Place to visit in Jodhpur- The Indian Blue City.
The city is sprawled below in a chaotic maze of alleys snaking around houses awash with blue. From your vantage point atop the imposing fort, you almost feel like royalty looking over your subjects. Welcome to Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan and truly a traveller’s delight having multiple options of accomodation for both solo travelers and for family trips. While in the ‘blue city’, don’t miss out these places.
Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur: A Spectacle Of Magnificence And Grandeur.
Situated on a steep hill, the beauty and the grandeur of numerous palaces in the fort narrates a saga of hard sandstone yielding to the chisels of skilled Jodhpuri sculptures. Spread over 5 km on a perpendicular hill , looking down 125 meters, presents a majestic view on city horizon. Seven gates have to be crossed to reach the fort. The gates bear cicatrix of the various battles fought in the bygone era. Its second gate still stands witness to canon ball hits by attacking armies of Jaipur during wars. Another gate, Fattehpol, again meaning victory, was built by Maharaja Ajit Singh as a celebration for defeating the Mughals. Book a stay near Mehrangarh fort to enjoy the beautiful view of the fort everytime you want.
Umaid Bhavan Palace.
Home to Maharaja Gaj Singh and the royal family of Jodhpur, this palace was one of the last ones to be built in India. The Taj Group operates a part of the palace as a hotel and a museum is located in another. Don’t miss seeing the automobile gallery displaying several royal vintage cars.
The palace was built in the 1940s and has 300+ rooms. The tourists are only allowed to stay in the hotel and to visit the museum in the palace. The museum has an excellent collection of Royal artefacts, the Maharaja and interesting murals. If you do visit the museum, do not miss the vintage cars section as you can look at an impressive collection of rare cars of the world.
Do take note that you can’t enter the Palace to take a look if you are not staying in this property. Nevertheless, you can still enter the museum or dine in at one of its restaurants. The museum is open from 9:00 in the morning, and the entry fee is INR 50 for tourists and free for the hotel guests.
budget travelers prefers alternate accommodations to stay.
budget travelers prefers alternate accommodations to stay.
Old City Market (Sadar Bazar).
If you are looking for unhindered retail therapy, quickly head to the Old City, which is just a few km from Meherangarh Fort. It is interesting to note that many tourists prefer to live in this part Jodhpur as there are tons of budget hotels available for backpackers and budget travellers.
The Clock Tower is an iconic landmark here, and Sadar Market is located right next to this spot. The market is full of chaos, but you get everything here — saris, spices and handicrafts. The silk scarves and silk carpets are very popular with the tourists but don’t forget to bargain to get the best price!
Jaswant Thada Mausoleum.
On your way back from Meherangarh Fort, you can visit the Jaswant Thada, which is a beautiful looking white marble structure built by Maharaja Jaswant Singh II in memory of his father. The intricate marble work is hard to miss, and the peaceful gardens that surround this cenotaph is a perfect place to relax your tired limbs.
There is a small lake in front of the cenotaph that adds to the surreal atmosphere of this attraction. The attraction opens at 9 am every day and entry fees are INR 30 for foreign nationals and INR 15 for Indians.
Choose a stay near Jaswant thada from the various available options.
Choose a stay near Jaswant thada from the various available options.
Lakes.
The artificial Balsamand Lake built in mid-12th century is a popular picnic spot. Located near the Takhat Sagar Hills, about 10 kilometres from the city, the Takhat Sagar Lake is also worth a visit, especially to see the Siddhnath Shiv Temple.
Ossian Jodhpur.
Lying within the ruins is the city of Ossian, near Jodhpur, Rajasthan. approximately 65 Km from Jodhpur. The main attractions of this city are its temples that have gracefully stood the test of time. An epitome of architecture, these temples are very beautiful and strong in their foundations. Here’s a list of temples you can find here:
Jain Temples
Marwar Festival.
Try coinciding your visit with this annual festival held in October in honour of Rajasthan’s heroes. The two-day revelry includes folk song and dance, polo events and camel shows.
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