JodhpurFull of majestic historic monumentsand sitting close to the immenseThar desert, Jodhpur's richambience engulfs you like a timewarp. The numerous blue-paintedhouses, the colossal MehrangarhFort, and a slew of other age-oldattractions all seem to bring historyto life here.

While in Jodhpur, don’t forget tocover major attractions likeMehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada,Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, Umaid

Bhawan palace museum,Balsamand lake and garden, PhoolMahal, etc.

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Famous For : City

Decorated with colourful epithets such asSun City, Blue City and Gateway to the Thar,Jodhpur is another tourist magnet inRajasthan. Amongst the multitude ofattractions here, a couple of interestingplaces are Mehrangarh Fort and JaswantThada. Mehrangarh Fort holds thedistinction of being the biggest ofRajasthan's numerous forts, appearingespecially grand at night. Jaswant Thada is ahistoric lakeside place with royal cenotaphsbuilt in marble.

Rao Jodha of the Kanauj family founded thehouse of Jodhpur in Marwar, the Land of‘Maroo’ or death, thus named because ofthe region’s extremely hostile livingconditions. Their first capital was atMandore, an honour which went to Jodhpurafter the Mehrangarh Fort was constructedtowards the end of the 15th century. Thefort was built with defence in mind, and theslopes and the sudden twists and turns inthe structure were meant to hinder the

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movement of enemy elephants.

There was a good reason for this too — thestate was often at war with theneighbouring Rajputs and Mughals.Nevertheless, the Rathore clan managed tohold on to its possessions and expandedover time. It eventually rose to become oneof the strongest and biggest kingdoms ofRajasthan, along with Mewar and Amber. Itis said that at the time of Independence,Jodhpur was so prosperous that it wasslated to be the capital of the new state ofRajputana in the Union of India. However,because of its distance from Delhi, andassorted political factors, it lost out to Jaipur.The airport is situated near Ratanada, 6 kmfrom the main town.

Jodhpur has good local transport,comprising buses and autos (for somereason, more popularly known as taxis). Themain bus stand is at Raika Bagh and thelocal buses take you almost anywhere withinJodhpur and also to Mandore and KaylanaLake, on the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer Road. Autosdon’t run on meter and what you end uppaying will mostly depend on yourbargaining skills. Ideally, the fare shouldrange between INR 20 for a short distanceand INR 300-350 for a full day-trip aroundthe city. The most comfortable way ofmoving around is to hire a taxi from a travelagency or hotel. The average fare is INR 7-10 per km. The fare will be more if you wantto travel out of the city.

When To

VISIThttp://www.ixigo.com/weather-in-jodhpur-lp-1199853

JanCold weather. Carry Heavy woollen.Max:17.299999237060547°C

Min:10.199999809265137°C

Rain: 2.0mm

FebCold weather. Carry Heavy woollen.Max:19.799999237060547°C

Min: 13.0°C Rain:4.300000190734863mm

MarPleasant weather. Carry Light woollen.Max:25.299999237060547°C

Min:18.399999618530273°C

Rain:3.799999952316284mm

AprPleasant weather. Carry Light woollen.Max:30.600000381469727°C

Min:23.299999237060547°C

Rain: 5.5mm

MayPleasant weather. Carry Light woollen.Max:34.099998474121094°C

Min:27.700000762939453°C

Rain:8.100000381469727mm

JunHot weather. Carry Light clothes.Max:34.20000076293945°C

Min:28.299999237060547°C

Rain:31.700000762939453mm

Jul

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Pleasant weather. Carry Light woollen,umbrella.Max:31.399999618530273°C

Min:26.799999237060547°C

Rain:101.69999694824219mm

AugPleasant weather. Carry Light woollen,umbrella.Max: 29.5°C Min:

25.600000381469727°C

Rain:99.30000305175781mm

SepPleasant weather. Carry Light woollen.Max:29.600000381469727°C

Min:24.799999237060547°C

Rain:47.400001525878906mm

OctPleasant weather. Carry Light woollen.Max: 28.0°C Min: 20.5°C Rain: 5.5mm

NovCold weather. Carry Heavy woollen.Max: 23.0°C Min:

15.399999618530273°C

Rain:4.199999809265137mm

DecCold weather. Carry Heavy woollen.Max:18.799999237060547°C

Min:11.600000381469727°C

Rain:1.2999999523162842mm

What To

SEE5 Sights

http://www.ixigo.com/places-to-visit-see-in-jodhpur-lp-1199853

1 Mehrangarh Fort

Sodagaran Mohalla, Jodhpur,Rajasthan, 342006, India

The Mehrangarh Fort was originally built byRao Jodha in 1459. Standing on a 125 m highhill in the outskirts of Jodhpur, this fort isspread over an area of 5 sq. km. The fort’sbulwarks offer an overview of Jodhpurresembling a blue carpet laid at the foot ofthe hill. The fort walls are up to 36 mhigh and 21 m wide and enclose beautifullycarved red sandstone palaces and exquisitetemple architecture. This fort had beenextended and embellished a little more withevery new ruler who reigned here. Thus, thisremarkable piece of architecture showcasesa historical timeline with some remnants ofeach period preserved in its walls. The mainpalaces are Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal,Sheesh Mahal, Zenana Deodi, Takht Vilasand Jhanki Mahal. Moti Mahal was the hall ofprivate audience. Its ceiling is decoratedwith gold leaves and mirrors. Seashells werecrushed and blended with plaster to give apolished look to the ceiling. The Phool Mahal(Flower Palace) remains intact to this date,with its gold filigree ceiling and stained glasswindows. Sileh Khana has a collection of thevaried weapons including gem-studdedshields and armours for war elephants. TheJai Pol was the most important of the sevengates to the fort, and still bears the oldbattle scars made by cannon balls during anattack. There are two temples locatedinside the fort - Chamundi Devi Mandir andNagnechiaji Mandir, dedicated to Goddess

Durga and the Kuldevi respectively.Chamundi Devi’s idol was brought from theold capital of Mandore in 1460 to beinstalled in theMehrangarh Fort. The Mehrangarh museumdisplays a rich collection of palanquins,musical instruments, royal cradles,costumes, arms, furniture andpaintings. 

2 Umaid Bhawan Palace

Circuit House Road, Jodhpur,Rajasthan, 342006, India

TheUmaid Bhawan Palace was the last palacebuilt in Jodhpur and happens to be one ofthe largest royal residence in the world. Itwas built by Maharaja Umaid Singh with theintention of providing public relief andemployment during a long period ofdrought. Around three thousand artisans

were employed over a period of 15 years forthis project and over a million square feet ofmarble and a special kind of sandstone(Chittar sandstone) was used to constructthe palace, which is why it is also referred toas Chittar Palace by the locals here.

With its balconies, gardens, courtyards andstately rooms, the palace symbolises thebest of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Aspecial mention goes to the Umaid Gardenswhich are absolutely amazing and arebeautifully laid out. The palace has nowbeen divided into three parts. Onefunctioning as a hotel, another otherhousing a museum and the third used asthe royal residence. Moreover, on the wayto Umaid Bhawan, you will come across thiscity’s largest antique market selling silverjewellery, metal wares, furniture, pottery,window frames and what not! Make sureyou have ample luggage space for theseartistic beauties.

Umaid Bhawan Palace is magnificent.Representative of the Indo-Saracenic style ofarchitecture, it’s made of sandstone puttogether without the use of mortar. UmaidSingh ordered the construction of the palaceto give relief and work to people affected bya famine in the late 1920s. The project took15 years to complete and employed 3,000artisans. In 1977, the erstwhile maharaja,Gaj Singh, converted a part of it into a hotel.Today, the palace is divided into threesections:

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The royal apartments (closed to tourists) The heritage hotel, which is now being runby the Taj Group A museum, which offers a display of royalartefacts such as crystals, clocks, crockery,memorabilia and anything else that mayhave caught the royal fancy. The clockcollection is the most interesting

3 Jaswant Thada

Near Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur,Rajasthan, 342006, India

Jaswant Thada, a royal memorial of theRathore clan, is located around half akilometre away from the Mehrangarh Fort. Itwas built in 1899 AD as a memorial forMaharajah Jaswant Singh II by his son,Maharaja Sardar Singh. This monument isbuilt like a temple made entirely out ofwhite marble, with each marble sheetdisplaying intricate lattice carvings. There isan impressive collection of sculptures andfrescos as well. A truly perfect example ofarchitectural brilliance. The marble ispolished so fine that in the sunlight, theouter surface of the whole building emits a

warm glow.

You can get some great views from theterrace in front of the cenotaph. Thememorial grounds also include a multi-tiered garden and a small pond that lends aserene atmosphere to the place. Today, italso houses the paintings and portraits ofthe former rulers of Jodhpur and two moretombs of the royal family.

About half a kilometre from the fort, JaswantThada is a beautiful marble cenotaph thatwas built by Sardar Singhji in the memory ofhis father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II (r.1873- 1895). Jaswant Singh had tried to setup a welfare state and was lauded for hisreform measures. His irrigation schemeswere quite successful. Perhaps this is whythe people of this erstwhile desert kingdomstill offer flowers at his shrine. Somesections of the thin marble walls aretranslucent, a feature extolled by residentguides as something of a miracle. Thegrounds around it became the crematoriafor subsequent rulers.  

4 Kheechan Bird Sanctuary

Khichan Village, Khichan, Jodhpur,Rajasthan, 342001, India

Surprisingly, the outskirts of Jodhpur containa very diverse variety of flora and fauna,even when it sits right at the gates of theThar Desert. Nature lovers and wildlifeenthusiasts may get a pleasant surprisewhen they come across the biodiversity ondisplay at Kheechan Bird Diversity.

This small village is known for its abundanceof avian biodiversity. Located 50 km awayfrom Jodhpur and 5 km away from Phalodi,this sanctuary is especially famous for a birdspecies called “Kurjan”, or the DemoiselleCranes. These birds get their local namefrom the distinct ‘kurr-kurr’ sound that theymake while flying. Other local names for thisbird are, Kunch and Karkara. They hailmainly from south-western Europe andMongolia every year during the wintermonths to escape the harsh climate ofEurope, and flock in this place to create anatural bird sanctuary. The village localconsider these birds as their guardians.Over the years their numbers haveincreased to about 6000, and this has alsogiven a boost to the number of birdwatchersin the area.

5 Udai Mandir

Uday Pur Panch Sheel Marg, UdaiMandir, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 342006,India

Another architectural marvel, you would notwant to miss Udai Mandir. Half of theentrance gate is made from sandstone andthe main temple stands on a raised platformsupported by more than 100 pillars. TheGarbha Griha or the sanctum sanctorum isusually kept covered in cloth and issurrounded by gold pots.

The intricately carved main doors to thetemple and even the railings around theGarbha Griha are made of sandalwood (thismust surely save them the trouble of gettingair purifiers!). The interior of the temple isbrimming with pictures of sages in differentyogic postures. There are 84 pictures in all,some of them made with gold. The goldpolishing and real gold work used liberallyinside the temple, is maintained at itsshining best at all times. You cannot affordto miss this one!

Where To

Eat5 Places

http://www.ixigo.com/foods-in-of-jodhpur-lp-1199853

1 Shri Mishrilal Hotel andRestaurant

Jodhpur Travel Guide - http://www.ixigo.com/travel-guide/jodhpur page 4

Clock Tower, Old City, Jodhpur,Rajasthan, 342001, India

+91-291-2540049|+91-9680921111|+91-9829058782

A household name in Jodhpur,Shri Mishrilal Hotel and Restaurant isfamous for sweetmeats. You must try theMakhania lassi which is so thick you will be‘eating it’ with a spoon. And then try thefantastic rabri and the piping hot samosas.We may as well warn you that the place isnot much on ambience. Actually it is quite aramshackle, with the pictures of great Indianheroes being the only decoration adorningits green walls, but you will hardlyremember all that once you get lost in thesheer heavenly taste of the delectable milkand cream sweets available here. Anotherpopular temple of sweets would be theJanta Sweets on the Nai Sadak. Apart fromthe sweets, don’t forget to try out theirmirchi badas.

2 Kalinga Restaurant

Near Railway Station, Jodhpur-1,Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 342001, India

+91-291-2615871

Conveniently located right outside therailway station,Kalinga Restaurant, the in house restaurantof the Kalinga hotel has a soothingambience, well behaved staff and servesdelicious multi-cuisine food. The decor isvery traditional Indian, with a royal touch.Kalinga restaurant serves the best of northIndian, Chinese, Continental, Rajasthani andHyderabadi cuisines. The traditionalRajasthani laal maans (meat cooked in redcurry), Dum Alu and tandoori dishes arequite popular here.

3 Kim Bakery 15 AD

Neelam Bhavan, 9th C Road,Opposite Gypsy Dining Hall,Sardarpura, Jodhpur

+91-291-6539833

Kim Bakery 15 AD isa little baker's paradise and thecakes looks like just out of a fairy book withtheir azuring designs and taste. The name15 AD, as it suggests, provides you with agreat rustic and antique ambiance. Thereare some 150 varieties of cakes, breads,chocolates, pastries, puddings, biscuits,cookies, sandwiches and more.

It all Started with a bakery beingestablished in the year 1966 by Mr. Haji NabiAhmed, in his home town in a 300 sq ft shopin Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Mr. Nabi Ahmed hasa vast experience in the baking businessright from the British Era, where he wasassociated with the British bakers innorthern India.

4 Janta Sweet Home

Station Road, Ratanada, Jodhpur,Rajasthan 342001, India

+91-291-2629163|+91-291-2636666|+91-291-5103997

Janta Sweet Home prepares the best quality sweets andnamkeens in Jodhpur. The place hasthe best mouth watering traditional sweetsand snacks of Rajasthan. From papads tosweets to dry fruits, youget everything under this oneroof. Mawa ki Kachori, Malai Ghewarand Mirchi Badas are the mostrecommended delicacies of this shop.

5 Real Taste Restaurant

Plot No 1, Manji Ka Hattha, NearBSNL Office, Paota, Mandor Road,Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Real Taste Restaurant, as the namesuggests, gives you a real traditional taste ofJodhpur. You get every cuisine here, rangingfrom Indian to Chinese to Continental toMughlai cuisine. While there, do not forgetto try the famous kachori (a snack eatenwith chutney) and pav bhaji. Those with asweet tooth should try laddoos, whichsimply melt in your mouth. And not toforget, do have a tall glass of buttermilk or'lassi'.

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Quick

LOCATEhttp://www.ixigo.com/hotels-in-jodhpur-lp-1199853

SeeA: Mehrangarh FortB: Umaid Bhawan PalaceC: Jaswant ThadaD: Kheechan Bird SanctuaryE: Udai Mandir

AccommodationF: Rawla Bagh-a Heritage Garden RetreatG: OYO 10131 Hotel RajH: Navkar HouseI: Rawla Bagh-a Heritage Garden RetreatJ: OYO 10131 Hotel RajK: Navkar HouseL: Rawla Bagh-a Heritage Garden RetreatM: OYO 10131 Hotel RajN: Navkar House

FoodO: Shri Mishrilal Hotel and RestaurantP: Kalinga RestaurantQ: Kim Bakery 15 ADR: Janta Sweet HomeS: Real Taste Restaurant