Jaisalmer

Bada Bag (Big Garden) is outside Jaisalmer, and an interesting place to see. All the kings and queens of Jaisalmer are cremated here, and subsequently a Chattri (cupola) is built on the spot to commemorate the departed soul. Essentially a collection of cenotaphs, the structures have been built by Hindu and Muslim artisans and show the influence of both religions. Interestingly the older cupolas are cleverly constructed of interlocking stone pieces and can be dismantled, moved etc while the newer structures are stone and cement. The kings memorials have a horse statue, the number of legs on the ground indicate if the king died in battle (2) or because of battle wounds (3) or a peaceful death (4). Due to local water there are some green fields and agriculture nearby, with wind turbines filling the horizon.

After seeing Bada Bag, we drove for an hour till we reached the edge of the desert. A series of tour operators have set up shop here, and they all offer camel tours, Jeep tours and overnight stays. After a break with cups of tea, we mounted our camel and a little boy led us at a slow pace into the desert. We saw some raptors hunting, several small deer, lots of birds and small lizards, but it was nearly impossible to photograph anything when you’re holding on for dear life to a couple of straps while the camel is carrying you along in a sinusoidal motion. A small boy led our camel, accompanied by an even smaller boy who danced around us.

Our camel was quite docile, so we managed to not fall off and eventually dismounted at a spot to see the setting sun. The boys who had led the camels played hide and seek in the sand dunes. Eventually a few jeeps roared in, shattering the peace and tracing sweeping arcs on the dunes, rooster tails of sand behind them. Finally everyone settled down, we saw a lovely sunset and returned. More deer were seen, apparently there are foxes as well. After rounds of snacks and beer, we were treated to a music and dance performance and a simple buffet vegetarian dinner. We drove back to our hotel in total darkness, just a few roadside shacks seem to be open - probably serving liquor to the truck drivers. By the time we got back, it was almost 11 pm, a very long day. Next day we had a long drive to Bikaner.