Blue City of Jodhpur

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After an agonizing experience with the train from Agra to Jodhpur we decided to take it easy in Jodhpur for four days. We've been wandering around the old city, exploring the small alleys and bazaars, and experiencing the heat, the smells and the noises of the street life. It's a chaos of people, bikes, tuk-tuks, cars, cows, dogs and camels.

The main streets of the city are noisy and crowded but in the bazaar area you can find many interesting places and shops, selling fabrics, clothes, shoes, spices, silvery and pretty much anything. Outside the city center there are many nice hotels and restaurants with their oasis like private gardens. It is nice to visit those places when in need of some peace and quiet.

In the middle of the city rises the 550 years old fort of Meherangarh. The fort is built on a cliff 150 meters above the city dominating the landscape and overlooking the city. From the fort one can see the whole city surrounding it and you immediately realize why they call Jodhpur the blue city. Many of the roofs and walls of the houses are painted blue to make them keep cool in the sun. The size and the location of the fort is really impressing and the buildings and interiors really show the glory of the maharadjas who lived there. A very interesting place to visit indeed.

We spent one day one a village safari, driving around Jodhpur and visiting the small Bishnui villages. We shared a car with Roger and Elke, a lovely older british couple. The villages are not far from Jodhpur and yet everything is so different, it's almost a desert out there, the houses are made of cow dung and the people live their lives the way they have done for ages.

Bishnoi people hold all animal life sacred and are protecting sacred trees. 300 years ago the maharadja of Jodhpur wanted to cut down a forest of the sacred trees. 363 Bishnoi were killed while they were protecting the trees. 'A chopped head is cheaper than a felled tree.' they said. They were the early green peace activists.

We will continue our journey to Jaisalmer to do a camel safari. Now we have confirmed tickets for the train. Lesson learned, no more trying our luck with the waiting list.

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Photos

Train station of Jodhpur
Lots of people waiting for trains, they are prepared and bring their own sheets and blankets and sleep on the floor

Old and new
The skyline of Jodhpur, dominated by the old fort and commercialism making its way to India

Jashwant Thada memorial
A white marble memorial, also called the Taj Mahal of Jodhpur

Making flour
The women in the villages wake up at 4am and make flour for two hours, every morning

Tea ceremony
Our guide is showing us, Roger and Elke how the village men prepare their opium drink

Village people
86-years old grand mother taking care of the small children

Comments

[Salla]

It's a beautiful world...
Your photos are marvellous, speacially the little "wannabe" stole my heart. Sounds like you are really having the time of your life which is great...wish you all the best for the rest of your tour :)

[Janne Lehtinen]

Voe jösses, mitä ootte menny tekemään!!
Tätä sivustoa ei passaa Kristalle näyttää, muuten tulee konkurssi ja vararikko yhtäaikaa. Mutta onhan upea reissu teillä. Muhun teki vaikutuksen tuo teidän 28 päivän Annapurna-reissu. Mulla nimittäin ois noita kiloja mitä Himalajalle jättää. Pitäkää ittenne terveenä! Janne usvaisesta Helsingistä

[Karoliina]

Nojatuolimatkalla.. :)
Terveiset Tampereelta! Kiitokset mahdollisuudesta lukea upeasta matkastanne nojatuolin pohjalla.. Kauniita valokuvia ja hyviä juttuja. Voikaa hyvin ja hankkikaa hyviä muistoja joihin palata sitten kun joskus arki taas koittaa :) Terveisiä lähettelee Karoliina, Jussi ja Fanni

[Eeva]

Helou helou Kirsi !
Ompa kiva seurata teidän meininkiä. Hommahan etenee mallikkaasti. FYI vaan että Oulussa sataa vaakaan räntää ... Hyvää matkaa, terveyttä ja antoisia hetkiä toivoo Eeva