Jaisalmer (THAR) - starry nights in the golden sand dunes

Spending a night amidst the sand dunes with the tent curtains blowing in the wind, bright moonlight of the clear sky illuminating the white tents, the eerie silence of the night adding a mysterious vibe, this feels something like straight out of an adventure storybook. Being in this lovely dessert was the most joyous celebration of culture and life I have experienced. 

Located right next to India's neighbor, Jaisalmer is a gem situated amidst the crown beauty of the Thar desert. The weather, as you can guess, is always unforgiving. Still, this golden city of India where the surroundings are illuminated brightly in Golden and yellow as the fort and town sculpted in Sandstone shines under the sunlight.

A visit to the Thar desert was on top of my mind when I decided to go to Rajasthan. So let me tell you about my night in the desert.

Mirage and oasis 



As I reached the starting point of Desert safari, obviously, I decided to get a company of a very handsome Camel with a toothy smile. Yet, he looked pretty intimidating when I had to hop on his back. The bumpy camel ride was filled with dramatic storytelling by our guide about his many expeditions in the desert.

As our guide took us to a spot known as sunset point. I didn't know what to expect there. I would have almost missed the sunset while musing about mirages. When the sun started going down on the horizon, the silhouettes of a few Rajasthani women wearing their Ghagra's walking in the far distance in the sand painted a quite divine picture.

The sky changed its color in various shades in a few minutes while my fellow mates and I tried to take pictures and videos of us running down the sandy slopes. Where we mostly just rolled down, falling and miserably failing to take that perfect picture. The laughter of tourists rings loudly with the wind carrying notes of someone playing flute somewhere in the desert. 

Mystical musical evening 



After the camel ride, I went back to a quiet place we had booked for ourselves to spend the night in the desert. These large yet cozy tents were beautifully decorated. The curtains and Rajasthani vibe just made me feel like a royal princess. This princess then entertained herself by engaging in Folk Extravaganza at the Musical Evening. 



We went to the place where the owner had arranged an entertainment night with the local musicians and artists. It was quite a beautiful experience. Those musicians' rhythmic folk songs had me tapping my foot along the beat as I enjoyed a quiet drink that night. I could recognize a few of the Rajasthani folk songs but are now adapted in a few Bollywood movies after getting mesmerized by a few soulful romantic musical pieces. Two women dressed in the most elegant traditional Rajasthani outfit came with the candles in their hands, and suddenly they changed to upbeat songs; their graceful performances had spectators glued to their seats. These women performed gracefully, and before I realized it, they had pulled some of us guests to dance along with them. Being a dance performer, I couldn't help but get lost in dancing and vibing with everyone. 

I spent quite a time staring at the midnight blue sky in the silent night. The sight of sand illuminated by moonlight is bewitching. The splendid beauty of the desert, the allure of musical night and vibrancy of dancing feet, the grandeur of Rajasthani thali, and the luxurious stay at the camps will lure you here. The quietness of the place otherwise will have you basking in the glory of the moment.