Upon arriving in Jodhpur, one thing is very evident, this is a military city! Located only 350kms from the Pakistan border, Jodhpur is the second most ‘sensitive’ city in Rajasthan in relation to Pakistan.
Large barracks, Air Force, military hospitals and engineering barracks line the road into Jodhpur.
Why the blue city?
Three reasons:
1. Premises were painted blue to demonstrate that they were the highest/elite level in the caste system!
2. Helped reflect light to maintain the coolness of the premises!
3. The blue paint also repels mosquitos!
Jodhpur is part of the state of Rajasthan, which was allowed to keep its royal families upon independence in 1947 from the United Kingdom. So within the state of Rajasthan there are multiple royals, effectively, one for each major city; Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, to name a few.
The mighty Mehrangarh Fort dominates the Jodhpur skyline, sitting over 120me meters above the city. The Fort, with an elevator, consists of the private living quarters if previous royals and also have a few battle scars from the 19th century invasion by the Jaipur rulers upon the Fort with some cannonball damage evident.
The Fort was constructed in 1459!
It looks like it is something out of Game of Thrones or something similar.
Prior to visiting the Fort, we visited the show built at the end of the 19th century by the wife of the local maharajah. Each body off a royal member is brought to here be cremated and than r called fondly by not only the family, it generate no to come. The shrine, built for the king, is an example of wonderful craftsmanship and skill for the preservation of the life and spirit of the Mehrangarh!
Finally, every good king needs a palace and and for grandeur fewer are more so than this one in Jodhpur. Built during the 1930s, it has been converted to a hotel and museum as well as maintain its primary role as the offical residence of the royal family.
India and Nepal 2019 