Gaze your eyes down from a high vantage point of mighty Mehrangarh Fort, and get soaked into one of the most intriguing views of the world! Jodhpur – the magical land of royals in the middle of Thar Desert with giant citadel overlooking it, magnificent Palaces scattered around, is the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan. Encompassed by stark landscape of Thar, Jodhpur experiences bright and sunny weather all through the year. For this, the city is called Sun City. This metropolitan city’s houses are painted in bright blue color, due to which Jodhpur is even popular as the Blue City!
Mehrangarh Fort
One of the largest forts of India, Mehrangarh Fort commands a captivating view of the entire Jodhpur city. It is from the top of this fort that you can see the famous blue houses of the city that give the city its nickname ‘The Blue City’. The Museum, Palaces and the other areas of the fort also make for a fascinating dive into the mighty history of the Rathore rulers in Jodhpur.
Clock Tower
Locally known as the Ghanta Ghar, this enormous clock tower is the second biggest clock tower in the world after Big Ben in London. It is still operated manually with the twisting of the key for the running of the clock.
Jaswant Thada
Developed under the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, Jaswant Thada is a striking array of royal cenotaphs constructed with milky white marbles. It is often visited on the way to or way back from Mehrangarh Fort. The lake in front of this cenotaph furnishes quite a surreal foreground to this monument.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
A working Palace and a museum, the Umaid Bhawan Palace is an impressive landmark of the city of Jodhpur. The Palace’s museum offers to see artefacts from the royal era, striking murals on the wall of the Palace, erstwhile maharaja’s collections and war weapons. While rest of the Palace is converted into a 5 Star Hotel and some portion is occupied by the royal family.
Mandore
Mandore is a beautiful town, situated just 9 km from Jodhpur. Once a part of the Parihar
Empire, today, it is famous for its Royal cenotaphs, temples, a ruined fort and other monuments all located within a very green stretch which is dubbed as the Mandore Garden.
Osian Desert
Jodhpur’s nearest desert getaway, Osian is the desert city that offers an exhilarating desert safari experience into its remote villages and across the makeshift sand dunes. The 9th-century temple of Osian is quite a sight and it towers over the city when you look at it from the desert. A camel safari and stay overnight inside the desert is one of the exciting desert experiences in Osian.
Balsamand Lake
An artificial lake that was constructed by Balak Rao Parihar in 1159 AD was intended to serve as a summer resort for the royal family of Jodhpur. Now the place is replete with refreshing lawns and gardens to attract birds and peacocks finding their homes here. Reflecting the awesome Rajputana style of architecture, the place is exquisite and worth a visit.
Kaylana Lake
Yet another artificial lake, Kaylana Lake is a birdwatchers’ paradise in Jodhpur. A boat ride can help add some mesmerizing photographs to your Jodhpur diaries which also include beautiful views of the sunset.
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
The 200 acres of the park is formed to restore the rocky area near Mehrangarh Fort. This recently revived place reflects the hard work and dedication of the ecologists who spared no efforts to make the place brimming with greenery.
Polo
Polo has been the royal sport of Jodhpur since medieval times. The city allures many Polo enthusiasts to witness and participate in the various equestrian events that are held here.
Shopping
Jodhpur is also popular for shopping- textile, woodcraft, handicrafts, glass bangles, cutlery, carpets and marble goods. The local eateries offer tourists a delectable platter of local culinary delights to the visitors.
