The first impression had been formed by celluloid. To me Jaisalmer, shown through Satyajit Ray's cinematic lens in Sonar Kella, has always conjured up a place crackling with mystery and romantic character. If anything, the tautly scripted Aamir Khan starrer Sarfarosh only reinforced the mystic appeal of the Golden City set amidst the desert sands.
To my delight, Jaisalmer lived up to its cinematic allure. There is something secretive about the sand dunes and the inscrutable flatness of the horizon as you stand atop the Golden Fortress gazing in the direction of the Pakistani border that makes your imagination race. You almost expect a Mirchi Seth - the turbaned, moustachioed chilli merchant and arms smuggler in Sarfarosh - kind of figure to pop up.
And, with tales like those recounted by my hosts of the ghost hamlet Kuladahra, where an entire community deserted its village, Jaisalmer is indeed a setting for people with overheated imagination.
Can you imagine anything more dramatic than an entire village suddenly vanishing in the thin of the night? The Paliwal community which lived in Kuladahra since 1291 just upped and left one fine night, and for good measure cursed the village so that nobody could inhabit it again. So, till date, the accursed village stands as it is, a bit embellished here and there for tourists to gawp at.
Tales like these lured me to Jaisalmer, and I found no dearth of the exotic here. Be it the desert magic of the sand dunes, the camel safari, the haunting music of the local folk artistes, the warmth and character of the world's largest living fortress inhabited by thousands, or the serene picture-perfect calm of the Gadsisar Lake, there's a lot to experience.
Now, add one more attraction - Suryagarh, a hotel built exactly like a fort with ramparts, turrets, courtyards, majestic doorways, et al. One has seen havelis, palaces and even ancient forts converted into heritage hotels, but here is a fort built from scratch in this modern day and age.

Beyond the tourist triangle

It's the labour of love of young Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, who took over the project from his businessman dad, and changed the contours of the blueprint to invest it with a grand scale.
The good-looking Shekhawat - who has been a Gladrags model in the past - is trying to change many perceptions about Jaisalmer. For starters, there's the perception that Jaisalmer is a bit off Rajasthan's travel map. That's because from Jodhpur, the typical touristy route leads either to Udaipur or Bikaner, and Jaisalmer is seen as a place you go to and have to backtrack. So the usual Rajasthan tourist triangle takes in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur or Bikaner. Locals involved in Jaisalmer's tourist trade rue that despite the Desert Festival few domestic tourists arrive apart from the Bengalis who throng here smitten by Ray's Sonar Kella; it's the intrepid foreigner who takes the track to Jaisalmer.
The other deterrent is the heat of the desert - for six months from April to September it's unthinkable to visit the city for pleasure.
Now, Shekhawat is trying to change these perceptions and promote Jaisalmer - and his resort - as a complete holiday destination by itself.
It's an intensely personalised hotel - right from the way you are greeted with the traditional aarati down to the little details in the room that delight you. Like an anxious parent of a newborn baby, he quizzes guests on tips and suggestions.

Microsoft honcho checks in

Clearly, the Suryagarh team has managed to get the word going - while we are at the resort, we see Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen land in his helicopter, accompanied by his sister and a personal troupe of musicians. They occupy the decadent Presidential suite on the top floor, which comes with a private pool on the terrace and other luxurious trappings. (We get to peep in once Allen and his entourage have left and the sheer opulence of the suite leaves us reeling - it costs around Rs 75,000 per night).
Well, our room is not lacking in comfort either - it is very tastefully done up too. Indeed, the resort has enough and more to keep the leisure tourist happy during the hot days - the spa Rait offers the most soothing of massages - comparable to the best in the world. (I tried the Suryagarh Special and came away feeling on top of the world.)
There is the Akhara - the quaintly named gym, the swimming pool, the Art room. There is also a modern conference hall and facilities which Shekhawat says he has put in to attract corporates looking for an offbeat offsite location. Then there are scores of interesting nooks and corners, filled with artefacts - so simply pottering around the premises doing nothing but soaking in the atmosphere is a good way to spend the morning.

Private patch of sand

Once the weather cools down, and as evening sets in, we set out to explore the attractions of Jaisalmer. Just a half hour away are the sand dunes of Sam, where you can stretch away your time on camel back or just relax under a tent, watching the stars, even as folk artistes play and you are plied with choice snacks and drinks.
A word of warning — the dunes can be as crowded as Mumbai's Chowpatty or any beach in India, abounding with hundreds of other star gazers, unless your hotel is smart enough to negotiate its own private sands. Luckily for us, Suryagarh has done it, and we are the sole owners of our patch of sand.
We explore this at first on camel back — but just a few minutes into our procession across the dunes, the stillness of the desert is shattered by the sound of noisy bikes. We can see on a faraway dune, mobikes kicking up dust doing “dirt biking”. I can't help but be amazed at how they manage to rev up on the dunes, when even the gentle pace of my camel — Babloo — is a bit much for me. Fearing for my back, I choose to walk instead.
The sand dunes have all been planted with bushes — we are told this is done by the army to keep the sands from swirling — so don't expect swathes and swathes of silky unbroken desert. For that kind of experience, we are told, one has to go miles more westwards towards Barmer.
Returning to the hotel, we are treated to folk dance performances in the courtyard and a royal Rajasthani fare. The chef indulges our special demands and concocts some delicious amrood ki sabzi (tangy guava dish) too.

Life within a fort

Next morning, we set out early for the city tour that takes in Gadsisar Lake and the Golden Fort.
The fortress is said to be crumbling — the spate of rains in Jaisalmer and the advent of the Indira Gandhi canal in the region has brought water to this arid region, but it's also caused havoc to the fortress built on dry architecture principles.
Yet, to the lay visitor, the cracks are not noticeable. Instead, life inside appears delightful. The intricate craftsmanship at the temple takes away your breath as do the havelis, outside which we are amused by men flaunting their long moustaches (seven to 10 metres, they claim!)
On the train back, I have an unexpected encounter with noted Rajasthani novelist O.P. Bhatt, who delights me with anecdotes of Bhisham Sahni and Satyajit Ray's visits to Jaisalmer and his interactions with them. Bhatt has captured through his own historical-fictional narratives the tales of some of the royal residents of Jaisalmer Fort, and the journey passes in a jiffy.
As you hear the soft-spoken author's stories of his literary experiences, my thoughts are that Jaisalmer is that kind of town — where you can sit down with pen and paper, and be inspired by the swirling sands to weave stories. Someday, perhaps, when the urge to write fiction strikes, I will draw my muse from the town.

Desert Deal

During the April-September off-season, Suryagarh offers a two nights/ three days discounted package starting at Rs 21,999, which includes a visit to the dunes and camel safari, as well as a half-day city tour.
Although there is a direct train from Delhi to Jaisalmer, it's far pleasanter to take the Delhi-Jodphur train and drive to Jaisalmer, stopping en route at Manvar resort. Our driver proudly takes a small detour to show off the Indira Gandhi canal and the pretty settings near it. Along the drive, you spot peacocks on the way, and occasionally black bucks near the Bishnoi villages