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| Famous for its magnificent forts and palaces, Jodhpur is the second largest city of Rajasthan |
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Famous for its magnificent forts and palaces, Jodhpur is the second largest city of Rajasthan and a major tourist attraction in the country. The city is situated at the edge of the Thar Desert with Jaisalmer on its west, Barmar, Jalor and Pali on its south, Bikaner on its north, and Nagaur on the eastern side. Jodhpur was founded by the Rajput chief Rao Jodha in 1459. The city was the erstwhile capital of the Marwar state. The city is surrounded by a 10 km long wall with eight gates serving as entrances.
The new city is settled around this walled area. There are about 100 towers in the city, most of which are surrounded by defensive battlements. Jodhpur is a major export centre of handicrafts. This princely state is also referred as "The Blue Town of Rajasthan". The most alluring part of Jodhpur is the traditional lifestyle, festivity and the smiling people who treasure this former princely state. |
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Jodhpur at a glanceArea: 78.60 sq. km
Population: 6,66,279
Altitude: 230 metres above sea level
Languages: Marwari, Rajasthani and Hindi
Best Time to Visit: November to March
STD Code: 0291
Location: 2260 km From Udaipur, Rajasthan
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| How to Reach |
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By Air:
Jodhpur has its own airport and regular flight services conect the city with other major cities in and around Rajasthan. |
By Train:
The city is also well connected by the railway lines and trains are available for other major cities in the country from here. The 'Palace on Wheels' also visits this city of royal splendour. |
By Road:
The state transport has bus services from other cities of the state and some services are interstate too. |
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| Shopping |
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The Sadar Market near the Clock Tower gives immense shopping pleasure to the locals as well as the visitors. The colourful but hectic bazaar consists of many narrow lanes, lined with tiny shops. Look for the tie & dye textiles, embroidered leather shoes, lacquerware, antiques, carpets and puppets. Here, one can buy exquisite Rajasthani textiles, clay figurines, miniature camels and elephants, marble inlay work and classic silver jewellery. |
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| Places of Interest |
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- Forts
- Palaces
- Museums
- Gardens
- Others
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 Mehrangarh Fort
The Mehrangarh Fort lies at the outskirts of Jodhpur city 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, 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.
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 Umaid Bhawan Palace
Made of marble and pink sandstone, the construction of the Umaid Bhawan 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.
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 Jaswant Thada
It 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. Some rare portraits of the rulers of Jodhpur are also displayed here.
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 Government Museum
The Sardar Government Museum, library and the zoo are located in the pleasant Umaid Gardens. This museum has a rich collection of weapons, textiles, miniature portraits, local crafts and images of Jain Tirthankars. It is situated in the middle of the Umaid public gardens.
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 Old Fort Museum
This fascinating museum has palanquins, lavishly upholstered royal howdahs, a golden throne, shoes with pearls, paintings, mirrors, cribs weapons and a magnificently embroidered royal tent among its exhibits.
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 Mehrangarh Fort Museum
This is an excellent museum with rare and interesting artifacts, textiles, painting transport items etc laid out with utmost care and thought. The Palanquin Gallery and Howdah Gallery display a superb collection of old and costly specimens of great historical value.
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 Mandore Gardens
About 8 km from Jodhpur, Mandore, the ancient capital of Marwar, has cenotaphs of the Jodhpur rulers. The beautiful gardens with high rock terraces make it a popular picnic spot. The garden has a gate known as the Ajitpol, which is decorated with paintings of the gods and goddesses of Indian mythology.
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 Balsamand Lake and Gardens
About 5 km from the city lies the Balsamand Lake and Gardens, a splendid spot. This pretty lake was built in AD 1159. By the side of the lake stands a beautiful summer palace surrounded by the equally beautiful gardens.
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 Clock Tower & Sadar Market
In the old city, clock tower is a prominent land mark. But main attraction is the Sadar Market. The market has kept alive the old 'haat bazaar' culture.
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