Jodhpur Rajasthan - Multi Faceted Blue City

Jodhpur - The Gateway to Thar Desert !!!
Jodhpur, nestling on the edge of Thar desert is renowned as the "Blue City" of Rajasthan. This dazzling desert city is the second largest city only after Jaipur and was founded by famous warrior Rao Jodha in 1459 A.D, a chief of Rajput clan known as the Rathores. It was once the capital of Royal Mewar, which for many centuries was noted as the "Land of Deaths", its a soil that do not stop to narrate its martyrdom, several battles were won and lost just to save their dignity and kingdom. In an attempt to protect their motherland together with the zeal to quench their thirst for alluring residences, a colourful city structure was laid which composed of beautiful palaces, serene temples, fascinating museums, worthwhile water bodies, colourful villages and other major institutions.

The Old City Charm !!!
The old city of Jodhpur was a fortified town ringed on all sides by massive sturdy walls, that stretched out to be 10 km long. The city is well organized and protected by bastions with over seven impressive gateways, each named after the other major towns in Marwar they happened to face. Rising in the middle, high above the city, is the daunting citadel of Meherangarh, an invincible fortress, which is placed exquisitely near the carved stone palace. Spread out between Mehrangarh and the city gates lies the historic city. It boasts of a traditional urban fabric which reflects the culture, climate and geography of the region.

The City Painted in Blue Poetry !!!
The structure of the city and buildings portrays the exquisitely carved stone facades, beautiful courtyard, Jharokhas, narrow meandering streets perfectly negotiating the terrain, compact bazaars, community spaces and religious buildings, all put together harmoniously, domineeringly showcasing blue tint. Yet the topography gives it a distinct built environment compared to other cities of Rajasthan. Away from the fort, on plain terrain, the streets are wide open to provide vehicular movements. The stone paved streets run up and down. Ubha Bazaar and Ada Bazaar streets are the main market streets with a variety of shops, where the tourist can look for number of items. Since from the times of yore, the shop owners lived above the shops and therefore the commercial area was always lively even after the shops closed for the day.

Jodhpur Attractions - Eternal Bliss to the Visitor !!!
Jaswant Thada is an impressive cenotaph, lying nearly 400m in the north-east of the Meherangarh Fort. This important monument was build in 1899 A.D, It is followed by royal crematorium and there are other three cenotaphs, which are located near to this place. It is purely white marble memorial dedicated to Maharajahs Jaswant Singh II, Here one can see original marble lattice (Jali) work over the windows and carved wooden doors. Whereas some part of the white marble is translucent. This ancient memorial allows a panoramic view as your eyes travel through the near by areas. Next important temptation include dazzling Umaid Bhawan Palace, which houses an erstwhile museum, displaying exclusive range of items, that belong to Maharajah and his royal family. The visitors are open to view the rare accumulation ranking from crafted weapons to an array of stuffed leopards. Here one can please his eyes with an enormous banner presented by Queen Victoria to Maharajah Jaswant Singh Bahadur in 1877 A.D. Other displayed items include human sized chines flagon and additional fine china items. However, Maharajah was very fond of unique clocks, that are well preserved inside the museum, here one can see fantastic clocks collection, including specimen shaped like windmill and lighthouses. This clannish cluster is open daily for tourist and entry is Rs 10 for Indians and Rs 50 for foreigners.

Shoppers Paradise !!!
Jodhpur, is a paradise for shoppers, from antiques to excellent Indian spice, everything is available in the lined shops along the road connecting Ajit Bhawan with the Umaid Bhawan Palace. The most sowed crops in the district include the famous Mathania red chillies, which you can beeasily bought from the street shops of Jodhpur. The city serves as an important marketplace for wool and agricultural products. Other items manufactured include textiles, metal utensils, bicycles, ink and sporting goods

The latest survey show, that in the recent years, Handicraft Industries has eclipsed in Jodhpur, according to market watchers, the furniture export is the most booming industry. Whereas most of the flourishing cottage industries are engaged in the manufacture of glass bangles, cutlery, carpets and marble products. After handicrafts, tourism is the second largest industry of Jodhpur. Whereas, certain items, that are rare and are over 100 year old, some restrictions are applied on them and one has to take special permissions from the Custom Department for taking them out of the country.

The Princely Care of the Town !!!
The happy go lucky ambiance of Jodhpur represents 500 years old princely efforts, that were put into effect, to form this beautiful place, which could not be possible with out the help of general public by both functionally and culturally. The residential areas inside the city have expanded radically, As one walks along the narrow streets, one feels like, the houses growing higher and higher. The play of magnetic stone and terraces is strongly revealed by the setting sun that makes the city look more vibrant and colourful. Most of the houses are painted blue or white, giving the city a unique character and identity. The residential clusters are formed on the basis of the residents' profession like the Brahmins live in Brahmapuri, goldsmiths in Sunaron Ki Ghati, and moneylenders in Bohron Ki Pol. Each of these areas is entered through a gate which marks the beginning of its territory.

Getting There !!!
Airways : Jodhpur Domestic Airport is located nearly 5 km far from the city
center of Jodhpur. It has excellent daily flights to the major cities of India
like Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Udaipur, Delhi and Mumbai. Indian Airlines operate
several flights each week to Jaipur.
Railways : Jodhpur Railway Station has well connected treks with the major cities of Rajasthan and India, some of the important trains are 2466 Intercity Jodhpur-Jaipur, 192 Jodhpur-Kota passenger, 349 Jodhpur- Bikaner passenger that connect Jodhpur with in a spn of few hours. Whereas there are daily two trains to Jaisalmer, one leaves Jodhpur at 8.20 am and arrives in Jaisalmer at 5 pm, and the other leaves Jaisalmer at 11.30 pm and arrives in Jaisalmer at 6 pm.

Roadways : A convenient mode of travel to Jodhpur is by road. Jodhpur is well connected to National Highway No. 65, linking Ambala via Kaithal via Hissar via Fatehpur via Jodhpurs via Pali by 690 km. Whereas Some important distances from Jodhpur are By road Jodhpur Ajmer ­200 km, Udaipur ­ 266 km, Jaisalmer ­ 290 km, Jaipur ­ 3431km, Agra ­ 577 km, Mount Abu 264 km, Barmer 220 km, Bikaner 240 km, Delhi ­589 km, Mumbai ­1073 km.

Local Transport : The most cheap mode of transportation inside the city (Jodhpur) is Rickshaw and Bicycle, that are easily available 24 hours around the city. Whereas taxi can also hired for sightseeing in Jodhpur, from Jodhpur to Mandore and from Jodhpurs to Osiyan . Regular bus services available from Jodhpur to Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Ranakpur and Nathdwara.

... Umaid Bhawan Palace

The Mighty Meherangarh Fort
The grandeur Meherangarh Fort is the most magnificent and largest fort ever build over the sand dunes of Royal Rajasthan. It is located in the outskirts of Jodhpur, at the top of 125 m high hill. This mega structure fort was originally started by fearless warrior Rao Jodha in 1459 A.D, after whom the city earned the name "Jodhpur". This unbeatable fort was constructed in such a way, that it is impossible to breach its shield. This beauteous fort is reached through the mazy lanes that heads to the entrance from the city, 5 km below. As the soil verbalizes, Jodhpur has been infamous as the land of deaths, the brave Rajputs warriors have witnessed number of deaths in the battlefield. This beautiful fort is adored with enormous gates, bewitching temples, royal palaces, chhatris of former Rajputs, museums (entered through Surajpol), destructive armory and huge cannons as if guarding the hefty fort.

Some of the important entrances (gates) are Jaypol, Ded Kangrapol, Imritiapol, Surajpol, Lohapol and the Fatehpol. Whereas the chowks inside the fort includes Daulat Khana Chowk, Singhar Chowk and Moti Mahal Chowk. Beside this, there are three main temples, from where you can seek the special blessings of the god and goddess like Nagnechia Temple, Murlimanohar Temple and the Chamunda Devi Temple. The fort also houses the affordable restaurant just outside the museum, towards your right. From where you can ask for vegetarian thali costs Rs 45. It is worth spending to see the panoramic view of blue city from the fort. The fort is open daily for tourists from 9 am to 1pm and 2pm to 5 pm and is easily accessible by buses and taxis from Jodhpur. A tourist must make a visit to the enigmatic beauty of the fort, as it will allow you to get everlasting moments for you and your family for ages.

Umaid Bhawan Palace !!!
The enchanting Umaid Bhawan was build in 1929 by Maharajah Umaid Singh as a royal residence. It is one of the most imposing building, that stands tall on the ravages of time in Jodhpur. It is situated near the city center and nearly lies 3 km far from the Jodhpur Airport. This alluring fort is constructed in the fashion, with beautiful balconies, charming courtyards, green gardens and stately rooms, that makes it a exquisite example of the artistic purity. A special type of arenaceous rock is used to build the fort, which is being imported from the Chittaurgarh, that gives it a special effect at the time of sunrise. For this reason, it is also referred as Chitra Palace by the localities. More than three thousand artisans were employed at the time of its construction and over 15 years were invested to build the landmark. This rugged fort is now converted into a heritage hotel. It has a number of air-conditioned rooms, that are elegantly decorated with antique furniture as well as all the other important amenities of five star hotel. Jodhpur Airport is lying just 3 km and the Railway Station is 5 Km far from here. more..

Know Your Future
Another most interesting place to visit is Astrology section, If you believe in the predictions of astrologers, than do visit the Meherangarh fort and Umaid Bhawan Palace, that houses the astrology department, where one can ask for palm reading. You can avail the services by paying a nominal fees as the astrologer charges.

The City of Squares !!!
According to Indian mythology, the squares are a very important climatic and socio-cultural space. These open-to-sky spaces provide the urban dwellers an informal place to interact with one another. They are of different shapes and sizes, depending upon their location and the functions that are performed with them. From the times of onset, there are city squares, chaurahas, and neighborhood squares.

Sardar Market square is the largest square, Built in the 20th century by Maharaja Sardar Singh with the help of British planners, it is unlike Jodhpur's other small organic squares. With a symmetrical plan, it is dominated by single storey buildings with shops on its edges. In the center is a five-storey red stone clock tower. All other small squares like the Juni Mandi Square and Vijay Stambh Square are organic in nature. Connecting various clusters within a neighborhood the small squares on the streets accommodate a small temple, a well, a baori, and ottas to enrich their quality, adding to the activities in the early morning and late in the evening. Ada Bazaar, the busiest street in town accommodates a number of small squares, each one well-decorated with intricately carved stonework in red and white. Such informal squares used to be places where information and knowledge were passed on and shared. Older people invariably sit around such squares to watch the world pass by. Some institutional, social and religious buildings open onto the squares, bringing variations of facades to the residential fabrics.

Next Door Temptation - Jodhpur Excursions !!!
Osiyan - 65 km
There are number of famous temptations in the dusty dune of Rajasthan, as one walk through the dazzling desert. One of the most popular ancient Thar Desert town is Osiyan, nearly lies 65 km north of Jodhpur. It was once the important trading center of Jains between 8th to 12th century. The wealth and prosperity of Jains enabled them to build lavish and beautiful temples that are world renowned. The stones used to constructs this divine liturgy was extracted from the local stone pit.

Khimsar Fort - 75 km
Another pleasurable trip include "Khimsar Fort" nestled 75 km north of Jodhpur, build in 1523, which is now converted into an upmarket hotel. Other amenities include swimming pool, restaurant and pleasant gardens. Jeep, horse and camel safaris are also arranged here. Next, the tourist can choose Mandore, it was once the ancient capital of Marwar, located 9 km north of Jodhpur, founded in 6th century. As you start exploring Mandore, you will see chhatris of former rulers, gardens, temples, pavilions, sculptures of Krishna with Gopis, painted figures of Hindu deities and local Rajputs.

Bishnoi Village
Other most colourful place to visit is Bishnoi Village, Bishnoi is a renowned for their conservationist philosophies and hold animals as a sacred, particularly the black buck. Tourists are open to see these beautiful animals, spend time with them and can feed them with milk and food. Here the tourists are open to experience the real lifestyle of Bishnoi village. If you are passionate enough for sports, than hang yourself freely to Sadar Club, at Ratanada, which has a alluring golf course, that allows you challenging shots in the brown grounds. The club building is nearly 100 year old and is little damaged following the first world war between India and Pakistan. Also visit Salawas, a center for weaving dhurries (carpets). Here you can place orders for the exotic designs of dhurries that can easily be transferred to your native place.