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Khimsar is a small
village situated around 92 km on the highway from Jodhpur to Bikaner
in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. Khimsar is part of the
Nagaur District that is located between Bikaner and Jodhpur. The
desert village of Khimsar offers an interesting insight into the rural
life of the desert people and also provides an excellent starting
point to explore the district of Nagaur. The old city of Khimsar
harbors several mosques, one of which was commissioned by Emperor
Akbar. The Nagaur Cattle Fair is a major tourist attraction and
attracts thousands of tourists every year. The climate of Khimsar is
moderate. In Summers, the temperature is around 38.1º Celsius and in
winters it is around 5.5º Celsius. Hindi, Rajasthani, Marwari and
English are the common languages which are spoken here.
History of Khimsar
Established by a scion of the house of Jodhpur, Khimsar was once a
small kingdom. And though Jodhpur royalty claim it was never
independent, the Thakurs of Khimsar claim that not only was it an
individual entity, but that one of the visitors to their ancestral
fort was Emperor Aurangzeb himself.
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The main tourist attraction
in Khimsar is the Khimsar Fort. The fort architecture of
Khimsar offers great heterogeneity. The construction of
the Khimsar Fort began in 1523 AD. The fort was built by
Rao Karamsiji, the 8th son of the Jodhpur founder, Rao
Jodha, who moved to this region and founded the royal
dynasty at Khimsar. Originally, the fort walls, turrets,
and stables were built solely for war, and were
constructed around the beginning of the 16th century.
Subsequently, by mid 18th century, the royal family moved
in when a new zenana or ladies residence was constructed.
Finely carved windows in stone were constructed in this
section for providing purdah or veil for the ladies in
waiting. Thakur Onkar Singh, the present chief and the
17th direct descendant of Rao Karamsi (the original
builder of the fort) built a regal additional wing in the
1940 for himself. Today, this fort ranks amongst the
premier Heritage Hotels of India. The Khimsar Fort is a
prestigious heritage hotel and offers luxurious
accommodation. The palace inside the fort, painted in
vibrant colors is a feast for the eyes with its fountains,
courtyards, and gardens.
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How to reach Khimsar
By Air
The nearest airport is Jodhpur, around 92 km away and which is connected
by regular flights with Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. The airport is located
around 6 km off the city center.
By Rail
The major railway junction for Khimsar is Jodhpur on the Western Railway
broad-gauge network. Jodhpur is linked to various centers in the region by
express and passenger trains. New Delhi, Agra, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Udaipur,
and Ahmedabad are some of the important cities that are linked with
Jodhpur through rail. There are two other rail-heads, Osian and Nagaur but
these do not lie on trunk routes and are connected by local passenger
trains.
By Road
There are good road connections from Khimsar to other important tourist
destinations in the region including Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Nagaur. |
