NH 68
Jaisalmer–Prantij Highway
705 km
Open
2 states
National Highway
Route
NH 68 runs 705 km from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan to Prantij, Gujarat.
Crosses Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Through Jaisalmer, Barmer, Dhorimanna, Sanchore, Radhanpur, Patan, Mahesana and Prantij.
Why it matters
This road ties the thinly populated western border districts of Rajasthan to the industrial towns of northern Gujarat, and it is one of the few north–south routes across the desert.
History
National Highway 68 crosses the Thar desert from Jaisalmer south through Barmer and Sanchore, then over the Rann country into Gujarat at Radhanpur, and on through Patan and Mehsana to Prantij. It is a desert road — long, straight, thinly populated — and it carries the traffic of the western border districts, including a great deal of army and Border Security Force movement, as well as the oil and lignite output of the Barmer fields.
Good to know
- Crosses the Thar desert from Jaisalmer to the Gujarat border.
- Serves Barmer, the centre of Rajasthan's oilfields.
- Patan, on the Gujarat stretch, holds Rani ki Vav, a UNESCO World Heritage stepwell.
- It is an important military supply road for the western border.
- Long stretches have no settlement, fuel or phone signal.
On the road
Carry water and fuel — the gap between Jaisalmer and Barmer has almost nothing on it. Sandstorms reduce visibility in summer, and drifting sand can cover the carriageway.
More details
- Lanes
- 2 lanes, widened in places