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Kuldhara Village

Jaisalmer


This abandoned village is 19km west of Jaisalmer, 6km south of the Sam road. It was abandoned by its Paliwal Brahmin inhabitants – just like the area’s 83 other Paliwal Brahmin villages – about 200 years ago. They were heavily taxed, their property was looted and the daughter of one family had been kidnapped, but there was no response to their complaints, so the entire community upped and left.

Legend has it they buried the gold and silver they couldn’t carry in Kuldhara, which has attracted treasure hunters to the area.

Some of the houses are in remarkable condition as they have been restored for use as film sets – this is a popular Bollywood location, and so attracts plenty of Indian day-trippers. Camel rides are available.


Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby Jaisalmer attractions

1. Jain Temples

7.52 MILES

Within the fort walls is a maze-like, interconnecting treasure trove of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples, dating from the 15th and 16th…

2. Surya Temple

7.52 MILES

This small 16th-century Hindu temple inside the fort is devoted to Surya, the sun god.

3. Jaisalmer Fort

7.54 MILES

Jaisalmer’s fort is a living urban centre, with about 3000 people residing within its walls. It is honeycombed with narrow winding lanes, lined with…

4. Vyas Chhatri

7.54 MILES

This atmospheric assemblage of golden sandstone chhatris (cenotaphs), in an old Brahmin memorial ground on a rise on the northwestern edge of town, forms…

5. Baa Ri Haveli

7.55 MILES

This 450-year-old haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), once belonging to Brahmin priests that advised the maharajah, now houses an…

6. Lodhruva Main Temple

7.56 MILES

The Jain temples at Lodhruva, rebuilt in the late 1970s, are the sole reminders of the city’s former magnificence. The inner sanctum of the main temple…

7. Laxmi Narayan Temple

7.57 MILES

The Hindu Laxmi Narayan Temple, in the centre of the fort, is simpler than the Jain temples here and has a brightly decorated dome. Devotees offer grain,…

8. Fort Palace Museum

7.61 MILES

Towering over the fort’s main square, and partly built on top of the Hawa Pol (the fourth fort gate), is the former rulers’ elegant seven-storey palace…