The music of sand dunes, the rainbow of colors, the opulence of architecture , the golden beauty of desert, the gleams of silver jewellery, the richness of history, the shine of zardozi jutis, and the flavor of baati choorma – what do they remind you of? Jaisalmer, one of the three cities filmed in the movie Meenakshi: A Tale of Three Cities by the renowned painter Maqbool Fida Husain. Jaisalmer Desert Festival in February is a popular international event that  many tourists from the US, Canada and other parts of the world fly to India for. Travel Beats, a portal for Indian Diaspora, presents a quick Jaisalmer travel guide in response to their query, “What to see in Jaisalmer?”

Jaisalmer Fort – The Sonar Qilla

One of the largest historical forts in the world, Jaisalmer Fort stands tall defying the blows of all-conquering time. Built by the Rajput King Rawal Jaisal in the 11th century, the fort is a stronghold amidst the vast expanse of golden sands. The backdrop of Jaisalmer’s desert beauty, it had witnessed many battles since the inception of its foundation. Made of yellow sandstones, the fort experiences a change in its color from bright gold to soft gold with the passing of the day from sunrise to sunset. That is why it is nicknamed “Golden Fort” or “Sonar Qilla”. The Academy Award winning Satyajit Ray had shot one of his famous detective films here. Another highlight of Jaisalmer Fort is the blend of Rajput and Islamic architectural styles in the construction.

Manak Chowk – the beehive of trade

Take a walk through Manak Chowk, the chief marketplace in the town. It was a bustling trade hub during the royal times of Rajasthan. Traders from the Middle East countries used to trade here. There are delicately sculpted beautiful havelis (palatial buildings) around Manak Chowk. Turbaned men with twisted mustaches, and colorful ghaghara clad women from the outskirts of Jaisalmer make the market look resplendent in the glories of the past. The women adorn themselves with ivory and silver ornaments. On visit to the market, you will feel the ancient charm of the places that you have heard about in fables.

Gadi Sagar Lake – the elixir of life

Gadi Sagar Lake used to be the savior of lives in the bygone eras when Jaisalmer was grappling with water scarcity. The lake was built as a reservoir to store rainwater which was supplied across the city in times of water crisis during summer. What makes Gadi Sagar Lake a must-see tourist attraction is the majestic landscape dotted with temples, shrines, gardens and ghats. Surrounded by shrines and temples, the lake has been consecrated as part of pilgrimage in the city. For the idyllic setting with space for boating, it has come alive as a suitable picnic spot.

Sam Sand Dunes – waves on desertscape

Jaisalmer is as much known for its desert beauty as for its royal history. The picturesque desertscape is dotted with sand dunes running miles. The wavy dunes make the desert a scenic landscape. A camel ride across the sand dunes gives the thrilling feel of a roller coaster. When a whirling wind blows over the dunes in the backdrop of the twilight sky, the ambience feels magical, musical and mirthful. The joy of sleeping on the dunes, under the starry sky and in the open is no less than a divine experience.

Patwon Ki Haveli – the magic of mirror

Jaisalmer is a city of richly decorated mansions or havelis. Most of the mansions were constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most famous mansion is Patwon ki Haveli, built by a wealthy silver merchant Guman Chand Patwon, in 1805. The mansion consists of five houses with sixty balconies and sprawling courtyards. The ceilings and walls are lavishly embellished with delicate mirror work, the beauty of which is inexplicable.

Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2019 is scheduled to run from February 17 until February 19. Do respond to the call of sand dunes, the Golden Fort, and the centuries-old mansions in Jaisalmer by booking your air travel to Rajasthan on IndianEagle.com. Jaisalmer is an overnight train journey from New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur.

The post Your Guide to Jaisalmer: Best Tourist Attractions to See in Golden City of India and Why appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

You will soon get soaked in luxury amidst sands of Jaisalmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. You will also be traveling along a heritage circuit in North India on wheels of luxury. The Ministry of India Tourism is going to launch two trains for affordable luxury travel in India this winter.

There are super luxury trains in India – Palace on Wheels, the Golden Chariot, the Deccan Odyssey, and Maharajas Express – offering the hospitality of bygone royal eras. With affordable packages, the new trains will add to the bliss of luxury train travel in India by enabling tourists to bask in the beauty of sprawling deserts and timeless heritage of India.

Unlike super luxury trains, the new semi-luxury trains can be afforded by many tourists. Both trains – Desert Circuit and Heritage Circuit – will depart from New Delhi for a five-day odyssey along the routes meandering through the desert of Rajasthan and crisscrossing three heritage cities. Tourists on board will be pampered over a host of deluxe services during the journey. You can enjoy sightseeing not only through window glasses of train coaches but also getting down at major sites where the trains will halt.

“Heritage Circuit” will be running through Agra, Varanasi and Khajuraho, three of the most popular heritage sites in India. What Agra is famous for is known to tourists from across the globe. The Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, is a must see in Agra. The yesteryear kingdom of the Mughal emperors has many stories to tell, including how Emperor Akbar got the recipe of Petha, a most famous delicacy of Agra, during construction of the Taj Mahal.

Varanasi is the oldest and holiest city of India, where you can take boat rides on the River Ganga and glimpses of the spectacular Ganga aarti. Don’t forget to explore the stories of Varanasi during your luxury train travel in India. Banarasi silk cloth, a traditional handicraft of this holy city, is a must buy.

The travel on “Heritage Circuit” will culminate at Khajuraho, a UNESCO world heritage site. Unlike the temples of Varanasi, Khajuraho temples are famous for erotic sculpture displaying human sexuality in multiple different forms from liberal perspectives. The legends of Khajuraho’s erotic art will take you back to the times when eroticism was an art in India.

The ‘heritage’ part of the travel by two new luxury trains in India promises to be a life-enriching experience. The Taj Mahal of Agra will tell you an immortal love story, Varanasi will immerse you in spirituality, and Khajuraho will overwhelm you with stories of passion. – Indian Eagle

“Desert Circuit” will take you on a ride across sand dunes in Jaisalmer and on a tour of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Among the things to do in Jaisalmer are listening to the music of sand dunes, shopping for handcrafted silver jewellery,  and visit to historic Jaisalmer Fort.  Jaisalmer Desert Festival in February is one of the popular winter events in India.

This luxury train travel in India by “Desert Circuit” will end in Jaipur, a yesteryear princely province of Rajput kings. Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, City Palace, Amer Palace and Nahargarh Fort are among the must-see tourist attractions of Jaipur. A tour of Jaipur will introduce you to the luxury and bravery of Rajputs.

Other Details of New Luxury Trains in India

“Heritage Circuit” will be operating from December 20 till April 24, 2016. The luxury travel by “Desert Circuit” will commence on December 20 and continue till April 21, 2016. Each of the two new luxury trains in India will make eight trips from December to April, which is the best time to visit India. Travel on these trains is a complete luxury package including 3-star hotel accommodation and exclusive dining apart from travel insurance, complimentary Wi-Fi, and English and Hindi speaking guide service. A trip by “Desert Circuit” will cost between 20K to 37K INR, and “Heritage Circuit” will charge from 18K to 36K for a trip depending on travel classes.

Luxury train travel in India is synonymous with the maxim, “Let the Train take the Strain.” Travel on these luxury trains of India will surely rejuvenate you with fresh moments, enrich you with knowledge, enchant you with offbeat stories and spellbind you with scenic sights which you will cherish forever.

Major international airlines operate flights to New Delhi from USA and Canada. We at Indian Eagle issue cheapest tickets for New Delhi flights from all American cities.

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Like every month in the calendar of India, February has got a few festivals which may not be as grand as Holi festival but add to the socio-cultural diversity of the country. These festivals make India a destination to be visited by tourists and travelers in the month of February. Ladakh in the Himalayan region, Khajuraho in central India, Jaisalmer in the sands of Rajasthan, Goa on the Arabian shore, and Allahabad on the confluence of three holy rivers are the festive destinations to be explored, rediscovered and enjoyed in February. Go through the rest to find how irresistible the fairs and festivals of India in February are.

Losar Festival in Ladakh

The white beauty of Ladakh wears a colorful look during Losar Festival in February. The festival marks the beginning of the New Year in this Himalayan region of India. The celebration is accompanied by mask dance performances, age-old rituals, and folk music unique to the culture of Ladakh. Dramatic depictions of fight between good and evil add to the significance of Losar Festival. Gompas or domestic shrines are colorfully decorated on the eve of the celebration.

CLICK to Read more Monasteries of Ladakh

Losar Festival is scheduled to be held on February 18 and 19 this year.

Goa Carnival 

There is no other street music & dance festival than Goa Carnival in India. The celebration is driven by lots of enthusiasm, cheerfulness, joy and love for life. Unlike conventional festivals in the rest of India, Goa Carnival brims with the frenzy of the locals and tourists who hit streets in glittering pageants. Unique to the be-happy-and-make-happy culture of Goa, this festival puts roses to every pair of cheeks. Goa celebrates the carnival like a dance of joy!

Goa Carnival is scheduled to be held from February 14 to 17 this year. 

World Sacred Spirit Festival 

World Sacred Spirit Festival is one of the few festivals of India dedicated to the celebration of folk music. It is a soul-stirring musical extravaganza for those who love drinking to music at historic settings like Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur and Ahhichatragarh Fort in Nagpur. The peaceful ambience of these forts adds to the beauty of the performances by famous artists who take the audience on an unforgettable musical ride.

World Sacred Spirit Festival is scheduled to be held from February 9 to 11 in Nagpur and from February 13 to 15 in Jodhpur this year. 

Khajuraho Dance Festival

Khajuraho Dance Festival is held to celebrate the culture and heritage of Madhya Pradesh in India. Classical dance performances are staged in the Khajuraho Temple complex, a most popular tourist destination in Central India. The Chitragupta and Vishwanatha Temples, brightly lit to beat enveloping darkness of the evening sky, serve as venue of this week-long cultural festival. The dance festival in the backdrop of the legendary Khajuraho is a feast for the mind.

Khajuraho Dance Festival is scheduled to be held from February 20 to 26 this year.

Desert Festival of Jaisalmer

The Desert Festival of Jaisalmer is a call to visit the golden sands of Rajasthan in February. This unusual festival is agog with amazing activities such as camel polo, long moustache display and turban-tying competition. The desert breeze blowing over sand dunes adds rhyme to musical entertainment under the moonlit sky. The symphony of traditional music not only stirs the soul but also shakes the being of the desert. Puppetry and folk dance are other attractions of the Desert Festival of Jaisalmer.

CLICK to Read Travel Guide on Jaisalmer Sightseeing

Desert Festival of Jaisalmer is scheduled to be held on 

Magh Mela 

Magh Mela is all about the sacred ritual of bathing at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Sarawati River in Allahabad. The mythology of India refers to the origin of Magh Mela as the beginning of the universe. Magh Mela is much smaller than the world-famous Kumbh Mela in the number of visitors and the volume of crowds. It is an annual festival, whereas Kumbh Mela is held once in every three years.

Magh Mela started on January 5 and will continue till February 17.

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