Sand, Song, and Spectacle: Reimagining Desert Culture in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

Jaisalmer, the “Golden City” of Rajasthan, reflects a layered cultural system where desert traditions and tourism exist side by side Today, as one of India’s most visited desert destinations, it raises a key question: what happens when culture becomes both a livelihood and a performance?This study examines Jaisalmer as a living palimpsest, where older cultural layers continue to shape the present even as new ones emerge.