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             JODHPUR TRAVEL GUIDE

Jodhpur is the second largest city in the  state of Rajasthan. It was formerly the seat
of a princely state of the same name, also known as Marwar. Jodhpur is a popular
tourist destination, featuring many beautiful palaces, forts and temples, apart from a
stark, scenic desert landscape. The city is known as the Sun City for the bright,
sunny weather it enjoys all year. It is also referred as the Blue City, due to the indigo
tinge of the whitewashed houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. The blue houses
were originally for Brahmins but non-Brahmins soon joined in, as the color was said
to deflect the heat and keep mosquitoes away. Jodhpur lies near the geographic
center of Rajasthan state, which makes it a convenient base for travel in a region
much frequented by tourists. The old city of Jodhpur is surrounded by a thick stone
wall. The wall has six huge gates called Nagauri gate, Merati gate, Sojati gate, Jalori
gate, Siwanchi gate and Chand pol.

Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief belonging to the Rathore
clan. Rao Jodha succeeded in conquering the surrounding territory and thus
founded a state which came to be known as Marwar. As Rao Jodha hailed from the
nearby town of Mandore, that town initially served as the capital of this state;
however, Jodhpur soon took over that role, even during the lifetime of Rao Jodha.
The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat. This enabled it to
profit from a flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk, sandals, date palms and coffee.
Jodhpur Panorama, spotted from the Mehrangarh Fort.
Jodhpur Panorama, spotted from the Mehrangarh Fort.

Early in its history, the state became a fief under the mughal empire, owing fealty to
them while enjoying some internal autonomy. During this period, the state furnished
the mughals with several notable generals such as Maharaja Jaswant Singh.
Jodhpur and its people benefited from this exposure to the wider world: new styles of
art and architecture made their appearance and opportunities opened up for local
tradesmen to make their mark across northern India.

Aurangzeb briefly sequesterated the state (c.1679) on the pretext of a minority, but
the rightful ruler was restored to the throne after Aurangzeb died in 1707. The
mughal empire declined gradually after 1707, but the Jodhpur court was beset by
intrigue; rather than benefitting from circumstances, Marwar descended into strife
and invited the intervention of the Marathas, who soon supplanted the mughals as
overlords of the region. This however did not make for stability or peace; 50 years of
ruinous wars and humiliating treaties dissipated the wealth of the state, which
sought and gratefully entered into subsidiary alliance with the British in 1818.


GENERAL INFORMATION


Time zone            IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                      75.50 kmē (29 sq mi)
Elevation              231 m (758 ft)
District(s)             Jodhpur
Population           846,408[1] (2001)
Density                11,210/kmē


PLACE TO VISIT


Umaid Bhawan Palace - The Umaid Bhawan Palace is not only one of
India's most imposing palaces but also among its most recent. This lavish art deco
monument to royal living had an improbable conception: it was built as a public relief
and employment project during a long period of drought. Over one million square
feet (90,000 mē) of the finest marble was used in the construction of the palace. A
special type of sandstone, called Chittar sandstone, has been used in constructing
the palace and this gives it a special effect. For this reason, it is also referred to as
Chittar Palace by the locals. Its style of construction, with beautiful balconies,
charming courtyards, green gardens and stately rooms, makes it a fine example of
Indo-Saracenic architecture

Mehrangarh Fort - The Mehrangarh Fort lies at the outskirts of Jodhpur city
and is located atop a 125 m high hill. The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort (Jodhpur ka
kila) is the most majestic and one of the largest forts in India. It was originally started
(c.1459) by Rao Jodha, founder of Jodhpur. However, most of the extant fort dates
from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-78). The walls of the fort are up to 36 m high
and 21 m wide; they enclose some exquisite structures. The fort museum houses
an exquisite collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical
instruments, costumes and furniture. The ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort provide not
only excellently preserved cannons but also a breath-taking view of the city.

Jaswant Thada - The Jaswant Thada is architectural landmark found in
Jodhpur. It is a white marble memorial built in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant
Singh II. The monument, in its entirety, is built out of intricately carved sheets of
marble. These stones are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow
when the sun's rays dance across their surface. Within this cenotaph, there are also
two more tombs.

Osiyan Temple - An ancient Jain temple, well worth the visit, lies in the village
of Osiyan, about 60 km outside Jodhpur. There are many sections of this temple,
which was built in several distinct phases.

Kaman art gallery - The Kaman art gallery is indian contemporary art gallery .It
is first contemporary art gallery in rajasthan .There are see many famous indian
contemporary artists painting.This gallery location near clock tower jodhpur,Old fort
Road,kili khana.

Chamunda Mataji Temple - Tucked away at the far end of the battlements,
this temple is devoted to Rao Jodha's favorite goddess and remains a local favorite
to this day.


HOW TO REACH

By plane - Connected by air from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Udaipur; the airport is
about 5 km from the city centre. Take a taxi (Rs.200) or autorickshaw (Rs.50) from
the airport to your hotel.

By train - Jodhpur is an important division of the North Western zone of the Indian
Rail network . It is well connected by direct trains from all metros and major cities in
India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Lucknow,
Kalka, Jammu, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad. For example, the popular
Mandor Express leaves Delhi at 8:45 PM and arrived in Udaipur at 8 AM the next
morning (Rs.1000 in AC2).

By bus - Jodhpur can be reached by RSRTC (Rajasthan State Road Transport
Corporation) buses and private luxury buses which operate from all major towns and
cities in Rajasthan as well as the cities of Ahmedabad and Delhi.