Jodhpur city (Population: 846,408 as per 2001 Census) was formerly the seat of a princely state and the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar. The city is known as the Sun City for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year. It is also referred to as the Blue City due to the blue-painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. The old city of Jodhpur is surrounded by a thick stone wall. Jodhpur lies near the geographic centre of Rajasthan state, which makes it a convenient base for travel in a region much frequented by tourists.

History
The area was part of the Gurjara - Pratihara Empire and until 1100 CE was ruled by a powerful Bargujar King. Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of the Rathore clan. Jodha had conquered the surrounding territory and thus founded a state known as Marwar. The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat, and it enabled to flourish trade in opium, copper, silk, sandals, date palms, spices and coffee.

Early in its history, the state became a fief under the Mughal Empire, owing fealty to them while enjoying some internal autonomy. During this period, the state furnished the Mughals with several notable generals such as Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Jodhpur and its people benefited from this exposure to the wider world: new styles of art and architecture made their appearance and opportunities opened up for local tradesmen to make their mark across northern India.

Aurangzeb briefly sequestrated the state (1679 AD) on the pretext of a minority, but the rightful ruler Maharaja Ajit Singh was restored to the throne by Veer Durgadas Rathore after Aurangzeb died in 1707 and a great struggle of 30 years. During the British Raj, the state of Jodhpur had the largest land area of any in Rajputana. Jodhpur prospered under the peace and stability that were a hallmark of this era. Its merchants, the Marwaris, flourished without let or limit and came to occupy a position of dominance in trade across India. In 1947, when India became independent, the state merged into the union of India and Jodhpur became the second city of Rajasthan.

Oswal Jains were mainly concentrated in Gorwar Region which was again ruled by Maharaja of Jodhpur. Oswal Jains also played main role in strengthening foundation of Jodhpur by donating mass wealth , gems to Maharaja of Jodhpur and in turn Maharaja of Jodhpur used to honour these wealthy Oswal Jain Merchants as Nagar Seth or various other honourable titles.
At the time of partition, ruler of Jodhpur Hanwant Singh didn't want to join India, but finally due to the effective leadership of Sardar Vallab Patel, the then Home Minister at centre, princely state of Jodhpur was included in Indian Republic. Later after State Reorganization Act, 1956 it was made part of the state of Rajasthan.

Climate
Jodhpur is located at an average elevation of 232 metres (761 feet).

The climate is generally hot and arid. The rainy season lasts from late June to September. Although, the average rainfall is around 360 mm (14 in), it is extraordinarily variable. In the famine year of 1899, Jodhpur received only 24 mm (0.94 in), but in the flood year 1917 it received as much as 1,178 mm (46.4 in).

Temperatures are extreme throughout the period from March to October, except when monsoonal rain produces thick clouds to lower it slightly.

Historical monuments

Umaid Bhawan Palace:  The palace is not only one of India's most imposing one but also the biggest private residence in the world with 347 rooms. This lavish art deco monument to royal living had an improbable conception. It was built as a public relief and employment project during a long period of drought. Over one million square feet (90,000 m²) of the finest marble was used in the construction of the palace. A special type of sandstone, called Chittarsandstone, has been used in constructing the palace and this gives it a special effect. For this reason, it is also referred to as Chittar Palace by the locals. Its style of construction, with beautiful balconies, charming courtyards, green gardens and stately rooms, makes it a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The project employed three thousand artisans over a period of 15 years (1929-1943). The palace is named after its builder, Maharaja Umaid Singh (1876-1947), who was incidentally the president of the British Royal Institute of Architects. In 1977, the palace was segmented into the royal residence, the Heritage Hotel and a museum. The rooms are elegantly decorated with antique furniture as well as all the other amenities for a five star hotel.

Mehrangarh Fort: The Fort lies in the heart of the old city of Jodhpur and is located atop a 125 M high hill. The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort (Jodhpur ka kila) is the most majestic and one of the largest forts in India. It was originally started (c.1459) by Rao Jodha, founder of Jodhpur. However, most of the extant fort dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-78). The walls of the fort are up to 36 m high and 21 m wide; they enclose some exquisite structures.
The fort museum houses an exquisite collection of palanquins, howdahs (elephant seat), royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort provide not only excellently preserved cannons but also a breath-taking view of the city.

Jaswant Thada: The Jaswant Thada is architectural landmark found in Jodhpur. It is a white marble memorial built in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. The monument, in its entirety, is built out of intricately carved sheets of marble. These stones are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow with the sun's rays across their surface. Within this cenotaph, there are also two more tombs

Veer Durgadas Smarak, Masooria Hills

Veer Durgadas Smarak is situated on Masooria Hill and a panoramic and extremely magnificent view of Jodhpur city can be viewed from here; there is impressive 36 feet high equesterian statue of Veer Durgadas Rathore. Veer Durgadas (1638-1718 AD) was the most revered guardian and protector of Marwar. It is a fact of history that the restoration of 'Gaddi' the throne after sudden death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh -II to the rightful heir Maharaja Ajit Singh from the clinch of Moghul emperor Auragzeb. Every person of marwar reveres Veer Durgadas for the preservation of the integrity and independent identity of Marwar.

Osiyan Temple:

Osiyan is an ancient town in the Thar Desert, situated 62 km north of Jodhpur, in Rajasthan, famous for its exquisitely sculptured temples, most of which have withstood the ravages of time. It was a major trading center dominated by the Jains in the 8th and 12th centuries. Osiyan comes first at 62 km, literally in the middle at the edge of the Thar Desert.

Osiyan is a major Jain pilgrim center. It boasts a large number of Brahmanical and Jain temples dating back from the 8th to 11th century. Among them, the old Jain temple dedicated to Mahavira, built of local red sandstone, is the major attraction. The statue of Mahavira here is said to be over 2000 years old. Other attractions include the Sachiya Mata temple and Sun (Surya) Temple. Both Hindu and Jain temples, of red and cream sandstone, reputed to be around 2,500 years old, are superb work of art. The Jain temple, 2,500 years old, is a masterpiece in creamy sandstone, very well maintained. Graceful torans (arches), freestanding pillars and fantastic sculptures make this unique temple something of a fantasy. The dome temple has exquisite figures of apsaras in cream and pink stone, quarried locally long, long ago. This temple has been restored with care, using no cement or iron, but the materials used originally. With the Sand Dunes never far away, Osiyan can provide tented stays on the dunes and camel rides across the desert.

A visit to Osiyan can be combined with trips to nearby Bikaner and Jaisalmer. The exploration of Jodhpur or Jaisalmer is incomplete without advancing into the desert, towards Phalodi and Osiyan.

Cuisine:
A number of Indian delicacies have originated in Jodhpur. To name a few, the Makhaniya Lassi, Mawa Kachori, Pyaaj Kachori, Hot & Spicy Mirchibada (chaudhary ka mirchi bada) (A preparation made with potato, onion, chilli and gramflour), Dal Bati Churma, Panchkuta, Lapsi (a special kind of dessert made with wheat, Jaggery, and ghee), Kachar mircha curry (made with chilli and kachar, a special type of vegetable grown in desert area) and Kadhi (made with gramflour, curd and chilli) with Baajre ka sogra. Jodhpur is known for its sweets ranging from traditional "Makhanbada" to Bengali "Roshogollas".,"Ras madhuri"

Transport:
The city is very well connected with Road, Rail and Air. It is mostly connected with railways to major Indian cities like  Delhi,  Mumbai,  Kolkata, Chennai,  Bangalore, Pune, Kota, Kanpur, Hyderabad,  Ahmedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Guwahati, Nagpur, Lucknow and Jaipur. The railway station is also the originating point for various trains like Jodhpur - Indore Express, Jodhpur - Bhopal Express, Jodhpur - Puri Express etc.

By car:

Approximate road distances from Jodhpur to various destinations are:

What to see in and from Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer Fort
Jain Temples
Laxminath Temple
Patwon ki Haveli
Salim Singh ki Haveli
Nathmalji ki Haveli
Desert Culture Centre & Museum
Jaisalmer Folklore Museum
Government Museum
Gadi Sagar
Camel Safari in the Sam Sand Dunes
Mool Sagar
Amar Sagar
Kuldhara
Khuri Village
Akal Wood Fossil Park

Hotels in Jodhpur

Advance booking of rooms can also be done through www.arraytours.com or contact +91 33 24416978, +91 9433253111

Last Updated on Sunday, 31 October 2010 01:30