Desert National Park, Rajasthan – India Ancient architectural marvels including a fort. Rare blend of flora and fauna; conservation efforts.

Desrt has its own beauty.

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ABOUT THE STATE
The western Indian state of Rajasthan borders Pakistan and boasts of a royal past and a rich tradition of massive forts and other attractions. A visitor encounters a vast array of massive structures standing tall amongst large unending expanses of golden sands.
A brief introduction to the attractions of this state:
• Jaipur, the pink city,
• Udaipur, nicknamed Venice of the East,
• Jodhpur, the sun city,
• Jaisalmer, the golden city,
• Bikaner, known for its food and forts,
• Pushkar, the king of pilgrimage sights in India,
• Sawai madhopur, housing the Ranthambore National park, and
• Mount Abu, the only hill station of this desert state.
This state is a treasure of architectural marvels and I can easily count the attractions that include:
• One hill station,
• About 40 distinct places worth visiting, and
• Six national parks including a bird sanctuary.
ABOUT JAISALMER
Standing tall in the heart of the Thar desert is the city of Jaisalmer. For more information, go to http://tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/jaisalmer.
The enchanting desert, the historical fort, and an ancient, trading hub is what Jaisalmer city has to offer. But, let us start at the beginning.

Though, every desert appears to be just a deserted stretch of barren land but, as they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

The Desert National Park is located 18 km from the city of Jaisalmer.

The fossils discovered in this National park speak of inhabitation by many animal species including Dinosaurs dated back to 6 million years ago though some fossils discovered were 180 million years old.

It reflects the ecosystem of the Thar Desert with salt lake bottoms and irregular rock formations.
Sand covers more than 20% of this park which boasts of the Akal World Fossil park.

FAUNA

When we talk of fauna in the Desert National Park, the first name that spontaneously comes up is that of the great Indian Bustard which is in the critically endangered list of WWF with only 200 individual birds surviving worldwide.
The government has, in collaboration with the World Wildlife fund, has plans to set up a captive breeding centre for the great Indian Bustard at this park and at Kota.

In addition, this park is a haven for observing a vast array of birds, both local and migratory.

There are a variety of desert fauna among which the most prominent are:
• The Wolf,
• Desert Fox and
• The Blackbuck.
• Khejri, the state tree of Rajasthan is found only here, and
• Rohida, the state flower of Rajasthan.This is only place where the state flower exists.

GETTING THERE

The Desert National Park is easily accessible by almost all modes of transport as follows:

By air

Jaisalmer Airport is 42 Km from the park Army controlled – November onwards
Jodhpur Airport is about 320 Km away

By Rail

The Indian Railways network connects Jaisalmer Railway Station to all parts of the country.

By Road

The roads in India have developed considerably, particularly on the highways. Now, it is very easy to get an inter-city air-conditioned bus run by the government and the private operators.

NOTE:
There are entry fees on per head basis; they range from INR 100 to INR 1000 (about US $15). Visitors may kindly check themselves.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN JAISALMER
There are quite a few attractions in and around Jaisalmer.

They are:
Jaisalmer Fort, Constructed in 1156, it is one of the largest forts in the world. It has 99 turrets and is made of yellow and golden sandstone.

Silk Route art gallery, An ideal place for shopping, you can buy handmade clothes, patchworks, bags, shawls, belts, antiques and accessories.

Gadisar lake, Built in 1367 AD, the lake is only 1 kilometer from the fort and houses temples and places to relax.

Desert safari, Sam Sand Dunes is the ideal place to explore the desert on a safari.

Patwon ki haveli, A magnificent five storied structure with its splendidly decorated huge suites. Built from yellow sandstone, its architecture is marvelous.

Bada bagh, a 16th century garden.
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Umrao Singh
umraoz.wordpress.com
Written for: Lars-Magnus Carlsson.
www.thephilippinepride.com
Monday, May 01, 2017

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