Crafts In Barmer

This arid desert town in western Rajasthan, with just a handful of ruins, does not seem to have anything that will interest a visitor. But there is beauty even in this wasteland. Beautiful block-printed fabrics, delicate handcrafted wood furniture, pottery, carpets, and fine embroidery add colour to this otherwise monochromatic town. Even the houses here are decorated with pictures and motifs. These crafts are the lifeline in a region where almost nothing grows. Anad its not just crafts that draw people to this town; the songs of the Bhopas or priest singers and the music of the Musline dholis are also famous. Visitors can start craft-hunting in the tiny shops that crowd Sadar Bazaar. But don't restrict youself to the bazaar-there are artisons at work in almost every bylane in the town.

Barmer is 153km south of Jaisalmer and 224km west of Jodhpur.
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Khichan

At first sight Khichan looks like any small Rajasthani village. But if you were to walk around, you would see hundreds of stately black and grey demoiselle cranes flying over the village and foraging in its fields and if you were to come to Khichan at the crack of dawn, you would find the sky obscured by thousands of these birds, as they wing their way to specially-constructed enclosures in the village. These birds, which migrate every winter from Central Asia, have been congregating in the village for as long as the villages can remember. They come to this area attracted by the vast open scrublands around the village. The villagers lay out grain for the birds twice a day and protect the birds from any disturbance. The birds are part of every aspect of village life, including their harvest songs.

Located 140km northwest of jodhpur, The welcomeheritage lalnivas-02925-223813

Desert National Park

If you thought deserts were dry and therefore boring, try walking through the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer. It covers over 3,162 km and is one of the best examples of desert habitat in the country. The animal and bird life here ranges from the endangered Great Indian Bustard to herds of chinkara, desert cat, desert fox, bird like sand grouses, buzzards, owls, and reptiles like the monitor lizard, saw-scaled viper and the spiny tailed lizard. A few areas of the park, like Sudashri, are enclosed with barbed wire to prevent grazing by cattle. The forest department has demarcated a few trails in this area-which make for a good 3-4 hour walk. To see the rest of the sanctuary, walk through, from Khuri towards Miajalar, Girab, Gadra, and back towards Munabao. You can stay at these villages.

Contact Deputy Director, Desert NP-02922-252498 for permissions. Gangaur Guest House in Khuri can organise 3-4 day Safaris.