Pokhran, at the junction of the Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner roads and 110 km from Jaisalmer, is the site of yet another magnificent Rajasthani fortress. The sandstone fort rises from the desert and shelters a tangle of narrow streets lined by houses with balconies and walls decorated with parrots, elephants and Rajasthan’s inevitable peacocks. The fort has a small museum with an interesting collection. Pokhran was also the site of India’s nuclear test explosions.