrat, Goa and Maharashtra (admission Rs 15, camera Rs 10, 11 am to 7 pm). There are also excellent demonstrations by traditional performers and artisans.

Sahelion ki Bari : This small , quaint ornamental garden was laid out for 48 women attendants who came as part of a princess's dowry, and has fountains, kiosks, marble elephants and a delightful lotus pool.

Ahar tombs : The restored cenotaphs of the Maharajas of Mewar, a spectacular city of snowy domes built over 350 years. A museum is nearby (Rs 3, 10 am to 5 pm, 2 km) .

Location : Rajasthan, India.

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Ranakpur has an incredible temple complex in milk white marble, a complicated series of 29 halls, supported by a forest of 1444 pillars (no two alike), the interior is completely covered in intricate, knotted carving. It is one of the India's largest and most important Jain temple (Camera Rs 50, noon to 5 pm). The main temple is Chaumukha, dedicated to Adinath and built in 1439.

Within the complex are two other Jain temples to Neminath and Parasnath, and a Sun temple. About 1 km from the main complex is Amba Mata temple. Simple accommodation is available at the temple Dharmasala.

Ranakpur Jain temple is one of the most beautiful temples in India. The nearest railhead is Falna on Ahmedabad - Marwar line. Ranakpur is 90 km from Udaipur (3 hour).

Mt Abu (1200 m) : It is Rajasthan's only hill station, famous with the extra ordinary Jain Dilwara temples, with the finest, most intense marble carving that you are ever likely to see. Winter nights will be cold. Mt Abu is 27 km (1 hour) from the nearest railway station Mt Abu road. The picturesque Nakki lake is at the town's centre. A walking around the lake will be nice with views of Toad rock and 14 century Raghunath temple. Boating in the lake is another attraction. Unique to the town is baba-gari, a porter pulled handcart.