Overview
- Main Attractions: Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada, Umaid Bhavan
- Best Time to Visit: Late October to early March
- Local Specialty: Makhania lassi, dal-baati-churma
- Travelled By: Train, bus, foot
- Cost: $$
- Duration of Stay: 3 days
- Location: Rajasthan, India
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Summary
Jodhpur is India’s blue city and for good reason. From any rooftop you can see the blue houses scattered around the city glisten in the sun. The main attraction of Jodhpur is Mehrangarh Fort which we think is the most magnificent fort in India if not the world. If there’s one reason to come here, it’s to see the majestic fort.
Jodhpur: Our Experience
8th November, 2013 (Day 1)
We arrived into Jodhpur late on a train from Ajmer. We had left Pushkar in the afternoon to get to Ajmer for our afternoon train which took four hours to get to Jodhpur. We were tired and checked into our accommodation at Singhvi Haveli in Navchokiya, one of the most atmospheric yet least touristy parts of the old city, beneath the western end of Mehrangarh Fort.
Our hotel was nice enough to have organised an auto rickshaw to collect us from the train station and take us to the hotel. We have never before seen such driving in India as we did that evening. The lanes we drove down were so narrow that only one way traffic could ply. However, the rickshaw driver drove like he was on a highway, and I feared for my life but more for the lives of the people walking on the road. I don’t know how we made it to our hotel without an accident but we did!
Singvi Haveli is an understated gem. The hotel is set in a red-sandstone, family-run, 500-odd-year-old haveli that looks like it’s out of the history books of India. It has an old world charm and beauty that is very appealing.
Since it was late and we were quite tired, we decided to dine at the hotel restaurant which is purely vegetarian.
Read a review of our wonderful dinner at Singhvi Haveli Jodhpur.
9th November, 2013 (Day 2)
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We woke up the following morning to a gorgeous view of the Mehrangarh Fort from our bedside window. It was a treat to be able to lie in bed and look at the fort in the distance. This is the most magnificent and majestic fort in India and the world. Whether you look at it in the morning, afternoon, or night, it has a magic that is alluring.
It was still early in the morning so we went up to the rooftop to look at the view of Mehrangarh Fort and the city skyline in the foreground.
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Jodhpur is called the ‘Blue City’ because it’s really blue. The houses are painted so blue that at times I felt as if I was walking under water. Traditionally, blue signified the home of a Brahmin (Brahma is associated with the colour blue), but non-Brahmins have got in on the act painting their homes blue too. As well as glowing with a mysterious light, the blue tint is thought to repel insects.
As we looked at the city skyline from the rooftop the blue houses seemed to sparkle in the early morning golden rays of the sun. We stood there for a while and soaked up the tremendous views in front of us. Such beauty!
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The first thing that anyone does in this city is to visit Mehrangarh Fort Jodhpur and that’s exactly what we did. The entrance to the fort from the west via Fatehpol Gate is close to the hotel so we walked to the fort from our hotel. We spent the morning and afternoon walking around one of the most magnificent forts in India – and it was amazing!
The fort rises perpendicular and impregnable from a rocky hill that itself stands 120 metres above Jodhpur’s skyline. The fort comprises of a vast interconnected network of palaces, museums, courtyards and halls. Most notable among them are Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesha Mahal (Mirror Palace), Sileh Khana, and Daulat Khana.
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We exited Mehrangarh Fort from the north which was convenient as Jaswant Thada is a close walk up the hill along Mehrangarh Fort Road. Although the walk up the hill was quite strenuous, it was worth it for the views alone.
Jaswant Thada is the cremation ground of the former rulers of Jodhpur with distinctive memorials in white marble to commemorate Jaswant Singh II (1899) and successive rulers. It is situated in pleasant and well-maintained gardens.
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It was late afternoon by the time we finished sightseeing in Jodhpur so we made our way to Sardar Market in downtown Jodhpur to find some lunch. We had read great reviews about The Omelette Shop so we decided to try it out.
They are so popular that they go through 1000 to 1500 eggs a day!
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In Sardar Market, there is a shop called Shri Mishrilal Hotel that serves the best lassi in Jodhpur. Located inside the southern gate of Sardar Market, this shop serves the most creamy makhania lassis you will find in India. Since we were already in Sardar Market, we had to drop in and try one of their creamy lassis.
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Since we were in Sardar Market, we decided to take a walking tour around the old city. This is the heart of Jodhpur and being the main market area this is where all the local action happens. We love walking tours around old cities as there is so much to see, so many lanes and by-lanes to walk down, and so many people to interact with. The atmosphere is one of the best in these old towns.
Read our review for more information on an eye-opening Jodhpur city tour.
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Before we knew it, the sun was setting and we had to get back to our hotel.
For dinner we decided to try the rooftop restaurant at Hotel Haveli Jodhpur which is popular for the magnificent views to be had of the nearby fort. As with most restaurants in Rajasthan, Hotel Haveli specialises in North Indian vegetarian cuisine. However, the dish of the day at this restaurant is not to be eaten but rather to be viewed – the majestic Mehrangarh Fort – in all its nightly glory.
10th November, 2013 (Day 3)
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On our last day in Jodhpur we decided to take a bus out of the city to visit Mandore Gardens in Marwar, eight kilometres north of Jodhpur. Getting to Mandore Gardens was simple. We caught a bus from High Court Road just east of the Tourist Reception Centre. For Rs 10 per person, it was a cheap and quick thirty minutes ride which dropped us right in front of the gardens.
It is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city which is exactly what we needed. The noise of the car horns and the hectic pace of city life was starting to bother us a little bit, so we thought that Mandore Gardens would be a great place to enjoy a quiet and peaceful walk in beautiful landscaped gardens.
Located in Mandore Gardens are the cenotaphs of the old Marwar rulers which are worth inspecting for their artistic beauty. The gardens are home to some langur monkeys that can be a nuisance but they add another layer of colour to the picturesque landscape.
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By the time we got back from Mandore Gardens it was late in the afternoon. We had a few hours up our sleeve and Umaid Bhavan looked like an interesting sightseeing location so we took an auto rickshaw to this hill-top palace.
Umaid Bhavan is now split into a palace, a grand hotel, and a museum which is the most interesting section of the building.
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For our last dinner in Jodhpur we decided to dine at Nirvana Restaurant Jodhpur as they are well known for their specialty – Rajasthani thalis. We hadn’t tried a Rajasthani thali as yet and we were keen to see whether it was any good.
Earlier, we had purchased train tickets for an overnight train ride to Jaisalmer. However, we were still on the wait list the night before, so we had decided to cancel the train tickets and travel by bus instead. We were catching a bus the following morning to Jaisalmer so we had an early start the next morning.
Jodhpur has been a wonderful trip for us and we had enjoyed it more than we’d expected. A lot of people had told us to skip Jodhpur as there wasn’t much to see here, but we were glad we’d visited just to see Mehrangarh Fort in all its glory. Jodhpur is also a very beautiful city with a lot of character and charm. The blue houses scattered around Jodhpur certainly makes it India’s blue city.
