Pokran literally means the place of five mirages. The name is apt, as it is surrounded by rocky and sandy topography and has five salt ranges. It is en route from Jodhpur to Jaislamer and Bikaner to Jaislamer. It is strategically located in between the triangle of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner.

Pokran city is located in the Jaisalmer district in the state of Rajasthan. It is located in the Thar Desert and is more famous for the site for India's first underground nuclear weapon detonation. The operation was ironically named as The Buddha Smiles. Pokran once again caught the world attention in 1998 when five more nuclear tests took place under its sandy surface. This operation was named as The Buddha Laughs.

The town is famous for a fair held in the name of local Deity, Baba Ramdev. There is a red fort located in the heart of the city. The havelis are a major tourist attraction along with the Kailash Tekri temple and Bhairav's caves. The largest library in Asia is housed here. There are other places of tourist importance like the Sathlmer and narasar ponds, Hingalaj temple, Shakti sthal and many more.

Pokran is also an abode to thousands of Damsel cranes, Houbara Bustard, The great Indian Bustard and the Imperial Sand Grouse. These come all the way from Siberia to the desert for food, water and to sunbathe. You can also see the Chinkara if you are lucky enough.