Desert National Park, Rajasthan

The Desert National Park is situated in the Indian state of Rajasthan near the Jaisalmer and Barmer towns. It is one of the largest national parks in Rajasthan, sprawling over 3162 square kilometres. From Jaisalmer/Barmer to the border between India and Pakistan, the park covers a vast area. Also, the Desert National Park is one of the excellent examples of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert and defies the stereotypical notion of the non-existence of the flora and fauna in the jungle. Around 44% of the national park is formed from sand dunes. Gazetted in the year 1980, the major landform of the park is formed from the rugged rocks, compact salt lake bottoms, fixed dunes, and the intermedial areas.
Despite being right in the middle of an arid, sandy, and dry desert, the Desert National Park provides a delightful opportunity to sight wildlife such as Desert Foxes, Wolves, Chinkara, Black Buck, Camel, and many more. The Entire area of the national park is covered with thorny bushes, cacti, and some other desert plants. Even though in fragile and harsh conditions, it homes to abundant and rarest birdlife, and many migratory and resident local bird species are also found here, one of which is the Great Indian Bustard along with the Falcons, Short- Toed Eagles, Spotted Eagles, Kestrel, Tawny Eagles, Harriers, and many more.
Apart from these majestic bird categories, the national park also has a unique collection of fossils of birds and animals. Some of them are even 180 million years old fossils and along with this some of the 6 million years old dinosaur fossils are also found here in this area. To witness these migratory birds soaring high in the sky, visiting Desert National Park is a must to spend the holidays sighting the desert landscape along with the wilderness.

Must Visit Attractions in and around Desert National Park

1. Patwon ki Haveli: One of the most magnificent Havelis of Rajasthan is the Patwon ki Haveli well known for its intricate latticework. This architectural wonder was sculpted out of Redstone. The Detailing of this architectural wonder has been done in line with the Jain architectural style. The Prime attractions here are the gateways, doorways, intricate yellow sandstone sculpted balconies, jharokhas or balconies, or the ornate wall paintings.

2. Jaisalmer Fort: Renowned locally as Sonar Quila, the Jaisalmer Fort is accounted among the most remarkable forts across the globe. The Fort is 250-foot tall fort that shelters around 99 bastions, out of which 92 of them were built from 1633 to 1647.

3. Gadisar Lake: The Beauty of the Gadisar Lake is defined by the sanctuaries and the broad ghats. While strolling around the lake, you will witness the presence of innumerable shrines, ghats, chhatris, and temples here. It also seems as if the waterbody here was a principal source of water for the inhabitants of the entire Jaisalmer city.

4. Bada Bagh: Bada Bagh is also known as the Bada Garden which is the widespread fascination of Ramgarh street. The Principal attraction here is formed by the chhatris or the cenotaphs.

5. Khaba Fort: The Khaba Fort is situated amidst the Jaisalmer Desert and is accounted as an architecturally admiring monument. While walking through this dilapidated structure, one can make their way through the other small museums lying close to it. Loaded with heaps of antique artefacts this museum will drive you back to the era of the 1880s.

6. Kuldhara Village: Kuldhara Village is an abandoned village where you can sight few remnants of how the town once was. For the local paranormal activities, it is a well-known spot. It is advisable to skip the destination if you are scared of hearing the haunted stories. Yet, a lot of tourists desire to peep in.

Things to do at Desert National Park

1. Camel Safari: Camel is best defined as the ‘Ship of the Desert’ and the laid-back camel safari is a very popular way to experience the national park, sitting on the top of the Gailey dressed camel and riding across the barren plains and the rolling dunes is a delightful and memorable experience. After entering the national park, you can find many different camel herders offering rides at a negotiable rate (usually starting from INR 200). You can enjoy the camel ride for hours and relish the sunset from the camel which is a memorable experience itself and forms a really good picture to photograph the memories.

2. Jeep Safari: Bashing the dunes of the desert, you can also enjoy the adventurous and enthralling jeep safari ride amidst the desert jungle sighting the majestic birds in the open sky. Holding onto the jeep tightly is advisable as the vehicle speeds over huge dunes. The Safari takes around 30 minutes to complete and runs on a 12 km trail. Other outside vehicles are not permitted in the area as the jeeps and vehicles for the safaris are registered.

3. Sightseeing: Desert National Park sightseeing is a favorite activity of all tourists, as it is home to some beautiful dunes and Gadisar Lake to adore. There's nothing better than relaxing beside Gadisar Lake and watching the villagers dancing between the dunes. Guarded by the magnificent gateway namely tilon-ki-pol is made up of sandstone leading the path to Gadisar Lake.

4. Food Safari: As a tourist, there’s a lot to explore in the Desert National Park you must also try the various traditional Rajasthani dishes and food as well along with the desert wilderness sighting which are available in this beautiful desert city. The ‘Murgh-e-Subz’ is a tender boneless strips of chicken stir-fried with shredded vegetables is a must try along with the dish ‘Ker Sangri’ which is the desert beans and capers. If you have a robust appetite you should try the tandoor thali tops which will be perfect for you! But Sensitive stomachs can go for the Kadi pakoras, flour dumplings cooked in yogurt sauce, potatoes filled with mint paste and dipped in gravy, orbhanon aloo, and many more such drooling dishes to satiate your unexpected cravings!

Essential Information

Location- Myajlar Road, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan 345001
Timing- The Desert National Park is open on all 7 days of the week between 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Price- Entry ticket prices for visitors at the Desert National Park are as follows:
Indian- 50 INR per head
Foreigner- 300 INR per head

Best Time to Visit Desert National Park:

Although you can visit Desert National Park any time of the year but, October to March is the most preferred period.

During Summers-
The Summer tends to be stifling hot, and it is advisable not to plan your visit during the summer season. During the summer season, you may find that the daytime temperature rises as high as 45 degrees whereas the nights tend to be cooler compared to the daytime.

During Monsoons-
Located within the heart of the Thar Desert, rainfall is equivalent to negligible. For a significant part of the year, the Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan witnesses extreme dryness for the significant part of the year.

During Winters-
The Desert National Park is the part of Jaisalmer where the winters are generally pleasing and alluring. The Daytime temperature can be expected to be around 22 to 24 degrees whereas, during the winter nights, the temperature level drops as low as 7 to 8 degrees. Therefore, the winter temperature and the climatic variations will make your Desert National Park expedition a contended one.

The Government Museum in its arena is another prime attraction of the Lohagarh fort. The Art gallery of the museum is the best place in Bharatpur to learn about the art of war employed by the rulers of Bharatpur and take a look at the various war-related artefacts that were used for defence in the past.

How to Reach Desert National Park?

The Three best ways to reach the Desert National Park are: -

By Rail-
The Nearest railway station to reach the Desert National Park is the Jaisalmer Railway Station. You can also opt for the popular ‘Exotic Palace on Wheels’ ride to relish the Desert National Park safari. The Jaisalmer Railway Station is situated at a distance of 13 km from the Desert National Park with a travel time of only 20 minutes between the two points.

By Road-
Jaisalmer depicts decent connectivity to other states by road with the options of both deluxe and customary bus services from Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaipur, Bikaner, Ahmedabad, etc.

By Air-
The Nearest airport to reach the Desert National Park is the Jodhpur Airport located at a distance of 300 km as Jaisalmer has no airport of its own. After getting down, you can either make your next move by boarding a train or by hiring a direct cab which will take around 5 hours to get transferred between the two points via road.

Tips for Visiting Desert National Park

The Mornings in the area are quite hot even during the winter, so it is recommended that hats and sunglasses are a must to carry.
Bringing extra sweaters and winter clothes to stay warm during the night time in winters is also recommended.
Seek out a spot where you can see the sunrise and sunset from a magical vantage point.
Take a scarf or hat with you to keep yourself guarded from getting sunburned in the desert.
As the tour guide tells tales about the culture and hardships of the desert people, ponder what they mean.
Explore the isolated villages near the park to learn more about people living in harsh conditions.
Tent accommodation is available in many hotels within the desert itself. These tents may be sandy and facilities may be scarce, but spending the night in the desert is an experience that should not be missed. Here, you can relish the traditional Rajasthani cuisine and stargaze at night. The Locals dance to folk tunes along with the organized bonfires at night are also a thing to must experience while on your expedition to Rajasthan’s Desert National Park.