Jaisalmer: The Crown Jewel of Rajesthan

Before I begin writing about Jaisalmer, I should explain why I have not yet written about the Taj Mahal or about our night in the desert.  I have realized that keeping up with writing everything is extremely difficult, so I’m saving my very specaial posts (such as the ones listed above) for when we’re back in China, and I have access to my laptop for proper editing and such…

But until then, I have plenty of other things to write about!  So don’t worry, I haven’t given up yet!!

We spent 3 nights in Jaisalmer, making it the longest stay of our trip so far.  This is fortunate, because it happened to be the highlight of our Rajesthan tour!  In addition to our fabulous night in the desert, we also got to tour the city itself, and Jaisalmer Fort, which were both spectacular places to tour!

The city of Jaisalmer is nicknamed ‘The Golden City’.  The reason: most of the buildings there are built of sandstone.  So, like the desert surrounding it, Jaisalmer has a golden glow for tourists to admire.

A view of his Haveli from down below

A stable in Jaisalmer

The markets here are similar to all the others we’ve seen in India so far.  Here though, we were able to see the highly prestigious ‘National Egg Center’ and view a handicraft that has made Jaisalmer famous:  camel-leather bags.  The leather comes from camels that have died of natural causes, and there were a wide range of them to see.  Some were quite pretty.   I don’t know why I never thought to take any pictures…

The fort was my favourite part of the city though, because it’s different from many others that we’ve seen.  This towering fortress is home to about 4000 people who own livestock (we saw cows goats and chickens…all within the fort walls) and set up all sorts of shops and restaurants for the tourists who visit.  One local business owner told us that Jaisalmer’s tourism industry is vital for about 70% of the population.  This fort is a big part of that industry.

We met some really fantastic people in Jaisalmer.  One man asked us if we needed directions and before we knew it, we were up in his inherited Haveli, which is a sort of mini-palace where royalty once lived.  For 6 generations, his family has had this haveli, and instead of charging tourists to come see it (which many locals do), he offers free tours and shows us the handicrafts that he sells for the women in small villages that surround Jaisalmer.  He sells everything at such a great price we bought some things we hadn’t planned on both for ourselves and as gifts.

A view of his Haveli from down below

When the fort was built 850 years ago, there weren’t any pain killers to help the workers get through the day…so they used opium instead. This opium box was found in this man’s Haveli. He offered to sell it to us. We declined.

A view of the alley from inside the haveli

Another woman was a true inspiration…

Many women in India lead difficult lives.  Traditionally, women were expected to throw themselves on their deceased husbands’ cremation fires because they could not be expected to live without them.  Today, this practice is banned, but widows are still very badly treated.  Because women are expected to stay home with children and to cook and clean, when their husbands (who are typically older than they are) die, they are left without the means to survive.  Bellisima is a company that helps those women as well as many other womens’ groups.  

They sell textiles, jewelery, scarves, trinkets and other souvenires to help women who are in need.  They also empower women to make their own income…even if that means using their limited free time to do so.

And widows are not the only group of women who need help.  Women aren’t throwing themselves on funeral pyres anymore, but rape victims are often blamed for the crimes committed against them, and family shunning is common.  The woman we spoke to here had been disowned by her husband’s family because she wanted to use her education to help women in India.  Luckily, she married a man who supports her decision, allowing her to work hard and begin to change the mindset that women are second class citizens.

I purchased a scarf and Dave and I chose a beautiful table cloth that was hand stitched by local women.  It was more than we intended to spend that day, but this is the type of place that I want to support.  I can buy a scarf in any bazaar of any city, but to support a movement that is helping change India for the better…that’s a scarf I will wear with pride!

This is our last night in Rajesthan, and tomorrow we’ll be heading to the beautiful beaches of Goa!  Before I go though, here’s a funny picture to finish my post with:  there was a cricket match playing in this shop…

Thanks for stopping by!