[ Jaisalmer photo ]
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer rises from the Thar Desert like a mirage of golden sandstone. Its fort, founded in 1156, is one of the few in India where thousands of people still live inside the walls, with narrow lanes, Jain temples, and havelis carved by generations of merchants. Beyond the city, camel safaris across the dunes, overnight desert camps, and the abandoned village of Kuldhara make this a highlight of western Rajasthan.