Jodhpur is the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan after Udaipur, standing on the very edge of the Thar Desert. This city was once the capital of the ancient state of Marwar, which means "land of death" - the name is probably associated with the harsh climate of the desert. Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by one of the princes of the Rajput dynasty - Rao Jodha, whose lineage comes from the famous Rama - the hero of the ancient Indian epic Ramayan.
Jodhpur consists of the lower city and the huge Mehrangarh fortress, which stands on top of a hill and is surrounded by a wall 10 kilometers long. Palaces, temples and service premises are located outside the walls of the fortress. The wall surrounding the entire fortress has seven gates through which the paths to the palaces pass. Halfway up the road is Jaswant Thada, where the cenotaphs (tombs) of the former princes of the city are located, and there is also a beautiful memorial. The Mehrangarh fortress was the core of the ancient city, and modern Jodhpur has grown greatly in all directions. It is often called the "blue city" due to the fact that many of the houses here are painted blue.
Fort Mehrangarh, or Mehrangarh Fortress, is an amazing castle in the center of Jodhpur, the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It stands on the edge of the Thar Desert on a 125-meter rocky hill, like a formidable guardian, protecting a person from the deadly breath of the hot sands.
From the founding of the Mehrangarh fort, which means "conquered place" in Hindi, the history of the city itself, which grew around the fort, began. The principalities often fought with each other, so the importance of forts in India was no less than castles in Europe. However, the walls of the Mehrangarh fort turned out to be too tough for the neighboring rajas, who never managed to capture the fort.
But Jodhpur faced a more serious threat than from other principalities: it lost its independence in 1544, when it was annexed to the Mughal Empire. For 300 years, Rajasthan remained under their rule, which, however, did not prevent the rajas from continuing to fight with each other. Therefore, the walls of Fort Mehrangarh keep numerous traces of cannonballs - a vivid evidence of their combat power and strength.
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But this is not the only memory preserved by the walls of the fort. When Maharaja Man Sing died in 1847, his fifteen wives decided to follow him to the funeral pyre. Saying goodbye, they dipped their palms in henna and placed them against the wall of the fort. Subsequently, the handprints left by them were carved in stone, as a reminder of their loyalty and devotion to her husband and customs.
Inside the fort are the Palace of Pleasures, the Pearl Palace and the Palace of Flowers. They are separated by small courtyards. The halls of the palaces amaze with their rich decoration and luxurious decoration. The Hindu temple of the goddess Kuldevi is also located here. However, the greatest interest among tourists is the Mehrangarh Fort Museum - one of the most impressive palace museums in the state of Rajasthan. Here you can see the golden throne of the prince, magnificent miniatures, ivory products, jewelry, luxurious robes and numerous examples of weapons.
In the olden days, the Maharajas used elephants to overcome a steep hill on their way to the gate of the fortress. Nowadays, those who wish can take advantage of the achievement of modern civilization and take the elevator instead of elephants. Next to the fortress is Jaswant Tada - a white marble memorial built in memory of the ruler of Jodhpur Jaswant Singh II, which you can see in the very first photo below.
The fort is also a favorite filming location for Hollywood films. In particular, he could be seen in the Batman movie.
Entrance Rs Rs 300 and Rs 100 per photo.