Jodhpur Tours

Jodhpur, the former capital of Marwar state was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha who claimed descent from Lord Rama, (the hero of the epic Ramayana). The city was built as a result of warring brothers, each of which felt the need to rule his independent state. The massive fort - Mehrangarh - came first and around it grew the city of Jodhpur protected by a high stone wall with seven gates and countless bastions. Today, the city has grown to become the second largest city of Rajasthan while still maintaining its medieval character.

A flourishing trading center in the 16th century, Jodhpur is still one of the leading centers for wood, cattle, camels, salt and agricultural crops. However, the past is never very far behind and Jodhpur boasts of some very fine reminders of this glorious past - palaces, forts, temples and other elegant monuments of architectural and historical value.

The Mehrangarh Fort spreading over 5 km on a perpendicular hill and looking down from a height of about 100 meters, the fort appears rugged and impenetrable from outside but houses some of the most intricately adorned palaces with exquisitely carved panels and latticed windows.

Moti Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana are some of the other riveting places to visit and view the collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture.

Tourist Attractions Jodhpur :-

Mehrangarh Fort:
The most magnificent fort in Jodhpur is the Mehrangarh Fort. It is situated on a 150m high hill. Rao Jodha, the then chief of Rathore clan, constructed it in 1459. There are a number of attractions within the fort like several palaces, galleries, a museum, temples and so on.

Umaid Bhavan Palace:
One of the fascinating palaces of Jodhpur is the Umaid Bhavan palace. Maharaja Umaid Singh constructed it in 20th century. A part of the palace has now been converted into a hotel and a museum.

Jaswant Thada:
Jaswant Thada lies to the left of the Mehrangarh fort complex. It is a royal cenotaph made up of white marble. It was built to commemorate Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Some rare portraits of the former rulers of Jodhpur are also displayed here.

Jodhpur Sightseeing :-

The Mehrangarh Fort :- Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur is one of the largest forts in forts. It is also the most magnificent fort in Jodhpur, infact, in the whole Rajasthan. The fort is amongst the popular tourist places in India. It is situated on a 150 m high hill. It was founded by Rao Jodha in 1459. The Mehrangarh Fort can be reached from the city, 5 kms below, through a circular road. The Mehrangarh Fort, with its beauty, is the living proof of the hard work and skill of the Jodhpuri sculptors. Seven gates have to be crossed to reach the fort. The gates still bear the marks 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. One of the gates is Jayapol, meaning victory. It was built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies. Another gate, Fattehpol, again meaning victory, was built by Maharaja Ajit Singh as a celebration for defeating the Mughals.

The Jaswant Thada :- To the left of the Mehrangarh Fort complex is the Jaswant Thada of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. It is a 19th century royal cenotaph built in commemoration of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, the 33rd Rathore ruler of Jodhpur. The son of Maharaja Jaswant Singh, Maharaja Sardar Singh, in the memory of his father, built the Jaswant Thada. The cenotaph has two more tombs within it. Near to this are the royal crematorium and three other cenotaphs.

Famous Jaswant Thada in Jodhpur, India is an example of architectural brilliance in India. It is a white marble memorial, built out of intricately carved sheets of marble. The carving shows the genius of the sculptors. These stones are extremely thin and polished. As a result, the outside surface of the monument emits a warm glow when the sunrays fall on its surface. There is also beautiful marble jali work on the cenotaph. You can have some nice views from the terrace in front of the cenotaph.

The Umaid Bhawan Palace :- Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur, India is one of India's most imposing and recent palaces. Umaid Bhavan palace of Jodhpur, Rajasthan was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh. It is named after him only. He utilized the services of a well-known Edwardian architect, Henry Vaughan Lanchester for the construction of this palace. It contains three hundred and forty seven rooms.

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace was actually built for the welfare of the people. The purpose was to give employment to the people of Jodhpur during a long period of drought and famine. The construction of the palace utilized approximately one million square feet (90,000 m²). Another special feature of the palace is the use of a special type of sandstone, called Chittar sandstone, giving it a special appearance. Umaid Bhavan palace of Jodhpur is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Over three thousand artisans were employed in the construction of this palace.

The Rai ka Baag Palace :- The Rai ka Bag Palace of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is another tourist spot for you to visit on your trip to Jodhpur. The queen of Maharaja Jaswant Singh-I, Hadiji, built this palace. It is situated near the Raika Bag palace railway station. Famous Rai Ka Bag palace in Jodhpur, India was constructed in 1663. It was amongst the favorite palaces of King Jaswant Singh-II. Most of the time he stayed in the octagonal bungalow of Rai Ka Bag palace.

Mandore Gardent:- Spread in an area of 82 acres, this garden has beautiful Ashok trees, Bougainvillea, row of floral plants and ancient trees. There are no definite clues to say how old this garden is but it surely existed during the reign of Kind Maldeo (1532-1572). Maldeo was married to the princess of Jaisalmer.The beauty of the garden has been captured on celluliod by many film makers. The fountains, especially the jet fountain is an all-time tourist attraction.Above this level is a natural pond known as Nagadari. The Nagpancharni and Veer puri fairs are organised in this garden. Nagkunds are worshipped by people during Nag Panchami. Now in this garden a little funworld is created for child

Nehru Park :- Spread in an area of 14 acres, Nehru Park was developed as a children's part. It was inaugurated on 7th September, 1966 by the then Chief Minister of state, Shri Mohan Lal Sukhadia, The part gets it's beauty from the fountain, pond, swings flower beds, trees and plants here

Umed Garden :- Like Mandore gardens, Umed garden also covers an area of 82 acres. developed by Maharaja Umed Singh, it has green lawns, towering Ashoka trees, roses and seasonal flowers, museum, fountains, library and a zoo.In 1978 'Walk-in Avery' was made where one could see different types of birds-local, African and Australian parrots, ducks, rabbits etc; in their natural environment. A large cage for bears opposites, foxes, deers, lions leopard etc. educate children and mesmerise people with nature's beauty

Government Museum :- Jodhpur the erstwhile capital of the state of Marwar was built in 1459 by Rao Jodha the chief of the Rathore kin of Rajputs. Rich in history and culture, this city in Rajasthan has kaleidoscopic features to keep the interests of the tourists absolutely unaltered. It has many types of attractions to keep them engrossed. It has opulent palaces, invincible forts, sparkling lakes and scenic gardens. Not only this, Jodhpur has various museums also which are the perfect reminiscent of its history. And travelers who want to delve deep into the life styles of the royalty of the past these are the best to visit. However of the numerous museums in Jodhpour, the Government Museum in Jodhpur is very famous.

The Government Museum :- Jodhpur is situated in the Umaid Public gardens. In this museum a huge collection of weapons, textiles, miniature portraits, local crafts and images of Jain Tirthankars are housed. There is also a library and a zoo.

Clock Tower and Sadar Market :- Clock Tower and Sadar Market A prime attraction of the city is the Clock Tower and the colourful Sardar Market near it with a wide range of handicrafts giving immense shopping pleasure to the locals and the

JHANKI MAHAL :- The Jhanki Mahal, from where the royal ladies watched the official proceedings, in the courtyard, today houses a rich collection of the royal cradles. The cradles are decorated with gilt mirrors and figures of fairies, elephant and birds.

Ossian :- 65 Kms from Jodhpur, lies ruins of an ancient city called Ossian. This city is famous for Brahmanical and Jain temples, which belong to 8th and 11th century. Surya or Sun temple and the Sachiya temples are famous for their beauty. The shikhar of Sachiya temple is clustered by two rows of turrets, an ambulatory and a large assembly hall with an elaborate ceiling. This town which was once a great trading centre is an oasis and houses an abundance of peacocks. The largest of the 16 Jain and Brahmanical temples is dedicated to Mahavira, the last of the Jain tirthankars. In the same area the Surya temple has fascinating images of Durga, Surya and Ganesh. The sculptural intricacy of the Osian temples rival that of any of the famous temples of the country, be it the Sun Temple of Konark, or the Hoysala temples of Karnataka.

PHOOL MAHAL :- The grandest of Mehrangarh's period rooms, the Phool Mahal was in all likelihood a private and exclusive chamber of pleasure dancing girls. It has a ceiling rich in gold filigree. The Phool Mahal was created by Maharaja Abhaya Singh (1724-1749) and the gold came from Ahmedabad in Gujarat as war booty after his famous victory over the rebellious Mughal governor, Sarbuland Khan. The paintings, royal portraits and the ever-popular raga mala, came much later, in the reign of Jaswant Singh II.

Balsamand Lake and Palace :- At some point of time in our life, we all want to stay at a place overlooking a water body, preferably a sea. The Jodhpur Balsammand Palace in Mandore, Rajasthan offers you this kind of comfort. This palace is built on a hillock facing Balsammand Lake. This popular excursion of Jodhpur, Rajasthan was constructed in 19th century and is made up of sandstone.

Maharajah Sur Singh of Jodhpur, as a summer pavilion, built this palace encircled by hills. The Balsammand Palace of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is beautifully carved. Allowing the cool breeze to blow into the palace are the latticed windows. The lakeside, in front of the palace, has domed structure that provides fabulous views of the lake. The gardens get water from an artificial waterfall, bringing down water from the reservoir.

The palace has now been converted into a heritage hotel. While staying there, you will feel as if you are staying in a royal palace. To fully enjoy this place, you should roam around the place and take a walk through the trees. Also good for a walk are the rose beds, the pools covered with lilies and the groves of mango, plum, banana, pomegranate and lots of other trees. You may also get to see the peacocks, blue bulls, jackals and hundreds of fruit bats in the trees.

Guda Bishnoi :- If you want to get an experience of the tribal India, Jodhpur Guda Bishnoi Village is the place for you. It is approximately 25 kms from the main city of Jodhpur. The Guda Bishnoi village of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is scenic beauty marked with Khejri trees and deer. Also in the village is the Guda Bishnoi Lake. It is an artificial lake, perfect as a picnic spot. A person interested in exotic wild life & nature should definitely visit this village.

The Bishnoi community inhabits the village. The villagers are staunch worshippers of nature in all its forms, specially the sanctity of plant and animal life. They even pray to the green trees and animals that inhabit their land. In this world of exploitation everywhere, they make every effort to conserve the environment. Another fact about the Bishnoi tribals is that they worship Lord Vishnu and are vegetarians.

Jaswant Sagar Dam:- The Jodhpur Jaswant Sagar Dam lies in Pichiyak village between Bilara and Bhavi of Jodhpur district. It was constructed, in 1892, by Maharaja Jaswant Singh. The water from Jaswant Sagar Dam of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is utilized for irrigation purposes in Jodhpur. The greenest part of Jodhpur receives water from this dam. Also available here, are boating facilities have for tourists. It is nice place for those who love boating or wading around in water. Also, a visit to the Jaswant Sagar Dam will serve as an educational trip for the children.

Machiya Safari Park :- The Jodhpur Machiya Safari Park lies on the way to Jaisalmer. It is about 1km from Kaylana Lake. It is a must see place for those interested in wildlife. The main fauna of the Machiya Safari Park of Jodhpur, Rajasthan includes, deer, desert fox, monitor lizard, blue bulls rabbits, wild cats, mongoose, monkeys, etc. There is also an exclusive bird watching point from where you can see a large number of birds. Thus, serving as a good place for bird watchers too. The safari park also has a fort inside its complex. The fort also gives a nice view of the sunset. Machiya Safari Park is an interesting place to visit with kids.

Pali City :- Pali city near Jodhpur, Rajasthan is named after the Paliwal Brahmins. They were once the inhabitants of this area. However the civilization of the ancient Pali city was highly evolved. The land of Pali was leased to the Paliwalis by the then chief of Mandore. Paliwalis were priests formerly. But after getting the leased land, they cultivated it diligently, abandoning their former priestly profession.
Jodhpur Pali City also has two temples. The temples of Somnath and Naulakha are very old. Naulakha is a Jain temple having elaborate carvings. While Somnath temple is devoted to Lord Shiva. This temple is known for its handsome bulling having exquisite moldings. A good place to visit for someone historically inclined.