Jaisalmer, beyond the dunes

One of the few forts in the world people still live inside — yellow sandstone that turns gold at sundown.

Five merchant mansions, carved head to foot in latticed sandstone.

A man-made reservoir ringed with ghats and shrines — the town’s calmest hour is here at dawn.

An abandoned Paliwal village, left in a single night nearly two centuries ago.

Rows of royal cenotaphs on an open ridge — one of the best sunset spots near the city.

A legendary temple that survived hundreds of bombs, and the border post where the 1971 battle was won.

A massive wildlife sanctuary right beside Khuri dunes, home to the endangered Great Indian Bustard.