Jodhpur, settled in 1459 by Rao Jodha, this city has a history of war,
romance and valor. With its imposing Mehrangarh Fort, that can be see
from all parts of the city, to its broad strees, its signature blue
white houses, Jodhpur still encompasses a bye-gone era.
Half Day Sightseeing, visit the impressive Mehrangarh Fort on a 37
m low sandstone hill built by Rao Jodha in 1459. From the top of the
fort one can get a bird’s eye view of the old city to the Jaswant
Thada, an imposing marble cenotaph built in 1899 for Maharajah Jaswant
Singh II, and smaller memorials to other Maharajahs of Jodhpur. At the
end of the tour enjoy a short walk through the local and vibrant bazaar.
History
Jodhpur was founded by the Rajput chief Rao Jodha in 1459. The city
was the erstwhile capital of the Marwar state. A 10-km-long wall made
of stone and built about a century after the city was founded, surrounds
the old city. There are about 100 towers in the city, most of which
are surrounded by defensive battlements. It was founded in 1459 A.D.
by Rao Jodha-chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs who claimed to be
descendants of Rama - hero of the epic 'Ramayana'. Rahores controlled
a large part of Rajasthan, especially during the reigns of Rao Udai
Singh (1581 AD) and his son Raja Sur Singh ((1595), who conquered Gujarat
and a good part of Deccan for the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The Rathores
always had good relationships with the Mughals and Maharaja Jaswant
Singh (1678) supported Shahjahan in the Mughal struggle for war of succession.
Only problematic relationship they had was with Aurangzeb. After the
death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Maharaja Ajit Singh became the ruler of
Jodhpur. He drove out Mughals from Ajmer and added substantially to
the Mehrangarh Fort.
What to see
Mehrangarh Fort
takes pride of place as the first destination on any visitor’s
list. From the outside its wide, high walls and sheer cliffs appear
unassailable, imposing and austere, but once inside you discover several
lavishly decorated palaces, with intricate carved ‘jalis’
and panels that take your breath away. Seven heavily fortified gateways
led to the palaces, armoury and royal chambers. Few of these gates remain
but the palaces are impressive in their variety and ornamentation
he notable ones are
Phool Mahal (Flower Palace),
with its beautifully painted walls, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace) with its
Shringar Chowk (coronation seat) featuring peacock armrests and gilded
elephants, Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), the Sileh Khana, the Umaid
Vilas and the Daulat Khana. At the Daulat Khana, visitors get to see
a rich and varied collection of royal memorabilia, fine Rajput miniatures
and Ragmala paintings.
The Mehrangarh Fort Palace Museum and the Umaid Bhawan Palace
Museum house a fine collection of royal memorabilia, armours and arms,
bejewelled howdahs, palanquins etc.
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a few metres below the fort, is the site of the white marble royal cenotaph
of Jaswant Singh II and four of his successors. The Mahamandir, dedicated
to Lord Shiva is an architectural wonder, built in 1812, with 84 intricately
carved pillars. As it was outside the city walls it was given its own
protective fortifications, a sign of those turbulent times!
The Umaid Bhawan Palace
was built during the 1920s and '30s as a famine relief project when
Maharaja Umaid Singh started a food for work program. The palace
took 16 years to complete- no wonder, then that with its 347 rooms,
it is one of the largest private residences in the world.
The present ruler converted it into a fine luxury hotel with an in
house museum while retaining the use of one wing as the private residence
of the erstwhile royal family.
Getaways
Mandore
the former capital of Marwar lies 8 km southwest, a true oasis in
the desert, with its greenery and pretty gardens. The main attraction
here is the ‘Hall Of Heroes’, where you see sixteen huge figures
of popular Hindu and folk deities carved out of single rock.
A fascinating drive through the arid landscape past stretches of desert
and tiny hamlets bring you to Ossian (65 km northwest of Jodhpur, off
the main Jodhpur-Bikaner road). Ossian is has a cluster of Hindu and
Jain temples dating back to the 8th to 11th centuries.
Guda Bishnoi
are the picturesque villages of the Bishnoi community, 25 km from the
city limits. The Bishnois are great conservationists, who believe staunchly
in the sanctity of animal and plant life and renowned for nurturing
and protecting local flora and fauna. The Bishnois will protect wildlife
at the cost of their own lives, if necessary. As a result, herds of
blackbuck and chinkara roam freely. Go there for an interesting insight
into the traditional ways of rural India and meet some true conservationists.
Sardar Samand Lake and Palace
is the former hunting lodge and summer getaway of the erstwhile ruling
family of Jodhpur. Little Rajasthani villages and hamlets, drying fields
of red chilli peppers and herds of black buck and chinkaras enliven
the 55 km drive.
Balsamand Lake
& Palace is an artificial lake/water body that is the source of
freshwater for the region. A mere 7 km from the main city, it is a picturesque
picnic spot with summer palaces along the embankment and a bird sanctuary.
Both Bal Samand and Sardar Samand have top quality accommodation for
overnight stopovers or for those who like to stay away from the hustle
and bustle of city life.
Osian
About 58 km from the city, on the diversion off the main Jodhpur-Bikaner
Highway, lies Osian, an oasis in the desert. Fifteen beautifully sculptured
Jain and Brahmanical temples dot the landscape of this ancient township.
Of these the most outstanding ones are the Surya or Sun Temple, Kali
temple, Sachiya Mata Temple and the main Jain temple dedicated to Lord
Mahavira.
Kailana Lake
is located 8 km west of Jodhpur and was constructed in 1872 by Pratap
Singh. The beautiful lake is an ideal picnic spot and also you can enjoy
bird watching. It is spread over an 84 sq. km area. It is reputed to
have spectacular sunsets.
Jaisalmer
In the remote westernmost corner of Rajasthan, 100km beyond its closest
neighbourhood Pokaran. Jaisalmer is a desert town. One of the main attractions
is the Jaisalmer Fort and the beautiful havelis which were built by
wealthy merchants of Jaisalmer.
Dining Out
Jodhpur has a few reasonably priced restaurants that serve a pot
pourri of different cuisines with a la carte selection of local Rajasthani,
North and South Indian, Chinese, Continental and American dishes catering
to a wide variety of eating preferences. What the city is really famous
for is a selection of spicy savouries and the sweet lover's delight,
the famous ‘mawa ki kachori’ - a rich sweetmeat with a filling
of thickened milk and dry fruits, served dripping in syrup. Jodhpur
is equally
How to get there
Air
Jodhpur is connected by flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur
at least thrice a week. The airport is 5 km from the city centre and
auto rickshaw or taxis are available for the ride into town. Fix the
price before getting into the auto/taxi and bargain hard! You could
also have your travel agent to get a car to meet you on arrival or have
your hotel send you a pick up.
Rail
Jodhpur has direct rail connections with many important cities, notably
Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Varanasi. The city is connected directly
or indirectly too many places in the state and to important destinations
in the neighbouring states of Gujarat and Delhi. Trains available are
in the express, superfast and mail categories.
Road
The national and state highways that connect Jodhpur to Delhi, Jaipur,
Udaipur, Ajmer and Ahmedabad are well maintained. Almost all rented
cars and jeeps in India come with a chauffeur, so if you want to see
the country and the weather is right, coming in to Jodhpur by road may
be a good idea. State roadways buses and private bus services run air-conditioned
coaches and regular buses on most routes. But the roads connecting Jodhpur
to smaller destinations like Barmer and Pokhran may not be very good.
Key distances – Delhi - 597 km; Udaipur – 260 km and Jaipur
– 335 km.
