Jodhpur Rajasthan
Jodhpur is a jewel in the crown of the enticing, royal and luxurious Rajasthan. The City Of Lakes, Venice of the East, The Blue City, The Sun City; Jodhpur is all this and more. Jodhpur is the city of beautiful palaces; a desert city with captivating sand dunes; a delightful, utterly romantic valentine getaway for picture-perfect romance; a city that even has a garment (Jodhpurs) named after itself; and it is also the city where Elizabeth Hurley chose to get married!
Jodhpur has history going back to 1459 when the city was founded by Rao Jodha, the chief of the Rathore clan. At that time, as a princely state, it was known as Marwar. Jodhpur had generally good relations with the Mughals and also prospered under the British. Jodhpur grew into a fine modern city under Maharaja Umed Singh.
The history of Jodhpur is also tied up with the game of Polo. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, is an aficionado of polo and plays regularly. Around 1890, Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh of Jodhpur started wearing riding breeches tailored for this game. These were cut in a wing-shape and had leather patches between the knees. These became known as Jodhpurs and all polo players started wearing them in a very short time.
Sightseeing in Jodhpur need not involve stirring away from the boundary walls of your luxury hotel. Nearly all its luxury hotels, that have been erstwhile forts and palaces, are complete destinations by themselves. Be it the Taj Hari Mahal Palace, Hotel Umaid Bhavan Palace, Hotel Ajit Bhawan, Hotel Bal Samand Palace or Hotel Ranbanka; Jodhpur has fine luxury heritage hotels with a long history, in abundance. They are among the finest not just in India but also among their global counterparts; a stay at any of them is bound to leave you asking for more.
Should you want to venture out for sightseeing, the monuments that must be visited are Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada, Osiyan Temple and Kaman art gallery, just to name a few. Other attractions are Balsamand Lake, Sardar Samand lake and palace and the Marwar Festival.
Without shopping, any holiday feels incomplete; in fact a major attraction while traveling is the opportunity to shop! Jodhpur is known for its antiques, tie & dye (bandhini) textiles and leather footwear. Jodhpur is also known for the quality of its embroidery that goes in making trousseaus and designer garments besides regular clothes. Jodhpur boots, used in riding, are another big attraction. While in Jodhpur, the atelier of Raghavendra Rathore can be visited for luxury garments, with an understated old world charm of regal Rajasthan.
Several well known dishes of the Indian cuisine have originated in Jodhpur. During your sojourn, Makhaniya Lassi, Mawa Kachori, Pyaaz Kachori, Hot & Spicy Mirchibada (a preparation made with potato, onion, chili and gram flour) and Panchkuta must be tried.
Jodhpur is well connected to the rest of the country by air, rail and road. The Jodhpur Airport is 5 km away from the city center; daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur provide connectivity. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata are also connected by train with Jodhpur. Taxis and private buses can be used to travel by road.
Jodhpur Climate is dry and hot, a typical desert weather. Jodhpur is bright and sunny throughout the year. In summer, the maximum temperature is around 42 deg C and minimum temperature is around 37 deg C. In winters, the maximum temperature is around 27.5 deg C and minimum temperature is around 15.5 deg C. The best season to visit is between October and March.
