Jodhpur is one of the most visited historic cities of India. It is the second largest city of Rajasthan state. It is visited not only by domestic tourists but by tourists from all over the world. The city is also very near to the famous Thar desert, hence it is called as Gateway to Thar. As the sun shines there almost every day of the year, it is also called the Sun City. The origin of historic city of Jodhpur dates back to the year 1459 AD. This is the year when the city was founded by Rao Jodha. Rao Jodha was the Rajput chieftan of the Rathores. The Rathore kingdom was also known by the name Marwar. When the city of Jodhpur was built it became the capital of Marwar. The earlier capital of Marwar was Mandore the ruins of which is still can be found near the Mandore Garden. The people of Jodhpur and surrounding areas are called as Marwari, the name which is derived from the name Marwar. In the north part of the Jodhpur city most of the houses are found in blue shades which makes the city be known as Blue City. There are so many things to watch in the city. The forts, havelis, temples are worth visiting. Culture and traditions makes the city worth a visit.
How to get there: One can reach there by trains, plains, buses etc. from all major cities and town.
By plain : Airport is just five km away from the main city. There are taxis plying on the road round the clock. There are several flights to Jodhpur from Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur.
By train : One can reach there by trains also. The city is well connected by railways from all metro and major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jasalmel, Jaipur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Alwar, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Gaya etc. Taxi and auto rickshaw stand are near the exit of railway station.
By bus : Jodhpur can be reached by buses run by Rajasthan State Road corporation. There are private luxury buses also which operate from all major cities and towns of Rajasthan. There are some private luxury buses available from cities of Ahmedabad and Delhi also. There are many ways of transportation to get around the city. Transportation includes tourist cabs, mini buses, auto rickshaws, tongas etc.
What to see: There are many places of historic importance and hence worth seeing.
»Mehrangarh Fort: Mehrangarh fort is major attraction of the city. It is also the largest fort of Rajasthan. It was founded in 1458 as the site of Rao Jodhas new capital. The city grew around it and got its name Jodhpur after Rao Jodha. In 500 years after the forts foundation it could not be taken by force. The fort is on the top of 150m high hill and has commanding views all around. Inside the fort there is Moti Mahal. Moti Mahal is pearl-colored from inside and decorated with glass coloured windows. This is the place where Maharaja would hold his audience. The fort also has beautiful sites like Sheesh Mahal, Phool Mahal, Zenana Deodi and Chamunda Mataji templ.
»Jaswant Thada : Jaswant Thada is a historical site and just a 1km downhill from Mehrangarh fort. It is a Royal cenotaphs built in marble and is beautifully located near a little lake. Mandore: Mandore is also a historical site and it is just 7km away from the city of Jodhpur. Mandore was an ancient capital of Marwar before Jodhpur was built.
»Umaid Bhawan Palace : Umaid Bhawan place is located in the south of the city and clearly visible from most parts of the city. The palace was completed in 1944 and it is last great palace of India. Now half of the palace is used as five star hotel. The palace has a little museum also on grounds.
» Khejarla Fort : the fort is located 85 km away from the city. It was built 400 years ago. It was built in red sandstone and a good example of Rajput architecture.
»Natural sites : Jodhpur also offers its tourists plenty of natural sites like Kailana Lake, Ranisar Padamsar, Gulab Sagar Lake etc.
»Spiritual sites: Jodhpur also has a number of temples such as Baba Ramdev temple, Ganesh temple at Ratanada, Mahamandir temple, Pal Balaji temple at Pal Gaon, Santoshi Mata temple etc.
Apart from the historic and other important sites mentioned above, th
