Renting out your home in Osian

Our advice for Osian

Osian, about 69 kilometres north of Jodhpur, is a desert town with a long memory. Between the eighth and twelfth centuries it was a religious and trading centre on caravan routes, and its group of Hindu and Jain temples, among them the Mahavira Jain temple and the hilltop Sachiya Mata temple, still draws pilgrims and lovers of architecture. Around it, the dunes and villages of the Thar give owners a second product: the desert night.

Two audiences, one town

Devotees visiting Sachiya Mata, often in family groups, want clean, simple rooms close to the temple and vegetarian food. Travellers from Jodhpur want an experience: sunset on the dunes, a camel ride, dinner under the sky, a night in a tent or a village hut, then back to the city next morning. The two sit side by side here, and an owner should decide which to serve before designing anything.

Desert camps and village homes

• Tented camps need wind-resistant structures, proper toilets, hot water and a plan for dust storms.
• Mud-and-thatch or stone huts stay cooler, but fans and lighting still need reliable power, often from solar panels and batteries.
• Village homestays with a host family are valued for authenticity; the family's welcome is the product.

Season

From October to March, demand follows the Jodhpur circuit and the winter holidays, with temple festival days adding pilgrim peaks.