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Rising majestically over the
rocky and rugged terrain is
one of Rajasthan's finest
forts-the Mehrangarh Fort.
It looks down protectively
over the fascinating city of
Jodhpur.
Famous for its magnificent
forts and palaces, Jodhpur
is the second largest city
of Rajasthan and a major
tourist attraction in the
country. The city is
situated at the edge of the Thar Desert with Jaisalmer
on its west, Barmar, Jalor
and Pali on its south,
Bikaner on its north, and
Nagaur on the eastern side.
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. |
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JODHPUR - IMPORTANT
INFORMATION |
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Area: |
78.60 sq. km |
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Population:
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6,66,279 (1991) |
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Altitude:
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230 metres above sea
level |
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Languages:
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Marwari, Rajasthani
and Hindi |
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Best Time to
Visit: |
November to March
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STD Code:
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0291
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Climate |
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The city of Jodhpur has a
typical desert climate, dry
and hot. November and March
are the best time for a
journey to Jodhpur with
pleasant and sunny days.
Jodhpur receives 359.5 mm of
rain every year, most of it
during the monsoon
(July/August). Maximum
temperature in Jodhpur
during the summers remains
in the range of 40ºC while
in the winters the minimum
average temperature is 11ºC. |
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Location |
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Located on the edge of the
Thar Desert, Jodhpur has
Jaisalmer on its west,
Barmar, Jalor and Pali on
its south, Bikaner on its
north, and Nagaur on the
eastern side. The city is
like an oasis in the vast
desert, with a variety of
thorny shrubs all over the
area. It also has some of
the animal species that can
survive in an arid and dry
environment. |
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JODHPUR - HISTORY AND
LEGENDS |
History of Jodhpur goes like
this. The Rathore Rajputs
moved to Marwar - 'the
region of death' in 1211
when they were defeated by
Muhammad Ghori at Kannauj.
Rao Jodha, the Rathore
chieftain was forced to
leave the former Rajput
capital at Mandore in 1459,
as the place was not located
strategically. They chose a
new place, located 8 km from
the Mandore on the edge of
Thar Desert. 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. Now all
part of History of Jodhpur.
The city of Jodhpur
prospered because of its
location on the strategic
Delhi - Gujarat trading
route. |
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JODHPUR - SIGHTSEEING |
Mehrangarh Fort |
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Magnificent Mehrangarh, one
of Rajasthan's finest forts,
looks down protectively over
the city, from the hilltop.
The fort is situated at an
altitude of about 125 metres
and is spread over an area
of 5 sq. km with seven
gates. One could drive up or
walk to the top of the small
and not so steep hill.
Driving or walking up, the
sheer rock face from where
emerges the tall and massive
sandstone wall of Mehrangarh
looks awesome indeed. |
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Jaswant Thada |
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Red sandstone stairs led up
to the chessboard checked
courtyard of the neat white
marble cenotaph. Dedicated
to Maharaja Jaswant, this
memorial was built in 1899.
Inside, the reverent
ambience is framed with
several portraits of Jodhpur
royalty. It is a peaked
structure from the outside
with precise trelliswork and
excellent carving. |
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Umaid Bhawan |
The beautiful corridors,
staircases and hallways
preserve in near entirety of
Umaid Bhawan rouses the
curiosity of adventurous
spirits.
A wonderful palace of beige
sandstone built by Maharaja
Umaid Singh in 1928 and
designed by the President of
the British Royal Institute
of Architects. The Fort is a
blend of several styles,
merging pleasantly.
All the trappings of Raj
influence, pre-independence
royal living are present.
Royal auditorium ballrooms,
huge dinning-room, gilded
royal furniture, majestic
tiger and deerskins on the
walls of a gloomy library of
old books, crystal
chandeliers, stained glass
windows, liveried
menservants and doormen,
swimming pool in basement,
various mementoes and old
photographs. There is so
much to see and discover.
Outside the manicured lush
lawn, is splashed with rows
of red and white flowering
bushes. From the expanse of
green grass, the huge
central dome of Umaid Bhavan
emerges most prominent, with
the four corners peaked into
columned minarets. Glowing
in the late afternoon sun,
this is another royal
treasure of Rajasthan.
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Mandore |
Before the foundation of
Jodhpur was laid, Mandore
was the established capital
of the old Marwar Kingdom.
Just nine kilometers away,
Mandore is a fascinating
complex of sprawling
gardens, massive cenotaphs,
temples, ruins and
sculpture. The several
cenotaphs in memory of the
Jodhpur Maharajas are
intricately carved, peaked,
temple-like structures, with
entirely sculpted facades.
Gods, goddesses, animals,
lotuses, adorn the walls and
pillars of old yellow
sandstone. The largest and
most noteworthy cenotaph is
dedicated to maharaja Ajit
Singh.
In a hall are relief
sculptures of various
deities and rulers, colored
bright and mounted on
horses. In little corners of
temples are rows of
beautiful old tiles,
excellent ceramic art. Some
depicting Lord Rama or Lord
Krishna. Then of course,
there amongst the temples,
figurate, and landscaped
vegetation, are the brightly
dressed Rajasthani people.
The men, proud in their
moustaches and turbans with
the ladies in shocking pink
or green veils, wander about
in groups, admiring their
heritage. They lent a gaiety
to the pleasant late
afternoon.
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Museum |
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The Jodhpur Museum exhibits
a rich collection of armory,
textiles, arts and crafts,
miniature paintings,
portraits, manuscripts, and
images of Jain Tirthankaras.
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JODHPUR - TRANSPORTATION |
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By Air |
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Jodhpur is connected to
Delhi, Jaipur, and Udaipur
with flights of state owned
Indian Airlines and its
subsidiary Alliance Air. The
airport is located 5 km
south of the city. |
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By Rail |
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Rails connections are
available to Jaisalmer,
Jaipur, Kota, Ahmedabad,
Delhi, and Bikaner. Tourist
quota is also available and
the office is located at the
railway station itself.
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By Road |
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Jodhpur is the major
transportation center for
onward journey to the desert
town of Jaisalmer and other
places in Udaipur. Buses are
available for Udaipur,
Jaipur, Ajmer, Jaisalmer,
Ahmedabad, and Delhi. |
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Local Transport |
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Biking is the best and most
pleasant way to explore the
old city. For the physically
fit, cycling up to the
Mehrangarh could open up
quite beautiful landscapes.
Taxis, autos, and tourist
cars are also available on
reasonable rates to explore
places nearby. |
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