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.
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.
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 m²) 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.
