It was the film Dor actually, after watching which the blue houses of Jodhpur etched into my mind. I have wanted to visit the city for so long but even after being settled in Delhi for over a decade, hadn't been there. So, this year as soon as my friend proposed a trip to Jodhpur, I jumped at the opportunity and agreed at once.
We left on January 2 nd by Mandore Express that leaves from Old Delhi Railway station at 9:30 pm. We reached Jodhpur next day early morning at about 8 am. Jodhpur is called the Blue city but that's not the only name that the city of has. It's also called the Sun City because the weather remains bright and sunny all around the year, and to keep the houses cool, the blue colour is used on the houses. Blue paint is a mixture of limestone and copper sulfate.
We hired an auto at Rs. 80 and reached our hotel, Jodhpur Heritage Haveli in about half an hour. The owner welcomed us and as we were before time than the check time, he took us to the tearrce the biggest attraction the hotel. The Mehrangarh Fort was right in front of us bright and clear and also the view of the whole city from there. After a sumptuous breakfast of poha, paranthe and all we finally went downstairs in to our rooms.
The hotel room was designed in a way that you actually get a feeling of a typical Jodhpur house. The low ceiling, the traditional wall murals, the small spaces going into the walls, the doors and everything had a quaint feeling.
Watch the video below to have a look at the room:
https://www.facebook.com/Anendanewbeginning/videos/2890327404351796/
We freshened up and in about an hour left to visit the fort. The fort was about a walking distance from there. We had to climb up a pack steep stairs but it was all worth it. It was sunny and in a while we started feeling pretty hot. There was ticket counter at the entrance of the fort. It costs Rs. 60/- each for Indians and Rs. 400/- for foreigners. The fort was huge like any another fort in Rajasthan but still had a beauty of its own.
One of the biggest forts in India, Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur was built in 1459 by Rao Jodha. It is built 410 feet above the city. It's a beautiful place to spend your day at.
It took almost two hours to cover the whole fort. From the handicrafts shops to the museums, to the temple and many other places, it was a real treat to the eyes. It's very is spic and span with clean toilets, cafeterias and also a flea market.
Though the whole old city is visible from every corner of the Mehrangarh Fort one can get the best view from the topmost part of the, the temple area. Here you may visit the Chamunda Mataji's temple.
Watch the video below to see our whole experience at the mehrangarh Fort:
After we were done, instead of going back to the entrance of the fort, we decided to walk towards the old city instead. That is where exactly the blue houses can be seen. Though the number has dwindled now as compared to what you might have seen in films, posters or photos earlier, there are still quite a lot of them. We asked the locals about the reason behind this beautiful colour being chosen as the colour of their houses. Some said it's the colour associated with Lord Shiva, some said it's a cool colour and reflects heat. Whatever the reason may be; walking down the old city surrounded by these quaint little houses was surreal indeed.
From there we again hired an auto and went to the Umaid Bhavan Palace. This place also needs you to buy entry tickets. After having coffee and some snacks at the small kiosk at the entrance we went inside the palace. Architecturally rich this palace cum museum was once the home to the former royal family of Jodhpur and is now the world's sixth-largest private residence. It is located 20 minutes away from the airport, on the Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur.
After spending about an hour at the palace, we again took an auto the most famous market of the city, the Tipolia market. We had lunch at a famous local restaurant called Priya restaurant. After lunch we did some window shopping at the local shops but could not find anything worth buying as the prices seemed to be pretty towards the higher side.
We then walked to the clocked tower or the Ghanta Ghar. Right in the middle of the nayi sadak market, stands this architectural delight. Built by Maharaja Sardar Singh, between 1880 and 1911, the Ghanta Ghar is one of the most significant spots in Jodhpur and people do not forget to mention it when listing down the 'things to see in the city'. As the sun sets, the building is lit with these lights and looks beautiful. You may also buy tickets and climb till the first floor of it and watch the hustle bustle of the city from there. And once you're done with this, you can check out the city's largest wholesale market. A shopaholic's delight, this market has a vast range of all sorts of Rajasthani handicrafts from sarees to jewellery to juttis and what not.
We walked down to our hotel from there. After freshening up we went up to the tearrace and the view from there was breath taking. The Mehrangarh Fort was all lit up and looked marvelous. With the fire keeping us warm, we spent a couple of hours there and called it a day with a sumptous dinner.
Day 2:
We woke up early the next day, as we had a plan to visit the Osian sand dunes and safari. I would suggest you to not take a package from the hotel. We instead Googled and and listed out some local cab services and after negotiating with a couple of them fixed a rate of Rs. 2000 plus toll tax of Rs. 70 for both Mandore and Osian, with one of them. The owner who himself drove us, was a well behaved and cordial person. It was a great experience.
Jodhpur Taxi Booking:
Phone number - 094147 00816
We left at about 11 am and in an hour reached Mandore. The temples reminded me alot of the temples in Khajuraho though both the places are from different eras and built in different architectural styles. It is an ancient town that's located 9 kms north of the city. It's a huge area covered by temples and gardens. The historic town boasts several monuments. The now ruined Mandore fort, with its thick walls and substantial size, was built in several stages and was once a fine piece of architecture. A huge, now ruined temple is a highlight of the fort. The outer wall of the temples depicts finely carved botanical designs, birds, animals and planets. The place has a huge history and is a must visit when in Jodhpur.
One of the temples at the Mandore Fort complex.
Osian is about 54 kms away from Mandore. After visiting the famous Osian Ji temple, we set out to look for the best prices for safari. Here again you will come across different prices but try to bargain and get the best offer. We were just two of us and agreed for Rs. 1300 that included camel ride; which you may opt out and pay Rs. 1000 only. We shared the jeep with 3-4 more people.
It was thrilling but if you have been to Jaisalmer, this might not interest you much. The sand dunes and the camel ride were exciting and after all that we came back to where our cab was waiting.
We were hungry by then so hogged onto some local cuisine a t a restaurant and again left for Jodhpur. We didn't have much time so we did not wait but if you can then please wait for the sunset also.
Though we did not visit Kaylana Lake and Jaswant Thada, you may visit them if you want.
We reached Jodhpur at about 6 pm and after dinner, checked out of our hotel at night as we had our train for Delhi. We came back with some amazing memories made in these two days.
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