Barmer is a small town located about 150 kms from Jaisalmer, known for its wooden carvings, exquisite carpets, embroidery, block printing and dyed textiles and many other handicrafts. The town derived its name from Bhada Rao, (also called Bar Rao) the founder of the city. Barmer means the hilly fortress of Bar.

Barmer is also known for its traditional folk dance and music especially during the fairs and festivals and a large number of tourists visit Barmer during these fairs held in and around Barmer. Some of the popular fairs are the Tilwara Cattle Fair, Barmer Thar Festival, the Veeratara Mela, the Khed mela and the Nakoda Parasvanath.

There is not much to see in Barmer except for the Barmer Fort, the Balark Temple and the ancient ruins of Juna Barmer, but a visit to the village mud walled houses with traditional motifs on the exteriors and the colourful attire of the village folk gives the tourist a glimpse into the rural desert life. A visit to the small shops in Sadar Bazaar is a must. Here you can pick up some excellent wooden carvings and other traditional handicrafts.

Barmer is located 156 kms away from Jaisalmer and 227 kms away from Jodhpur. Regular buses are available from these cities to Barmer. Barmer also has regular buses and trains from major cities in North and North-West India. Jodhpur is the nearest airport.