Jawai Travel Guide: Jawai Dam, Leopard Country and Planning Your Visit

Jawai is not a town with a list of monuments. It is a wildlife landscape around a large dam, in Pali district, and most visitors come for the leopards, the birds and the quiet. Rajasthan Tourism describes Pali as a trade centre with Jain temples and other monuments, and as sharing borders with eight districts, among them Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer and Sirohi. The temples that make a second day are in other parts of the district. For the state around it, start with our Rajasthan travel guide.

Jawai Dam

Rajasthan Tourism says the dam was built across a tributary of the river Luni by Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur and is believed to be the biggest in western Rajasthan. It is a primary source of water for nearby villages and for Jodhpur city. The same page describes it as famous in winter for migratory birds and for leopards, and says it houses crocodiles, so the water and the wildlife are presented together as the dam's draw.

The leopard conservation reserves

The Rajasthan Forest Department lists two conservation reserves at Jawai, both in Pali district. The Jawaibandh Conservation Reserve covers 19.79 square kilometres, and the Jawai Bandh Leopard Conservation Reserve-II covers 61.98 square kilometres. Rajasthan Tourism describes the region around the dam as bio-diverse and known for its leopard sightings and birdwatching, and lists a Jawai wildlife safari among the activities in Pali. A sighting is never guaranteed, because these are wild animals; safari rules and booking are set by the Forest Department and by the operator you use, so ask what applies on your dates.

Ranakpur Jain Temples

Rajasthan Tourism describes the Ranakpur Jain Temples, in Pali district, as built in the 15th century after a Jain businessman is believed to have had a divine vision, and dedicated to Adinath, the first Tirthankara. They are named after the provincial monarch Rana Kumbha, who supported the work, and stand in a valley of the Aravalli mountains. The marble complex covers over 48,000 square feet on a base of subterranean vaults, with 1,444 carved pillars, no two alike, and the Chaumukha Temple is the principal shrine, with a four-headed image of Adinath. The page describes diyas lit for the evening aarti every night.

The Sun Temple at Ranakpur

The Sun Temple at Ranakpur, called the Surya Narayan Temple, was built originally in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 15th, according to Rajasthan Tourism. It is built of white limestone and sits in the same area as the Jain temples, so the two fit into one outing.

Parshuram Mahadev Temple

This is a cave temple dedicated to Shiva. According to the story that Rajasthan Tourism records, Parshuram, an avatar of Vishnu, made the cave with his axe and worshipped Shiva there. The temple stands over 3,990 feet above sea level and houses figures of Ganesha and Shiva that formed naturally.

Nimbo ka Nath Temple

The Nimbo ka Nath temple lies on the Falna to Sanderav route and is dedicated to Shiva. Rajasthan Tourism says that in legend Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, worshipped Shiva here during their exile, and that the temple holds fairs that draw large numbers of devotees.