The desert circuit consists three districts Jodhpur,
Jaisalmer and Bikaner in western Rajasthan rising in the golden sands of the
Thar Desert. The major tourist destinations in these districts are Jodhpur,
Jaisalmer and Bikaner (commonly called as the Desert
Triangle) and now increasingly the desert town of Barmer.
A map of the desert region showing the main tourist locations is given
here-
Geography and Topography-
The arid and less unoccupied Thar Desert exists in
north-west Rajasthan and is characterised by shifting sand dunes and high
summer temperatures of upto 450 C. Jodhpur exists on the edge of this arid tract and it is
a link between the desert on the west and the semi-arid but cultivable regions
to the East. The region receives very little rainfall from which 90% in the
monsoon (July-September).
Jodhpur with a population approx. over 10 Lakhs is the
largest city in the region. It is also the second largest city in the state.
Other important cities in the circuit are Bikaner (population over 6.5 Lakhs),
Barmer (over 90,000) and Jaisalmer (over 50,000). The Desert circuit is the largest
but the most sparsely populated region in the state.
Due to the climatic conditions of Desert circuit the
tourist season is limited to the winter months and almost the entire tourist
traffic arrives between October to March.
Travel Links-
Jodhpur Civil Aerodrome (located 4 Kms from the city
centre) is the only airport in the Desert region with daily commercial
passenger flights operated by Alliance Air, and Jet Airways from Delhi, Mumbai,
Jaipur, Udaipur etc. The airport at
Jaisalmer provided by air force, usually operates from 1st October to 31st
March every year. The Bikaner airport has been completed and will be operated
soon. A well-developed broad gauge rail network connects the Desert region to
the main cities in the country. There are regular train services between
Jodhpur and Bikaner to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and
Bangalore. Onward connections to Jaisalmer are available ex-Jodhpur.
The Desert region is also well connected by roads with
National Highway (NH15) passing through Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer. Jodhpur
is connected to all the three places by state highways and district roads. Major
Tourist Spots and Attractions.
Major Tourist Locations in the Desert Circuit-
District
|
|
Major Attractions
|
Major Day- trips
|
Major Events
|
Jodhpur
|
|
Jodhpur City
(1) Umaid Bhavan
Palace and
(2) Museum
(3) Mehrangarh Fort
(4) Jasvant Thada
(Cenotaphs)
(5) Mandore Gardens
(6) Balsamand Lake
and Gardens
|
Out of Jodhpur
(1) Osiyan
Temples (58 Kms)
|
Marwar
Festival
(July-
Aug.)
|
Jaisalmer
|
|
Jaisalmer City
(1) Jaisalmer Fort
(2) Gadisar Lake
(3) Patwon ki Haveli
(architecture)
(4) Salim Singh ki
Haveli
(architecture)
(5) Nathmalji ki
Haveli (architecture)
(6) Tazia Tower
|
Out of Jaisalmer
(1) Lodurva Temples
(16 Kms)
(2) Sam Sand Dunes
(42 Kms)
(3) Akal Fossil Park
(17 Kms)
(4) Desert National
Park (45 Kms)
(5) Khuri Village
Safari (50 Kms)
(6) Ramdeora temple
(100 Kms)
|
Desert
Festival
(Jan.-
Feb.)
|
Bikaner
|
|
Bikaner City
(1) Junagarh Fort
and Museums
(2) Lalgarh Palace
(3) Camel Research
Farm
(4) Devi Kund
|
Out of Bikaner
(1) Gajner Palace
and Wildlife
(2) Sanctuary (32
Kms)
(3) Shri Kolayat
Shrine (50 Kms)
(4) Deshnok Karni
Mata temples (30 Kms)
(5) Katriyasar
Desert Village (55 Kms)
|
Camel Festival
(January)
Kolayat Fair
(Nov.)
Gangaur
Festival
(April)
|
Barmer
|
|
Barmer Town
(1) Ancient fort
and temple ruins
(2) Sun Temple
|
Out of Barmer
(1) Kiradu
Temples (30 Kms)
(2) Khed and
Jasol Temples (70 Kms)
|
Tilwara
Cattle Fair
(March-
April)
Khed Fair
(Aug.-
Sept.)
|
Main Tourist Destinations and
Their Attractions-
Unlike most other circuits in the state, the Desert
circuit does not have one particular ‘hub’, though Jodhpur is the most popular
entry point. Given the large geographical area covered, the major cities in the
region are hubs for the tourist undertaking local visits. Some distinctive
observations with respect to the main tourist destinations and the type of
tourists they attract are as follows:-
Jodhpur:-
Jodhpur, the 'Sun City of Rajasthan', is one
of the major cities in the circuit. It has the extensive Mehrangarh fort built in 15th century.
The city also consists the splendid & huge Umaid
Bhavan Palace, the only 20th century palace.
Other attractions include the charming white marble royal cenotaphs of Jasvant Thada and the ancient capital of Marwar, Mandore with its cenotaphs and gardens.
Another emerging destination, around an hour’s drive from the city is the Osiyan village, which houses 15 beautifully sculpted
Jain and Brahmanical temples belonging to five different centuries.
Jaisalmer:-
Jaisalmer, the Golden City of Rajasthan, is
one of the favourite locations for both domestic and foreign tourists.
The major attraction of this city is the Jaisalmer
fort, which houses an entire living area within its ramparts and is
known for its intricately carved beautiful havelis and its ancient Jain
temples.
Attractions outside the fort, are the carved havelis such as the Patwon ki Haveli and the Salim
Singh ki Haveli and the Gadisar Lake.
Other eminent attractions out of Jaisalmer are the Lodurva
Jain temples, Sam sand dunes, the Desert National Park, Kuldhara
& Khabha ruins of Paliwal brahmins and Khuri
village safari.
The popular tourism ‘products’ of the region include the desert village
camps, desert safaris and the desert festival.
Bikaner:-
Bikaner lies at the northern most point of the desert circuit, and is
famous for its forts, palaces and havelis.
Places of tourist interest include the Junagarh
fort and museum and the Lallgarh palace.
Other attractions are the Camel Research Center and the Bhandeshwar and Sandeshwar temples (visited by the
domestic tourists).
The popular excursions from this city include the famous Karni Mata temple (at Deshnok), the Gajner Palace and
wildlife sanctuary and Shri Kolayat temple.
Barmer:-
A small desert town, Barmer is renowned for its carved wooden furniture and
hand block printing.
It is best visited during the annual fairs held nearby.
The places of interest in this region include the ruins of Juna Barmer and the Kiradu
temples.
Other places in the district like Khed and Jasol are also known for their temple
architecture and Nakoda jain temple.
Less
frequented Tourist Locations-
Some of the less frequented tourist locations in the area
include:-
Around Jodhpur- The Osiyan temples
Around Jaisalmer-
The Wood Fossil Park and Desert National
Park : The wood fossil
park at Akal and the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer seldom falls in the normal
tourists itinerary and is visited primarily by nature enthusiasts.
Around Bikaner-
Bikaner also has good tourist locations that are
currently less frequented. These include among others the Kapil Muni temple at Kolayat, Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kalibanga pre-Harappan and Harappan ruins. Katriyasar, near Bikaner is also emerging as a
popular tourist destination for rural tourism.
Around Barmer –
Inspite of its unique attractions such as the Kiradu
Temples and the Barmer Fort ruins, Barmer is not a part of the major tours
covering the Desert Circuit largely due to its remote location and poor
connectivity.
Source- DoT, Rajasthan.
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