The history of Jodhpur revolves around the Rathore clan. Rao Jodha, the chief of the Rathore clan, is credited with its origin. He founded Jodhpur in 1459. The city is named after him only. It was previously known as Marwar.
The Rathores were driven out of their original homeland, Kaunaj, by Afghans. They fled to Pali, near to the present day Jodhpur. Rathore Siahaji married the sister of a local prince. This helped the Rathores to establish and strengthen themselves in this region. In some time they ousted the Pratiharas of Mandore, just 9 km of today’s Jodhpur. Initially, Mandore served as their capital, but, by 1459, Rathores felt the need for a secure capital. This lead to the formation of Jodhpur, the Sun City, by Rao Jodha.
The Rathores enjoyed good relations with all the Mughals, except Aurangzeb. Maharaja Jaswant Singh even supported Shahjahan in his struggle for succession. After Aurangzeb’s death, Maharaja Ajit Singh drove out Mughals from Ajmer and added it to Marwar (now Jodhpur). Under the reign of Maharaja Umed Singh, Jodhpur grew into a fine modern city.
During the British Raj, the state of Jodhpur was the largest in Rajputana, by land area. Jodhpur prospered under the British Raj. Its merchants, the Marwaris, flourished endlessly. They came to occupy a dominant position in trade throughout India. In 1947 India became independent and the state merged into the union of India. Jodhpur became the second city of Rajasthan.
Jodhpur Culture
Jodhpur is set at the edge of the Thar Desert. This imperial city echoes with tales of antiquity in the emptiness of the desert. A high wall – 10 km long with eight gates and innumerable bastions encompasses the city. It was once a major trade center. Jodhpur is now the second largest city of Rajasthan.
Regarding the Jodhpur culture, the Jodhpuri people are amongst the most hospitable in India. They have a typical Marwari accent. The lifestyle in Jodhpur, India is quite fascinating. The folks there wear lovely multihued costumes. The women folk wear wide gathered skirts and a hip length jacket, with three quarter length sleeves, covering the front and back. Women also love to wear jewelry on many parts of their body. They wear specific type of jewelry like the ones worn on the feet, head, forehead, ear, nose, neck, arms, wrist, fingers, waist, etc. Another unique feature of the culture of Jodhpur is the colorful turbans worn by men. The popular tight, horse riding trousers, ‘Jodhpurs’, took their name from this city only. The main languages spoken here are Hindi, Marwari and Rajasthani.
The graceful palaces, forts and temples strewn throughout the city bring alive the historic grandeur of this city. Lending a romantic aura to Jodhpur, are its exquisite handicrafts, folk dances, folk music and the brightly attired people.
The desert people are quite friendly. With their sweet smiles and warm hospitality, they win the hearts of tourists. The famous Marwar festival brings out the festive spirit of the people of this city. The bazaars of Jodhpur have a range of items from tie & dye textiles, embroidered leather shoes, lacquerware, antiques, carpets and puppets to the exquisite Rajasthani textiles, clay figurines, miniature camels and elephants, marble inlay work and classic silver jewellery.
Tourist Attractions
The glorious past of Jodhpur is personified through various forts, palaces and other monuments of Jodhpur. The main places to see in Jodhpur Rajasthan are:
Mehrangarh Fort:
The most magnificent fort in Jodhpur is the Mehrangarh Fort. It is situated on a 150m high hill. Rao Jodha, the then chief of Rathore clan, constructed it in 1459. There are a number of attractions within the fort like palaces, galleries, a museum, temples and so on.
Umaid Bhavan Palace:
One of the fascinating palaces of Jodhpur is the Umaid Bhavan palace. Maharaja Umaid Singh constructed it in 20th century. A part of the palace has now been converted into a hotel and a museum.
Jaswant Thada:
Jaswant Thada lies to the left of the Mehrangarh fort complex. It is a royal cenotaph made up of white marble. It was built to commemorate Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Some rare portraits of the former rulers of Jodhpur are displayed here.
Fairs and Festivals
Jodhpur fairs and festivals express the rich culture and traditions of Rajasthan. The most famous fairs and festivals are the Marwar Festival, Jodhpur International Desert Kite Festival and Nagaur Fair.
The Marwar festival is the most popular. And Nagaur Fair is almost the second biggest fair in India. The International Desert Kite festival, although quite recent, is very famous in and around India.
The Jodhpur fairs and festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm. Be it young children or the old people, all of them take part in the pomp and show. They serve as a platform to perform local customs that have been there since times immemorial.
Jodhpur Temples
Religion and worship are deeply rooted in the people of Jodhpur. There are places of worship in Jodhpur for people of every religion – Churches for Christians, mosques for Muslims, gurudwaras for Sikhs and Jain temples for Jains.
Among the famous Jodhpur temples are Chamundaji Temple, Raj Ranchhodji Temple, Achal Nath Shivalaya, Siddhanth Shiv Temple
Rasik Bihari Temple, Baba Ramdeo Temple, Udai Mandir and Kunj Bihari Temple
How to Reach
By Air: The Jodhpur Airport is 5 km from the city center. Regular flight services connect the city with other major cities in and around Rajasthan. There are daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur.
By Train: Jodhpur is well connected by railway lines. Trains to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata are easily available. The ‘Palace on Wheels’ also visits this city of royal splendor.
By Road: The main highway between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer is via Agoli and Pokaran. The highway is well connected with Agra, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Delhi, Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur by bus.
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