Jodhpur is the heart of the Marwar region of Rajasthan India and it’s pin code is 112001. This city is also known by the popular name as the Blue City and boasts of being the second largest city of the desert state. This city developed by a Rajput kingRaoJodha who built an impregnable fort on the top of a high cliff known as Cheel ka Teela. Maharaja RaoJodha shifted his capital from Mandore in 1459. The clan of Rathores built some marvelous palaces, cenotaphs, memorial in this famous city of Jodhpur. Jodhpur is known across India for it’s famous IIT Institute.
Location of Jodhpur: - The three desert cities of Rajasthan namely Jodhpur Jaisalmer and Bikaner form a sort of triangular shape and create a desert golden triangle. Jodhpur city is situated around 300 kms to the west of Jaipur; Indian railway connects Jodhpur with all important cities of India. It takes around 6-7 hours of comfortable drive from Jaipur / Udaipur to reach Jodhpur city. If you are travelling from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer this takes nearly 6 hours to cover a distance of 300 kilometers.
Jodhpur Weather: –Jodhpur lies in the desert area of Rajasthan the weather is hot and humid with very less rainfall even during the monsoon months. The summers start early and Jodhpur temperature may rise up to 50 degree Celsius in the month of May and June. The winter weather is very conducive for travel activity as the temperature is neither very high nor very low it stays in the pleasant range; the best months to visit Jodhpur are the months of November, December, January and February.
Why Jodhpur is Called Blue city: – Jodhpur is one of the top travel destinations of Rajasthan and is famed for it’s remarkable Rajasthani architecture. When viewed from the high perched Mehrangarh fort the city underneath appears blue, This was a tradition adopted by the priestly clans of Brahmins who painted their house with blue hue of lime thus their homes were visible from a distance and the city came to be known as the blue city. Jodhpur is also famous for the Marwari merchants, There Marwari merchants are a famous business community in all big metropolitan cities of India. Jodhpur in medieval times was very strategically located on the important trade route between Delhi and Gujarat..
Mehrangarh Fort: – There are a number of worth visit places in Jodhpur. Mehrangarh Fort is one of the top sightseeing places of Jodhpur. Occupying a prominent position in the sky line of Jodhpur is the Mehrangarh fort. The entire city of Jodhpur is visible from the high Mehrangarh fort. This high hillock known as the abode of the eagle was selected by Rao Jodha for the construction of an impregnable fort. A hermit used to stay on top of this hill who abandoned it after a sage Sri Karni Mata requested him but it is said he cursed Rao Jodha that Jodhpur will always suffer deficiency of water, Scion of the rathore clan of Rajputs Jodhpur still remains in the hands of the Rathore Rajput rulers. The 122 meters high walls of Mehrangarh Fort appear an impossible feat accomplished by the stone cutters belonging to the Meghwal community. There are seven gates leading to the interior of the Mehrangarh fort. Jaipol, fatehpol, Dedhkangra pol, Lohagarh, are names of the famous gates. The inside of the Mehrangarh fort is occupied by a museum where various period articles and artifacts are displayed This collection includes palanquins, howdahs (caparison) of elephants, period arms , swords, turban gallery displaying various sorts of Rajputani turbans (head gear). Apart from the museum the tourists are enthralled by a series of palaces MotiMahal, PhoolMahal, Sheesh mahal, Silehkhana and Daulatkhana. A tour through these palaces gives you a vivid description of the royal life style of the ruling clan of Mehrangarh.
What is special about Umaid Mahal?: - The palace cost 11 million rupees to the exchequer and the construction went on for 13 long years, three thousand people toiled day in and out to make this palace a reality. The stone cutters employed at Umaid Bhawan were descendants of those who built the Mehrangarh fort. Henry Vaughanlanchester of the famous firm“lanchester& lodge” was the chief architect of this project.
A grand palace built on the design of fusion of Indian Palaces and the Saracenic style of architecture with a grand dome looking similar to the vice roy’s residence at Delhi (Rashtrapati Bhawan)The palace had a generous display of opulence, the palace occupies a 26 acre plot of land. The gardens are based on15 acres there are series of rooms designed as a durbar hall, a banquet hall, private dining halls etc.
The palace today is divided into separate areas of a luxury hotel (The Taj Palace hotel), residence of the royal family of Jodhpur and a museum based on the antiquities of the Jodhpur royal family.
Jaswant Thada : – very near to the Mehrangarh fort across a small lake surrounded by the garden is the cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II the memorial has been crafted from the finest white marble. The cenotaph is made to look like a temple, the inner wallsare so thin that they glow with sunlight outside. This memorial is also described as the Taj Mahal of Jodhpur. There are portraits of the erstwhile rulers of Jodhpur at display in the Jaswant Thada.
