Travel destination in India, Jodhpur

          
 

General Information about JODHPUR

Jodhpur :
Area : 22850 sq km.
Altitude : 230 metres above Sea Level.
Languages : Rajasthani, Marwari, Hindi.
Best Time to Visit : October-March
State : Rajasthan
STD Code : 0291
About Jodhpur

Jodhpur was founded by the Rajput chief Rao Jodha in 1459. The city was the erstwhile capital of the Marwar state. A 10-km-long wall made of stone and built about a century after the city was founded, surrounds the old city. There are about 100 towers in the city, most of which are surrounded by defensive battlements. It was founded in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodha-chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs who claimed to be descendants of Rama - hero of the epic 'Ramayana'. Rahores controlled a large part of Rajasthan, especially during the reigns of Rao Udai Singh (1581 AD) and his son Raja Sur Singh ((1595), who conquered Gujarat and a good part of Deccan for the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The Rathores always had good relationships with the Mughals and Maharaja Jaswant Singh (1678) supported Shahjahan in the Mughal struggle for war of succession. Only problematic relationship they had was with Aurangzeb. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Maharaja Ajit Singh became the ruler of Jodhpur. He drove out Mughals from Ajmer and added substantially to the Mehrangarh Fort.

HOW TO REACH

By Air : Airport is well connected from - Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Udaipur.

By Rail : The Jodhpur railhead is well linked from Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bikaner.

By Road : Jodhpur is well connected to all major towns of Rajasthan and India.

PLACES TO VISIT IN JODHPUR

Mehrangarh Fort : Situated at an altitude of about 125 mtrs, the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur is spread over an area of 5 sq km in the heart of the city of Jodhpur. Besides being a landmark in Jodhpur Mehrangarh fort is a must visit for all the tourists. The fort has seven gates of which the noted ones are the Jayapol, built by Maharaja Man Singh in 1806; Fatehpol or the Victory Gate built by Maharaja Ajit Singh; and the Lohapol or the Iron Gate.

Jaswant Thada : Jaswant Thada in Jodhpur is a white marble memorial built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant II in 1899 A story goes that Maharaja Jaswant succumbed to injuries in this place while fighting the Mughal king Jahangir. This place is a must visit in Jodhpur.

Umaid Bhawan : Made of marble and pink sandstone, the construction of the Umaid Bhawan of Jodhpur started in 1929 and it took 16 years to complete it. It is believed that the palace was constructed to give employment to the famine-struck population of Jodhpur. This majestic building is presently the residence of the former rulers with a part of it running as hotel and remaining part as a museum.

Kaylana Lake : Located 8 kms. West of Jodhpur, Kaylana lake was constructed in 1872 by Pratap Singh. It is spread over 84 square kilometers' area. Earlier this area had palaces and gardens made by two rulers of Jodhpur-Bhim Singh and Takhat Singh. These were destroyed to make Kaylana lake. Near the lake is a Dak Bungalow of Irrigation department. This famous picnic spot has taken the lives of many youngesters trying to swin across this deep lake.

Gulab Sagar : 150x90 m sized Gulab Sagar water storage was constructed by Gulab Rai in 1788, who was a mistress of Maharaja Vijay Singh. Earlier there was another source of water here, called 'Bawri', which was converted into Gulab Sagar. Located near Sardar Market in old city area, it's construction took 8 years. It is said that this part was made in 1835, in the memory of Sher Singh, Gulab Rai's son. The water for it came through a canal from Bal Samand lake and was used for drinking earlier. But now, it's only the rain water which brings all the garbage and dirt into this neglected monument of Gulab Rai.
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