SAND DUNES / THAR DESERT

Sam Sand Dunes 

Situated 42 kms from Jaisalmer, the sun-soaked Sam Sand Dunes bring to light a glided mirage. Truly the essence of the desert, the ripples of the wind-caressed dunes create an enchanting mirage. The best point of time is of course sunrise or sunset. Exciting camel safaris allow you to get the real feel of the desert on the camel back.

Thar Desert 

Thar Desert, also known as The Great Indian Desert, the huge unending expanse of burning hot sand is spread over four states in India, namely Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, and two states in Pakistan, covering an area of about 446,000 square kilometres. Deriving its name from 'thul' denoting the sand ridges of the region, Thar stands divided between Sindh region in Pakistan and Rajasthan in India.

A tract of rolling sand hills, the Thar Desert is bordered by the irrigated Indus plains to the west, the Aravalli Range to the southeast, the Rann of Kach to the south, and the Punjab plain to the north and northeast. Yielding salt and gypsum, the desert is formed due to the scant rainfall received by the region as a result of the dryness of the prevailing monsoon winds.

Receiving an annual average rainfall of less than 10 inches, the desert is largely a sun-scorched region of shifting sand dunes, broken rocks, and scrub vegetation. The sparsely populated region has a pastoral economy. In May 1974, India exploded its first nuclear device at Pokhran in the deserts of Rajasthan.

One unique feature of this desert is that there is neither an oasis in it nor any artesian well. No native cactus or palm tree breaks the monotony of the vast expanse. About 23 species of lizard and 25 species of snakes are found here and several of them are endemic to the region.  

Some wildlife species, which are fast vanishing in other parts of India, are found in the desert in large numbers such as the great Indian Bustard, the Black Buck, the Indian Gazelle, and the Wild Ass in the Rann of Kutch.