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Jodhpur,
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At best it is a doorway to the
wonderland of sand dunes and shrubs, rocky terrain and thorny trees. The
home of the Rathores - the awesome princely state of Rajasthan. They
conquered Marwar or Maroodesh, land of the sand after the fall of Delhi
and Kannauj.
In 1459 AD, Rao Jodha, chief of Rathore clan of Rajputs, who claimed
descent from Rama, the epic here of the Ramayana, laid the foundation of
Jodhpur. A high stone wall protects the well-fortified city. The wall is
nearly 10km in length and has eight gates facing various directions.
Within, stands an imposing fort on a low range of sandstone hills, about
125m above the surrounding plains. Invincible! And dauntless in its league
with time! The city lies at the foot of the hills. The clear distinction
between the old and the new city is visible from the ramparts of the fort.
On the other side of the city, facing the fort is the Umaid Bhawan Palace.
One of the most spacious, sprawling and well-planned palaces in India. And
from here, as you look at fort, a tantalizing view rises before your eyes
at sunset.
The peculiar slant of the sunset lends the desert landscape an
awe-inspiring glow and the people, a chivalry undaunted .
This bustling desert city is the second largest city in Rajasthan after
Jaipur and has landscape dominated by the massive Meherangarh Fort topping
a sheer rocky ridge.
The old city is fenced by 10 km long wall with eight Gates leading out of
it. The new city is outside the walled city. Rao Jodha, a chief of the
Rathore clan, founded the city in 1459 and it is named after him.
The Afghans drove the Rathores out of their original homeland Kaunaj and
they fled to this region around Pali a short distance from present day
Jodhpur. A manoeuvre lead to marriage between Rathore Siahaji and the
sister of a local prince that helped the Rathores to establish and
strengthen themselves in this region. In fact they flourished so well that
managed to oust the Pratiharas of Mandore, just 9 km of present day
Jodhpur.
By 1459 a need for more secured capital lead to the founding of
Meherangarh Fort on its rocky perch and Jodhpur was thus founded by Rao
Jodha. The Rathores enjoyed good relations with the Mughals and Maharaja
Jaswant Singh (1678) supported Shah Jahan in the latter's struggle for war
of succession. Only problematic relationship they had was with Aurangzeb.
After Auranzeb's death Maharaja Ajit Singh drove out Mughals from Ajmer
and added it to Marwar. In the reign of Maharaja Umed Singh Jodhpur grew
into a fine modern city. The quintessence of Jodhpur was its valour and
equestrian skill. Polo has been the traditional sport of the Jodhpur
nobility since medieval times.
Jodhpur has two railway stations, City and Rai ka Bagh both are outside
the walled city. The bus stand is right outside the Rai ka Bagh Station.
The High Court is a while from the bus stand after the Umed Gardens, after
which is located the tourist reception centre and RTDC Hotel Ghoomer.
Ahead is the main market and entry in to the wall from Sojati Gate. This
area also has many hotels. Jodhpur is also military and air force station
and has a large cantonment and airbase.
Umaid
Bhawan Palace
Maharaja Umaid Singhji who built this palace was fascinated with western
lifestyles so he marshalled the services of a well-known Edwardian
architect, Henry Vaughan Lanchester, a creditable equal of Edward Lutyens
(architect of New Delhi) to construct a three hundred and forty seven
roomed Umaid Palace.
This was to become India last of the great palaces and the biggest private
residence in the world. Spectacular Central Rotunda, the cupola rises to a
hundred and five feet high; the Throne Room with its exquisite Ramayana
murals; an elegant wood-panelled library, and even a private museum; an
indoor swimming pool, a Billiards Room, tennis courts and unique marble
squash courts makes Umaid Bhawan Palace is unabashedly the most
magnificent.
The palace was also built with superficial intentions of providing
employment to famine stricken farmers. The Palace now is a five star
deluxe palace hotel. The museum of the palace is highly recommended for
its display of weapons, an array of stuffed leopards, a huge banner
presented by Queen Victoria and an incredible collection of clocks.
Mehrangarh Fort
Perched on a 150 m high hill its sprawl is the most formidable and
magnificent fort in Rajasthan. Rao Jodha founded it in 1459 but subsequent
rulers of Jodhpur have also added to it over the centuries. A meandering
road leads to the from the city 5 kms below. Battle scars of canon ball
hit by attacking armies of Jaipur can still be seen on the second gate. To
the left is chhatri of Kirat Singh Soda, a soldier who fell on the spot
while defending the fort against the armies of Amber.
There are seven gates, which include Jayapol meaning victory built by
Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner
armies. Fattehpol also meaning victory gate was built by Maharaja Ajit
Singh to mark the defeat of Mughals. And Lohapol meaning iron gate has a
moving memorabilia on palm print of the queens of Maharaja Man Singh who
threw themselves on his funeral pyre in an act of sati [self-immolation].
The palm imprints still attract devotional attention and are covered by
vermilion paste and paper-thin silver foil.
This is one of the finest museums in Rajasthan and certainly the best
layed out. In the palanquin section of the fort museum, you can see an
interesting collection of old royal palanquins including the elaborate
domed gilt Mahadol palanquin, which was won in a battle from the Governor
of Gujarat in 1730. The museum exhibits the heritage of the Rathores in
arms, costumes, paintings and decorated period rooms.
Phool Mahal
The grandest of Mehrangarh's
period rooms, the Phool Mahal was in all likely hood a private and
exclusive chamber of pleasure dancing girls once swooned in exhaustion
here under a ceiling rich in gold filigree. The Phool Mahal was created by
Maharaja Abhaya Singh (1724-1749) and the gold came from Ahmedabad in
Gujarat as war booty after his famous victory over the rebellious Mughal
governor, Sarbuland Khan. The paintings, royal portraits and the
ever-popular raga mala, came much later, in the reign of Jaswant Singh II.
Jhanki Mahal
The Jhanki Mahal, from where
the royal ladies watched the official proceedings, in the courtyard, today
houses a rich collection of the royal cradles. The cradles are decorated
with gilt mirrors and figures of fairies, elephant and birds
Jaswant Thada
On the way down from the fort, on left is Jaswant Thada, the graceful
marble cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. His son Maharaja Sardar
Singhji built the Taj Mahal of Marwar in the memory of Maharaj Jaswant
Singhji II of Jodhpur. The cenotaphs of earlier Maharajas and Maharanis
are at Mandore.
Wives and concubines committed Sati on Jaswant Funeral pyre. The main
memorial has been built like a temple with intricately carved marble stone
that is sculpted by the genius artesian. A visit to this structure is
through the rocky hills giving it a secluded and a mystic aura.
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