Jodhpur is the second largest city in Rajasthan, which is painted in blue and known as the Blue city. This city was founded by Rao Jodha in 1459, who was the successor of Rathore Clane of Mewar. It is a beautiful city in Rajasthan with a great history. This city is famous for its fusion combinations of colours, clothes, and culture. The city has many magnificent forts and palaces symbolizing the royal traditions of the Rajputana kingdom.
It is a colourful city also known as the Kingdom of Mewar. This amazing city is the gateway to the Thar Desert as well as has the largest solar power plant in the world. The city has uncountable things to explore, everything here is covered with layers. So, unfold the layers of this historic city to explore its royal colours. Additionally, while unfolding its layers you will find a layer of delicious food here, which is again a fusion of sweet and spicy flavours.
The royal history of Jodhpur
Earlier Jodhpur was only limited to the fort of Mehrangarh. This fort is one of the largest forts in the country, also known as the Sun Palace. This fort was built in 1459 by Rao Jodha for shifting the capital of Mewar from Mandore to Jodhpur. He decided to build this fort on Panchetiya or Cheeriatok hill. This hill was the residence of Sage Cheerianath, who lived here for protecting the birds on this hill.
The king requested the sage to move somewhere else, but he denied it. Then he was forcefully scooped out from their then the sage cursed the king. He cursed that the capital will face drought conditions and the fort will never remain invincible. Fearing his curse Rao Jodha worshipped Goddess Karni. Then he was suggested to bury an alive man with his full consent on this land to abolish the curse.
After that, a man named Rajaram Meghwal came forward to bury him alive for the safety as well as the prosperity of the city. Therefore, he was buried alive in the foundation of the fort and with that, the construction of this fort was started. In his honour, a plaque was formed on the entrance of the fort as well as his family was given the land of Soor Sagar. But all the efforts of the king were wasted as this fort was conquered by Sheer Shah Suri in 1544 as a token of victory. Additionally, the city still faces the conditions of minor famine occasionally.
Taste of Mewar
- Mirchi Vada :- This is the irresistible street food of the city. It is a pakora (i.e., fritter) made with green chilli which is big in size and stuffed with spicy potato filling. And covered with corn as well as gram flour then fried before serving with sauces. This Vada gives the ultimate taste of the city’s fusion flavours.
- Pyaaj ki Kachori :- The city is famous for its pyaaj kachori in the whole of Rajasthan. It is the must-try tea-time snack here. This kachori has a tangy taste of onions with other spicy fillings. This delicious street snack is served with spicy green and sweet red sauce.
- Dal Baati Churma :- It is the traditional dish of the state, without Dal Baati the Rajasthani cuisine is incomplete. So, it is something mandatory to eat while visiting Rajasthan. In Jodhpur, this evergreen dish is a little bit different. Here the dish is served with two – three side dishes with it such as Tipoore (sabzi of green chilli) and Papad.
- Makhaniya Lassi :- It is the most famous mocktail in the city. It is not any other type of Lassi but a special Lassi with the royal touch of Marwad. This lip-smacking mocktail is served in Kulhad (earthen cup). It is made of thick buttermilk along with fresh Makhan, and flavoured with saffron, rose water as well as cardamom. This special lassi is garnished with fry fruits as well as fresh rose leaves.
Shopping in Jodhpur
Jodhpur is famous for its incredible handlooms and handicraft items. The fusion style of this city is a unique feature of its markets. The city is famous for its Bandhani as well as Lehriya textiles of different colours and patterns. Tourist here is mostly attracted towards Junk Jewellery, Jodhpuri Juti, Lac and Elephant teeth Bangles, Handicrafts with mirror works and many more.
Sardar Market is the oldest market in the city with more than 7000 shops. This market is for every person whether a vendor or a buyer. This market serves every single person who came here with the best deals. In this market, you can purchase whatever you want to and also enjoy the street food of Jodhpur with the versatile mocktails of the city.
Interesting facts about Jodhpur
Jodhpur is a historical land with uncountable stories as well as facts. This city is the centre of the Mewar region and the local language here is Marwari. The city is known for its culture, food, and traditional wear.
- Cultural Capital of Rajasthan :- The city hosts an annual festival called The Marwad Mahotsav. Tourists from the whole world come to attend this festival. In this festival, various events are held which depict the true culture as well as traditions of Rajasthan. Camel Polo and Camel Show are the main events of this festival along with it, folk dances, folk music shows as well as traditional Rajasthani food are also here.
- Flavours of Mewar :- The flavour of Jodhpur are famous worldwide. The spicy Mathania Mirchi (a kind of red pepper) is the most known spice of Jodhpur. The city has the largest Jeera market in Asia. Rajasthan’s first spice park is also formed here, in which all kinds of spices are grown and exported across the world.
- Development :- This city is the most developed area of the state. The first Radio Station, Soil Lab, State Football Academy as well as Post Office of the state are here only. Indian Airforce’s Western airbase is located here. The city is known for its Blackbuck reserve as well as for its Formal Suites, which is the national outfit of the country.
Major attractions
- Mandore Garden :- It is the biggest garden in the city, situated 9 km away from Jodhpur in an odd town Mandore. This is the most beautiful and magnificent garden. The garden is designed with Rajasthani Architecture. It has lawns, a government museum, a temple, and a hall of heroes.
- Jaswant Thada :- This monument was made in memory of Jaswant Singh II. It was the royal cremation ground of Rathore Clane. Jaswant Thada is also known as the Taj of Rajasthan. As it is the only monument made with the White Sangemarmar Marble in the state. It is an astonishing building surrounded by a beautiful garden.
- Umaid Bhawan Palace :- This incredible palace was commenced in 1928 under the guidance of Maharaja Umaid Singh. It is made of Jodhpur’s Chhitter stone. This palace is divided into three parts, in one part the royal family of Jodhpur still lives. The other two parts are parted as Historical Museum and Luxurious Heritage Hotel.
- Mehrangarh Fort :- It is the oldest and the largest fort in the state. This fort is situated on Bhakarchiriya Hill and is 410 ft high. Mehrangarh fort is also known as the Sun Fort. The fort is 5 km long as well as looks like the map of India from the top. From here you can enjoy the amazing view of the blue city and mesmerizing sunset as well as the sunrise view.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit the city is in the months of October – March. During these months the weather is cold at night and pleasant on days. In these months you can easily experience the views of the city from the forts and visit the sites comfortably. These are the peak season of the city. You can explore the amazing facts and culture of the city in these months. It is not that you cannot visit the except these months. But in summer the weather here is hot as well as humid so it is advised to visit here in any season except for summers.
Conclusion
Therefore, we can say that Jodhpur is a mini-Rajasthan in Rajasthan. It has every colour of the state from its royal history to lip-smacking cuisines. This city is a wonderful destination to spend holidays in the state. Here millions of tourists visit every year for the purpose of trade, education, exploration and experience. Hence it is a mind-blowing location to visit and experiences the traditions as well as the culture of Rajasthan.
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