Discover the royal India on jodhpur India tourism

Jodhpur India tourism to discover the land of royals with rich heritage, traditions and culture for a regal experience. Travel package jodhpur experience the royal journey through rich cultural heritage and royal history of Rajasthan. Vacation package jodhpur unwinds a picture rich architecture and human diversity, deep in history, monuments, museums, galleries, gardens and exotic shows that includes mehrangarh fort jodhpur, karni bhawan jodhpur and blue house jodhpur.

Gateway to the Desert. If you want to explore a large, ancient city in the middle of the desert, but one that is still one of the world’s flourishing trade centers, then you must visit Jodphur.

The former capital of the state Marwar, Jodphur was established in 1489 by Raja Jodha Singh. The city is divided into three distinctive sections: the middle old fort city of Mehrangarh of the former rulers of Marwar; the colonial city with its characteristic construction in the Indo-Aryan style; and an area that houses more modern residences.

Surrounded by a powerful wall, although there are many trees, plants and some artificial lakes in town, the dry desert of Rajasthan is just outside the city walls. This landscape and the gigantic Mehrangarh fort give Jodhpur an incredible, unusual, and even a dreamlike presence of a city in a moon landscape.

At the foot of the fort in the old town of Jodhpur stands the Clock tower that is surrounded by bazaars and markets. Here you can buy arts and crafts, silver works, fabrics (also Pashmina shawls), spices and much more. And don’t forget to look for some of the sought-after antique wooden arts and crafts that Jodhpur is also famous for by collectors.

While visiting Jodhpur, you must visit the Mehrangarh fort which sits 375 feet on a hill. You’ll enter the fort through one of the eight large gates, and once you enter the compound you’ll se where the walls withstood the impact of canon balls during many years of war. One of the eight gates-- the Lohapol gate--is the last gate of the fort where you’ll see 15 hand impressions. Those impressions were made by six of Maharaja Man Singh’s wives, who let themselves burn in 1843 together with the corpse of the Maharaja. This commitment of death by the women on the funeral pyre of their husband is named 'Sati'. Although forbidden for 150 years, it is still practiced today in some of the villages of Rajasthan.

The halls--especially the Darbar Mahal, the Phool Mahal (flower palace) and the Moti Mahal (pearl palace)--are elaborately decorated with beautiful wall paintings, lacquer work and windows trimmed with delicate latticework and colorful glass. In the different palaces and rooms, incredible collections of Elephant saddles with fine silver working, swords, saber and dagger, wall paintings, murals, miniature paintings and much more can be enjoyed by the visitor. The hall, in which various centuries-old armory weapons are exhibited, is richly built and the well-preserved canons, at strategic places, offer a very impressive view. The fort wall has a circumference of five miles. From the rampart of the Mehrangarh Fort, visitors will be surprised to find that many houses are painted blue. Jodhpur is named therefore also the "blue city". Blue is considered as the color of the Gods and therefore the members of the uppermost caste, the Brahmans (priest), painted their houses this color. It’s also said that the blue color keeps the mosquitoes away.

The Jaswant Thada was built in 1899 as a memorial to the Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Its white marble walls offers a b contrast to the basalt rocks, on which it stands. In this building, the complete history of the rulers of Jodhpur is eternalized. In the vicinity of Jaswant Thada lie three more graves and a royal crematorium.

You’ll need to take a quick side trip to Mandore-about 4 miles from Jodhpur. The old capital of the rulers of Marwar Mandore houses the first fort of the state. In the "hall of Heroes", you will find sixteen statues that were chiseled out of a single rock. The figures represent the popular Hindu and tribal gods. Nearby you’ll find very well-maintained and beautifully designed gardens. In Mandore you’ll also find Umeed Bhawan--the world’s largest private residence-- designed in 1929 by a British architect. This symmetrically designed building is equipped with a row of patios and grand suites, of which the largest suite features wall paintings of a Polish artist. Part of the palace is now converted into a beautiful, luxury hotel.

The Mahamandir-Temple, built in 1812 and about 5 miles from Kailana Lake is another popular excursion from Jodphur.

While in Jodphur, you must take time to also visit the karni Mata temple of Deshnok. The Karni Mata temple of Deshnok is the only place in the whole world where rats are regarded as holy ones. Today,visitors from around the world visit the temple which is “home” to about 20,000 rats which live within its premises.

For about 600 years, the rats in the temple of Deshnok have become fearless of their main enemy, man. The small animals are so credulous that they practice gymnastics around the bodies of the visitors. Many foreign tourists shudder by seeing so many rats. On the contrary, the Indians themselves see the animals differently: The view of thousands of rats initiates the feeling of internal happiness in them. In their eyes, the rats are fair and beautiful. It would specially be good fortune if one sees the albino rat (white rat) among the innumerable rats. Many visitors sit for hours and try to lure one of the albinos with the help of fruits, vegetables and other delicacies.

The Hindus name the rats lovingly "Kabahs" which means "small children". They believe that the rats are the children of the Goddess Karni Mata, to whom the temple of Deshnok is dedicated. If somebody puts a foot on a rat and if it dies then one must compensate it with the gold rat equal in the weight of the deceased rat. The Indians view the rats within the temple differently than the small rodents outside of hte temple which are considered parasites. Those rodents are caught and marooned in the desert. They are not killed or poisoned, because that would be against the Hindu beliefs and principles.

Now the question arises, what is the connection between the Goddess Karni Mata and the rats? When one of her sons drowned in a lake, she requested Yamraj, the God of the death, the return of her son. Yamraj refused however and revived her son not as a person, but rather as a rat, whereupon furious Karni Mata swore that all deceased members of her family should live as rats in the temple as their final reincarnation. On entering the temple, you must remove your shoes.

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