Jodhpur, Rajasthan – The city that still boasts of its royal charm
If you wish to turn back the pages of history and experience the charm of the royal era, then don’t delay to plan your trip to Jodhpur. The site is the gateway to the desert of Rajasthan. This bustling desert city is the second largest in Rajasthan after Jaipur. The city was founded by Rao Jodha, the leader of the Rathore clan, in 1459 AD. It was the capital of the Rathores. The huge fortress of (Meherangarh) has a landscape dominating a rocky ridge with the eight gates leading out of fortress. The new city is outside the structure.
Places to see in Jodhpur: Though a historical city of Jodhpur consists not only the historical structures but also other exquisite locations.
Mehrangarh Fort
Perched on a 150 m high hill it is the most magnificent fort in Rajasthan. Rao Jodha founded it in 1459 but subsequent rulers of Jodhpur have also added to it over the centuries. A meandering road leads to the city 5 km below. Battle scars of canon ball hit by attacking armies of Jaipur can still be seen on the second gate. To the left is chhatri of Kirat Singh Soda, a soldier who fell on the spot while defending the fort against the armies of Amber. There are seven gates, which include Jayapol meaning victory built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies.
Fatehpol also meaning victory gate was built by Maharaja Ajit Singh to mark the defeat of Mughals. The palm imprints still attract devotional attention and are covered by vermilion paste and paper-thin silver foil.
Jaswant Thada
On the way down from the fort, on left is Jaswant Thada, the graceful marble monument built in the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. His son Maharaja Sardar Singh built this monument known as the Taj Mahal of Marwar in the memory of Maharaj Jaswant Singh II of Jodhpur. The main memorial has been built like a temple with intricately carved marble stone. A visit to this structure is through the rocky hills giving it a secluded and a mystic aura.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
Built by Maharaja Umaid Singh ( 1929 – 1942 ) and named after him, this exquisite Palace is also known as ChittarPalace because of the local chittar sandstone used in it. It is a splendid example of Indo-colonial and art deco architecture of the 30s. A unique feature of this palace is the fact that the manually chiselled sandstone blocks have been put together in a special system of interlocking. There is no mortar binding. A portion of the palace has been converted into a hotel, the other remains on view to visitors in the form of an excellent museum which houses model aeroplanes, weapons, antique clocks, bob watches, priceless crockery and hunting trophies. Both sections retain the ambience of royal splendour.
Guda: A Bishnoi Village
It is the nearest point from Jodhpur to experience exotic wildlife and nature. During the season thousands of birds can be seen here. The demoiselle Crane is a great attraction. There is pond with water for the antelopes and black bucks of nearby area. One can also visit to the villages of potters, weavers, shoe makers, shepherds, Bishnois, etc. in the area around.
Kailana Lake
Situated on Jaisalmer road, this small artificial lake is an ideal picnic spot. It is like a canvas with a splash of romantic colours. The beauty here will linger on your mind for a long time.
Somnath Temple
This temple of Lord Shiva is famous for its historical background and sculptures. It is situated in the middle of the PaliCity. It was constructed by the King of Gujarat, Kumarpal Solanki, in the Vikram Samvat 1209. In the premises, there are many small temples of other gods and goddesses.
Ranakpur Jain Temples
It is situated about 100 km. south east of Pali and about 9 km. south of Sadri town. The Jain Community, like several others, had always enjoyed the patronage of the ruling family of Mewar and quite a few important positions were held by the Jains. The rulers were also particularly supportive of their temple building activities. In the 15th century, Rana Kumbha of Mewar gave large stretch of land in a quiet and picturesque valley, deep in the Aravalis, to the Jains. This area came to be known as Ranakpur. Located 96 km from Udaipur, this is one of the five main holy places of the Jains. Although over 500 years old, these temples are well preserved and are almost in perfect condition. The central temple is the ChomukhaTemple. Dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankar (saint), this three-storey temple is the most complex and exquisite in design. It has 29 halls, 80 domes and 1,444 pillars. What is interesting here is the fact that no two pillars are alike. Each one of these pillars is covered with the most intricate carvings.
Mandore Garden
Mandore was the former capital of Maharajas of Marwar and is located about 5 miles north of Jodhpur but was later abandoned for the security of Mehrangarh fort. Here you will find the dewals or cenotaphs of Jodhpur’s former rulers.
Unlike the usual chhatri-shaped cenotaphs typical of Rajasthan, they were built along the lines of a Hindu temple, four storeys high, with fine columns and an elegant spire, all in red sandstone. The most impressive is the dewal of Maharaja Ajit Singh (reigned 1678-1724). These cenotaphs are set in beautiful landscaped gardens. Nearby is the hall of heroes, dedicated to various deities and fabled Rajput folk heroes, whose statues are carved out of rock and painted in bright colours. Next door is a larger hall called “The Shrine of the three hundred million, filled with brightly coloured images of the various Hindu Gods. As you climb up the hill, you come to the ruined city of Mandore, with its old palace. The beautiful Maharani’s cenotaphs set apart on a rocky outcrop is a ten-minute walk over the hill. Today its extensive gardens with high rock terrace make it a popular local attraction.
Nearby attractions from Jodhpur: You can visit number of places from Jodhpur.
Osian
The ancient town of the Thar Desert was a great trading center between 8th to 12th centuries AD. Today it is a desert oasis with 16 Brahamanical and Jain temples. These are beautifully sculpted and designed, and most of them have stood the ravages of time. The highlight of this place is its camel ride at the time of the sunset. The tourists have the liberty to watch the architectural forms during camel ride and return to the camps or the resorts. This is followed by drinks. The evening is marked by performing arts and choice of oriental cuisines arranged in the ethnic style of that region. The stay at the camps is highly refreshing.
Nagaur
The Ahhichatragarh Fort is a medium size fort, built by Mughal Emperors Akbar and Shah Jahan. A well planned MughalGarden retains its old pleasant appearance even today. The city and buildings show distinct Muslim influence. A five domed mosque built by Emperor Akbar dominates the landscape. The city is best visited during the Ramdeoji Ka mela and Tejaji ka mela (fair) in February and August respectively. Nagaur is approachable by express buses of Rajasthan Roadways and by taxi.
Machiya Safari Park
This park lies on the way to Jaisalmer, about 1km from Kailana Lake. The key fauna of the safari park includes, deer, desert fox, monitor lizard, blue bulls, rabbits, wild cats, mongoose, monkeys etc. There is also large number of birds, which can be seen from an exclusive bird watching point. One can also see the sunset from the fort of the park.
Sojat
The Sojat town is situated on the left bank of the SukriRiver near Pali town, known as Tamravati in ancient times. The fort has a big reservoir and several temples like Sejal Mata, Chaturbhuj and others. The old temple of Chamunda Mata is located on the top of one of the hillocks. Dargah of Pir Mastan is the main attraction at the time of Urs. One of the major attractions of this city is the plantation of ‘mehandi’ trees, a herbal plant where the leaves are squashed into a thin paste and applied on the hands and the feet in various attractive designs. This traditional art form is now known all over the world and has been internationally adopted in the fashion circuit.
Other prominent place to be visited are the temple of Ramdeoji near village Biratiya, the fort of Desuris and Kurki, the birth place of Mirabai.
Nadol
It is situated on the Rani – Desuri road in the north-west of Desuri. Nadol is now a small village but once it was the capital of the Chauhans of Shakambhari. The ancient ruins still speak of the past glory, which this place enjoyed.
Things to do in Jodhpur: Jodhpuris famous all over the world for its handicrafts in wood, iron and camel bone. There are a lot of fabric shops, selling ‘bandhini’ (very fine tie & dye), hand block prints, silver shops selling jewellery by weight, and antique shops. Beside this, exploring the historical city of Jodhpur is in itself a wonderful experience. Dotted with numerous historical spot this location has a rich historical background. You can also organize picnics in a beautiful location across the Kailana Lake.If you visit Jodhpur in the month of October you can be a part of the colourful festivals in Jodhpur. The Dusshera and Diwalis are best celebrated here.
Best time to visit Jodhpur: The best time to visit Jodhpur is between October and March.
How to go ?
By Air
Jodhpur airport is connected to Jaipur, Delhi, Udaipur and Mumbai by daily regular flights. The Airport is nearly 5 km away from the city center. Taxi charges about Rs 150 and three wheeled rickshaw cost about Rs 50 from airport to city. Delhi is the nearest international airport, which is well connected to all major cities in India and abroad. Delhi is nearly 600 km away from Jodhpur.
By Train
Jodhpur railhead is an important junction in the North Western railway zone in India. Jodhpur is well connected to all major cities in India including Delhi (Rajsthn S Krant), Kolkata (Hwh Ju Express), Chennai (Ms Jodhpur Exp), Mumbai, (Suryanagari Exp), Jaipur (Hwh Ju Express), Jaisalmer (Jsm Dli Express) and Bangalore (Ypr Jodhpur Exp).
By Bus
Rajasthan Road Transport Corporation provides bus services to all cities in Rajasthan from Jodhpur. Private deluxe buses are available from Jaipur (330km), Delhi (569 km), Jaisalmer (290 km), Bikaner (240 km) and Agra (580 km). The deluxe bus charges varies between Rs 3 to Rs 4 per kilometer.
Where to stay ?
Jodhpur has all sorts of accommodation facilities for the tourists both Government and non Government. Some options are:
Hotel Ghoomar (RTDC): +91- 0291- 2544010, 2548020, 2548010
Chandra Inn: +91- 0291- 2671610, 2670765, 2670583 Website: www.chandrainn.com
Jasole Heritage: +91-0291-2212-7301
Hotel Beniwal Palace: +91-0291-2511130, 2510036 Website: www.hotelbeniwalpalace.com
Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.
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