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Published: March 7th 2016
In 1459 the ruler of the Rathore clan of Rajputs, Rao Jodha, moved his capital to the site of Jodhpur today. He built his fort on the rocky promontory which dominates the surrounding area and so arose the Mehrangarh fort. Down below the old town was enclosed by a 10km long wall. This is the greatest fort of Rajasthan and one of the greatest in India. The unassailable position and the impossibly difficult position means the fort was never taken by force.
You can drive so far towards the fort then must walk the rest of the way, then buy your ticket and wind up the steep and increasing narrow passageways through numerous defensive gates overlooked by the towering walls and bastions of the fort. Into the palace and there is room after room of treasures and artefacts from the Rathore history. Magnificent views over Jodhpur, many of its houses painted blue as it is supposed to keep the gobbling termites at bay. Originally only Brahmins painted their houses blue but now anyone does. In the distance is the enormous Umaid Bhawan Palace where the current Maharajah of Jodhpur and his family live. It was built by the then Maharajah
as a public works project in the 1930s to give work to the poor people of the town during a period of shortages and famine following the Great Depression.
The visit has taken us the whole morning, not least because David the history geek has insisted on viewing seemingly every exhibit. Plus taking photos can be difficult when you are waiting for the people in the way to shift. And one question – why do people without exception take their selfies or their photos of their friends against the most meaningless dull background? Why take a picture of your girlfriend or your mate with a blank wall behind rather than with some priceless artefact or some stunning jhali stonework behind? I have no idea.....we walk back the car and the temperature is now probably in the upper 30s. Time to retire to the poolside and lurk in the shade. There is a big airforce base nearby so we can enjoy the roar of their takeoffs and the smell of aviation fuel but hey, it is nice by the pool.
More photos below.
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Mike Fossey
My pal the Maharajah of Jodhpur would be pleased to read about your visit!
That's some fort he's got isn't it?! I took a photo of him in 2007 - it's on my blog 'It's a long way to go for a wedding!' I have a video somewhere of our meeting too - pity he never kept in touch afterwards!