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 Jodhpur - Rajasthan
| Other Tourist Places of Rajasthan |
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Jodhpur is one of the second largest city of Rajasthan. It is also known as the “sun city” of Rajasthan because of its bright and sunny weather throughout the year. Jodhpur was established by Rao Jodha, in 1459 he was the chief of the Rathore clan. Jodhpur was once the capital of the Marwar state. The district of Jodhpur is located in the central part of the western region of the state. Located on the edge of the desert, the climate of Jodhpur is very harsh, particularly during summers. Jodhpur receives very little rainfall and the climate remains dry for most part of the year. Dust winds may also blow during day time. In summers, temperatures may shoot beyond 45 degrees. Winters are cool and pleasant. Jodhpur is also known as an island of marble palaces is differentiated from the desert by a great wall. It is also called the blue city, Jodhpur looks like an oasis in the middle of a wide desert. Jodhpur having a two parts one is the old city and other is the new city. The old city is located 10 km distance from new city and surrounded with a long wall. The new city is outside the walled city. Located in the western Rajasthan on the edge of the Thar Desert, Jodhpur is enclosed by the cities of Jaisalmer, Jalor, Barmar, Pali and Bikaner. Jodhpur is a very famous tourist attraction. The city has many wonderful palaces and forts such as Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhavan Palace, Jaswant Thada and Rai ka Bag Palace. Other charms of Jodhpur include Government museum and its attractive Umed garden.
The lifestyle in Jodhpur is unusually fascinating with folks wearing, artistically designed lovely costumes. Women folk wear wide gathered skirts and a hip length jacket, with three quarter length sleeves, covering the front and back. The colorful turbans worn by the men folk add more color to the city.
Shopping in Jodhpur bazaars is a heady experience with a colorful display of the rich collection of exquisite handicraft. The tie and dye fabric, embroidered ‘juttis’ or slippers in suede, camel skin, velvet add more colors to the city. The city is charming with its wealth of historical attractions and colorful markets which specializes in antiques. It is still one of the leading centres of wool, cattles, camels and salt.
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 Tourism
Mehrangarh Fort
 The fort of Mehrangarh having a most attractive and formidable structures in the Rajasthan. It is located 125 meter height with length of 5kms at elevated location on land. The fort was established to create a protection against enemies. The fort includes few palaces having great and beautifull architecture.The fort was founded by Rao Jodha in 1459 AD when he shifted his capital from Mandore. It is one of the most impressive and formidable structures. The fort has four gates. Within the fort are some magnificent palaces with marvelously carved panels, latticed windows and evocative names - The Moti Mahal, The Phool Mahal, The Sheesh Mahal, The Sileh Khana and the Daulat Khana. These palaces house a fabulous collection of trappings of Indian royalty including a superb collection of palanquins, elephant hawdahs and miniature paintings of various schools, musical instruments, costumes and furniture.
Jaswant Thada
 Jaswant Thada is made up of white marble, houses the cenotaphs of many Rajput royals and portraits of jodhpr rulers. It was established in the year 1899 AD. in the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. These four cenotaphs commemorate notable acts of bravery, generosity of the four successive rulers.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
 Umaid Bhawan stands on the Chittar Hills in the south eastern part of the city. The palace as such is often referred as Chittar Palace by the local population. The Umaid Bhawan Palace gives a great example of modern architecture. It has a new building, the magnificent structure, was established in early 20th century. After 16 years of completion, the scope of building Umaid Bhawan was to give employment to the lack struck population of the state. The palace has been built in traditional architecture style and features many of the attractions of ancient Rajasthan monuments. This is still the residence of the former rulers. The umaid bhawan reveals a fusion of the traditional and Western styles of architecture. However, the outlook is predominantly traditional. The palace features three segments - Heritage Hotel, Private Residence and the Museum. There are beautiful balconies, courtyards, terraces and rich palace halls.
Government Museum
The Jodhpur Government Museum is located in the Umed Gardens which is an extension of the Umaid Palace - built by renowned Edwardian architect namely Henry Vaughan Lanchester. According to historical records the construction of this museum was put into effect during the reign of Maharaja Umed Singh. The museum in Jodhpur boasts of an extensive range of items. The museum has an exquisite ensemble of paintings, sculptures, antique weapons textiles, local crafts and images of Jain Tirthankars. It boasts of stuffed animals of which several desert birds kept in glass cases with thorn bush capture immense attention. In this museum a military section has also been introduced which holds wooden biplane models and a wonderful brass battleship. The museum has a public library and zoo in its vicinity.
Girdikot and Sardar Market
The Girdikot and Sardar Market is a popular market in Jodhpur city. There are colorful markets with tiny shops dotting the narrow lanes in the heart of the city. The market is popular for a wide range of Rajasthani textiles, handicrafts, clay figurines of camels and elephants, marble curios with inlay work and exquisite Rajasthani silver jewelry. Every year many foreign as well as local visitors come to the city of Jodhpur to view the tribal life of Rajasthani people and they all visit the Girdikot and Sardar Market to buy several Rajasthani products. The Girdikot and Sardar Market is a place for outstanding artifacts made by the local villagers. While visiting the Girdikot and Sardar Market, you can also experience the Rajasthani folk music created by the local people.
Maha Mandir Temple
 Maha Mandir is renowned as one of the finest temples in Jodhpur. It is built in 1812 A.D. This is a temple with 84 carved pillars. This is a place where sacred glory reigns in a serene harmony. The temple is situated on Mandore road. The temple is an architectural splendor. It is supported by 84 pillars and ornamented with detailed designs and figures depicting various postures of Yoga. The entire structure is marked by a unique and original style.
Excursions
Balsamand Lake and Gardens
 Balsamand Lake and garden is located 7 kms away from Jodhpur. Balsamand Lake and Gardens is a pretty lake built in 1159 A.D. The Balsamand Lake Palace heritage hotel has been completely built out of the characteristic Jodhpur red sandstone structure. The Balsamand Lake Palace heritage hotel is situated on the banks of the Bal Samand Lake i.e. a 13th century water tank. This lovely heritage hotel is surrounded by lush green and manicured gardens that add a dash of charm to this heritage hotel's aesthetic attractiveness.
Mandore
Ancient Mandore is located at a distance of 9 kilometers from the main Jodhpur city, Mandore has served as the royal capital of Marwar long before the establishment of Jodhpur. Mandore became a Rathore bastion when a Rathore Rajput wed a Pratihara princess. Thus Mandore was basically a wedding present for the Rathore rulers of Marwar. The cenotaphs commemorating the memories of Rathore kings and queens are constructed in red sandstone and are set in the midst of lush lawns. Some of the cenotaphs are four stories high. Its beautiful gardens with high rock terraces make it a popular picnic spot. It has a temple of “3 hundred million Gods,". You can see the colorfully painted figures of Hindu deities and several other mythological figures. Adjacent to this unique shrine lies the "Hall of Heroes", that is definitely worth visiting. The Hall of heroes has fifteen figures carved out of the rock on the wall which represent Hindu deities. Trek up the hill to the Mandore ruins and watch bright peacocks frolicking around.
Kailana Lake
Kailana Lake in Jodhpur, Rajasthan is located 8 kms to the west of Jodhpur on the Jaiselmer road. Pratap Singh, the then Prime Minister of Jodhpur, got the lake constructed in 1872. This is a charming picnic spot with a small artificial lake. This artificial lake is spread over 84 square kms. Where the lake now lies, was once an area having palaces and gardens of two rulers of Jodhpur. They were destroyed to make the Kailana Lake. There are also boating facilities available for the tourists here, the lake offers a breathtaking view of the sunset. At that time the sky looks like a canvas splashed with spectacular Colors. Kailana Lake is the perfect place to relax or have picnics. If you are interested in birds, then, this place will further interest you. The area around this lake was once full of wild bears. It served as a secured hunting place for the royal embers.
Osian
 Osian is a flourishing desert town in the ancient times, located at a distance of 55 kilometers from the main Jodhpur city. It is famous for its temples. Osian showcases the splendor of Rajasthan. Some of the Jain and Hindu temples in Osian date back to as far as the 8th century. The ruins and temples in Osian give you a fair glimpse into the bustling life of the Gujara Pratiharas. The exotic sculptures at the Osian temples are fair indicators of the regular lifestyle of the people of those times. Their clothes, ornaments, daily activities etc. are very well depicted in brilliantly painted frescoes and fantastically carved sculptures. A common aspect noticeable at the ancient temple ruins of Osian is the fact that there are a large number of colorful frescoes representing the life and childhood feats of the Hindu deity Lord Krishna. The massive doorways and arches located all over Osian are intricately carved with mythological lores mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures.
Dhawa
Jodhpur is not only the city of forts and palaces, but it houses wild animals also. Dhawa is a wild life sanctuary located at the distance of 45 kms from Jodhpur. It is one of the few places of Rajasthan where there is an abundance of greenery. The Dhawa Wild Life Sanctuary houses one of the most rare collection of wildlife species. It has a large population of cheetah and sambhar. Dhawa Wild Life Sanctuary is famous for its unique collection of desert rats and antelopes in Jodhpur. The largest number of chinkaras or Indian Gazelle is housed in this sanctuary in Jodhpur. A collection of the most rare and distinguished members of the animal kingdom are residents of Dhawa Wild Life Sanctuary. Black Bucks, Deer, Sambhar, Cheetal all roam free in this wild life sanctuary. Protection is given to these rare species of animals on the brink of extinction. Laws preventing poachers from brutally murdering these animals have been enforced by the government.
Nagaur
 It is an imposing fort with beautiful murals. It is also the venue for a beautiful mural. It is also the venue for a week long cattle fair held in Jan/Feb every year. The Nagaur fair is the second biggest fair in India. The fair goes on for eight days. It is popularly known as the Cattle fair of Nagaur. This is because the Nagaur Fair is mainly all about trading of animals. Approximately 70,000 bullocks, camels and horses are traded every year in this fair. The animals lavishly decorated and even their owners dress up wearing colorful turbans and long moustaches. Some other attractions include the Mirchi bazaar (largest red-chilly market of India), wooden items, iron-crafts and camel leather accessories.
There is a lot of sports activity also in the fair. The sports range from tug-of-war, camel races to bullock races to cock fights. Nagaur fair is also famous for its jugglers, puppeteers, storytellers, etc. For further entertainment, there is the folk music of the Jodhpur echoing throughout the fair.
How to reach Jodhpur
By Air: Jodhpur airport is situated near the cantonment area. Through direct flights it offers well connectivity with the metropolitan cities in the country.
By Rail: Jodhpur Railway Station provides wide railway network, is situated on station road in Northern part of India. It is well connected with all major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur etc.
By Road: Jodhpur offers well road connection from Delhi via Gurgaon, Jaipur, Ajmer, Pali and Beawar .you can also hire a cab for further journey.
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