Jodhpur

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Quick Facts

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Coordinates

• Latitude: 26.28161
• Longitude: 73.023163

On Travellerspoint

• 7 Jodhpur Guesthouses
• 7 Jodhpur Hostels
• 8 Jodhpur Hotels

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Introduction

Hookah Smoker at Jodhpur Fort

© All Rights Reserved jacquiedro

Jodhpur is the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is also known as the Gateway to Thar (due to its location on the edge of the Thar desert), Sun City (due to the many sunny days), or City of Blue Houses (due to the large number of blue houses).

Brief History

Jodhpur is a historic city and the origin dates to the year 1459 AD when it was founded by Rao Jodha, the Rajput chieftan of the Rathores. The Rathore kingdom was also known as the Marwar and was the largest in Rajputana.

The city was built as the new capital of the state of Marwar (now Rajasthan) to replace the ancient capital Mandore, the ruins of which can be seen near what is now the Mandore Gardens. The people of Jodhpur and surrounding areas are hence also commonly called as Marwaris. The forts and palaces, temples and havelis, culture and tradition, spices and fabrics, colour and texture, a booming handicrafts industry, all add up to make this historic city worth a visit.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

• Mehrangarh Fort dominates the city and is the largest fort in Rajasthan.
• Baba Ramdev Temple, Masuria Hills
• Ganesh Temple, Ratanada
• Santoshi Mata Temple, Lal Sagar
• Mahamandir Temple: One can see the neighbouring tourist destinations of Osiyan temples, Ranakpur Jain temples, Nathdwara temple, Bikaner and Deshnok, Ajmer and Pushkar, the desert city of Jaisalmer, the hill station Mount Abu, the city of lakes Udaipur or the pink city Jaipur
• Jaswant Thada, 1 km downhill from Mehrangarh (easily walked). Royal cenotaphs built in marble, with a picturesque location next to a little lake. Entry Rs. 20, plus Rs. 25 for a camera.
• Mandore, 7 km outside the city. The ancient capital of Marwar, before Jodhpur was built. Myth has it that Mandore is the birthplace of Princess Mandodri, the wife of King Ravana of Lanka in the epic Ramayana.
• Umaid Bhawan Palace: Clearly visible to the south of the city and completed only in 1944, this is the last great palace built in India. The Maharaja of Jodhpur lives here to this day, but half the building has been converted to a 5-star hotel (see Sleep) and there is also a small museum on grounds (Rs. 50, open 9 AM to 5 PM). You'll have to take a rickshaw to get here, and it's best to ask them to wait: figure on Rs. 100 for a round-trip with an hour's waiting time.

Natural sites

• Balsamand Lake is now converted to a resort
• Kailana Lake is a picnic spot and a main drinking water source for the city

Further Afield

• Bishnoi Village safari Bishnois are a community that protects wildlife and environment. In safari the guide will take you around the Bishnoi villages in a jeep and there you will see deer, blackbuck and chinkara roaming around their huts and playing with their childres and village people feeding them. It is a 70 km tour.
• Luni fort is located about 40 kms outside Jodhpur and has been converted into a heritage hotel
• Khejarla fort - located 80 kms outside Jodhpur on Jodhpur-Jaipur Highway and has been converted into a luxury heritage hotel.
• Osiyan is about 60 kms from Jodhpur and has Jain temples as well as Kali temples

Events and Festivals

Jodhpur fairs and festivals seem to express the rich culture and traditions Rajasthan. A number of festivals are celebrated in Jodhpur. However the most famous Fairs and festivals in Jodhpur, Rajasthan are:

Marwar Festival

The most popular Jodhpur festival is the Jodhpur Marwar Festival. It is held every year in memory of the heroes of Rajasthan. Marwar Festival of Jodhpur, Rajasthan was originally known as the Maand Festival. The festival is held in the month of Ashwin. Ashwin is a Hindu month between September-October. The Marwar festival in Jodhpur, India is celebrated during the full moon of Sharad Poornima. It goes on for two days.

The main attraction of this festival is the folk music centered on the romantic lifestyle of Rajasthan's rulers. The music and dance of the Marwar region is the main theme of this festival. The folk dancers and singers assemble at the festival and provide lively entertainment. These folk artists give others a peek into the days of yore, of battles and of the heroes who still live on through their songs.

Among other attractions at the festival, is the camel tattoo show and polo. The venue of this festival includes the famous Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mandore and Mehrangarh Fort.

Jodhpur International Desert Kite Festival

The International kite festival of Jodhpur, Rajasthan began only a few years. However, even in such a short span of time, it has become quite popular. In the Jodhpur International Desert Kite festival, the best kite flyers from India as well as rest of the world take part. The aim is to show of your kite flying skills. A lot of excitement surrounds this festival.

Generally, the date of this Kite Festival in India is 14th January (Makar Sankranti). It is a three-day festival, held at the Polo Ground in Jodhpur. Air Force helicopters also release a large number of kites from above. Hundreds of schoolchildren also release balloons. During the kite festival, the sky gets filled up with kites of various designs and colors. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the people also regarding this festival. It reaches the highest point when a kite gets cut.

Nagaur Fair

The Jodhpur Nagaur Fair is the second biggest fair in India. The fair goes on for eight days. Nagaur Fair of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is held every year during the month of Jan-Feb.

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. Other trading in the Nagaur Fair in Jodhpur, India consists of sheep to Marwari horses to spices. Some other attractions include the Mirchi bazaar (largest red-chilly market of India), wooden items, iron-crafts and camel leather accessories.

Weather

Jodhpur experiences typical desert type climatic conditions with hot and dry summers and cool winters. The temperatures during the summer months(April-June) average around 40 degrees celsius while during the winters(November-February) the daytime temperatures average around 27 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is scanty with most of the precipitation being received during the July-September period. The city is bright and sunny throughout the year.
October to March is the best period to visit the city.

Getting There

Jodhpur is well connected by road, rail and air to all major cities and towns.

By Plane

Domestic flights are available from the Jodhpur airport which is located around 5 km from the city.Regular service carriers like Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, and Kingfisher Airlines operate flights from the airport to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur.

By Train

Jodhpur is an important railway station of the North Western zone of the Indian Railways . It is well connected by direct trains from all metros and major cities in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Lucknow, Kalka, Jammu, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. For example, the popular Mandor Express leaves Delhi at 8:45 PM and arrives in Udaipur at 8 AM the next morning (Rs.1000 in AC2). The taxi and auto-rickshaw stand are located near the exit of the railway station.

The advance reservation office is on Station Road, between the railway station and Sojati Gate. The office is open from Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm and on Sunday until 1.45 pm IST. Foreign tourists can also buy Indrail passes in USD and reserve tickets at the International Tourist Bureau, which is located at the advance reservation office. Tickets can also be booked online at IRCTC, the official Railway booking site, from 5 am to 11:30 pm IST on all days.

Since February 2006, a train travels between Jodhpur and Karachi in Pakistan. It is the first international train travelling directly between the two countries since 1965.
The Thar Express leaves Karachi at 11pm on Fridays, taking almost 24 hours before arriving in Jodhpur on Saturday evening. In the opposite direction, trains leave and arrive on approximately the same time on the same days taking 24 hours as well.

By Car

Approximate road distances from various destinations are

• Agra 580 km
• Ajmer 200 km
• Barmer 220 km
• Bikaner 240 km
• Jaipur 345 km
• Jaisalmer 290 km
• Mount Abu 265 km
• Mumbai 1075 km
• New Delhi 590 km
• Osiyan 60 km
• Ranakpur 175 km
• Udaipur 275 km

Various tour operators and travel agencies offer chauferred car-taxi services; these are charged on a per km, per day basis. You can plan to take one to arrive into the city or take one for sightseeing in and around the city.

By Bus

Jodhpur can be reached by Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation buses which connect the city to other cities of Rajasthan. Private luxury buses are also available, which operate from all major towns and cities in Rajasthan as well as the cities of Ahmedabad and Delhi.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mandore guesthouse is a family run guesthouse and offers accommodation in typical Rajasthani style cottages. Meals also home-cooked and served in the open air garden. The owner is keen on responsible tourism and has a community service programme with the nearby Bishnoi villagers. Volunteers are encouraged to come and help with the programmes and are offered food and board in return. The guesthouse is located on a little street opposite the Mandore gardens.

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur
• Jodhpur National University
• National Law University Jodhpur

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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