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Jodhpur

Set at the edge of the Thar desert, the imperial city of Jodhpur echoes with tales of antiquity in the emptiness of the desert. Once the capital of the Marwar state, it was founded in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodha-chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs who claimed to be descendants of Rama - the epic hero of the Ramayana.The massive 15th century A.D. Mehrangarh Fort looms on the top of a rocky hill, soaring 125 Mts. above the plains.

The city is encompassed by a high wall -10 km long with 8 gates and innumerable bastions.A major trade center of the 16th century A.D. the fortress-city of Jodhpur is now the second largest city of Rajasthan.While the graceful palaces , forts and temples strewn throughout the city bring alive the historic grandeur, exquisite handicrafts , folk dances, music and the brightly attired people lend a romantic aura to the city

Tourist Attraction

Maherangarh Fort

The inspiring Mehrangarh Fort takes pride of place as the first destination on any visitor’s list. From the outside its wide, high walls and sheer cliffs appear unassailable, imposing and austere, Seven heavily fortified gateways led to the palaces, armoury and royal chambers. Few of these gates remain but the palaces are impressive in their variety and ornamentation. The notable ones are the Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), with its beautifully painted walls, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace) with its Shringar Chowk (coronation seat) featuring peacock armrests and gilded elephants, Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), the Sileh Khana, the Umaid Vilas and the Daulat Khana.

At the Daulat Khana, visitors get to see a rich and varied collection of royal memorabilia, fine Rajput miniatures and Ragmala paintings.

Jaswant Thada

Jaswant Thada, a few metres below the fort, is the site of the white marble royal cenotaph of Jaswant Singh II and four of his successors. The Mahamandir, dedicated to Lord Shiva is an architectural wonder, built in 1812, with 84 intricately carved pillars. As it was outside the city walls it was given its own protective fortifications, a sign of those turbulent times!

City Palace

A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the city palace sprawls over one- seventh of the area in the walled city. The City Palace complex houses several palatial structures in the heart of the old city and occupies a large area divided into a series of courtyards, gardens and buildings. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum. The former Maharaja still lives in part of the palace.

Ummaid Bhavan

The Umaid Bhawan Palace was built during the 1920s and '30s as a famine relief project when Maharaja Umaid Singh started a food for work program. The palace took 16 years to complete- no wonder, then that with its 347 rooms, it is one of the largest private residences in the world. The present ruler converted it into a fine luxury hotel with an in house museum while retaining the use of one wing as the private residence of the erstwhile royal family.

Clock Tower Markets

The clock tower market is a land mark in the old city. The color full Clock tower market is full of Indian textiles, silver, spices and handicrafts. It is the paradise for the shoppers.

Mondore Gardens

Mondore lies in the further in the north of Jodhpur. It was the Old capital of Jodhpur rulers. Today it has a beautiful garden with high rock terrace. The garden also contains the cenotaphs of Jodhpur rulers, Maharaja Jaswant singh and Maharaja Ajit singh.