A Vibrant Affair with The Majestic Blue City
Jodhpur- The Blue City of India
Let's hear the story of yet another vibrant city of Rajasthan and
roam into its streets & culture simultaneously.
Rajasthan always attracts me by its colourful landscape, cultural
heritage and its royal charm. This time I decided to visit Jodhpur and tick
every attraction there. Jodhpur is a magical city that can feed your wanderlust
beyond your imagination and make you a wanderer of sorts.
Jodhpur can cast a spell on you, so intense that you are bound to
explore the city with a fervour that may have been unknown to you. First love
of the destination wedding enthusiasts, Jodhpur is a regal beauty which exudes
royalty from every corner. Anciently architectured houses on narrow roads are a
definite treat to eyes. If a trip is planned to Rajasthan, this blue city is a
must halt.
Founded by Rao Jodha, chief of the dominant clan, in the early
15th century, the city is now widely known for historical Mehrangarh fort, blue
houses, colourful attires, antique home accessories or artifacts. With bazaars,
snaking streets and houses predominantly blue, it's a place like nowhere else.
Every corner of the city will astonish you. It also has fantastic museums. But
for a true taste of the city, the best thing to do is to get lost in its maze
of old-fashioned alleys.
SUN CITY OR BLUE CITY??
Jodhpur is called as the Sun City because the weather remains
bright and sunny all around the year and to keep the houses cool blue colour is
used on the house, hence the name Blue City.
I have grouped the Best visiting places, cafes that are both Instagram-worthy and majestic in Jodhpur which will certainly give lift up your Instagram feed. So, take a sneak peek into the architectural expertise and natural beauty of the Indian 'Blue City’.
A
WALK TO REMEMBER:
Unlike reaching directly to the fort I decided to take a walking
detour from the clock tower towards the fort. This was a walk amidst the
streets and blue painted houses of the Jodhpur depicting the true culture of
the city.
You need to wander away from the city and head to old
town quarters of to see the real essence of why the Sun City of Jodhpur is
called as the Blue City. You need to find solace and contentment in daily course
of lives.
OFFBEAT AND UNKNOWN SAFARI IN JODHPUR: Bishnoi Village Safari
A slightly offbeat thing to do in Jodhpur as compared to visiting
forts, but surely worth it. I booked it for Rs. 1500 from morning till evening.
During the jeep ride till Bishnoi village, our driver showed us rare black buck
the spot where Salman Khan allegedly killed the black buck back in 90's.
Then we had a pit spot at local carpet and pottery barn house and learned some tricks with variety of products made of pottery.
After that we went to this village called as Salawas, a
land magic carpets; a land where fantasy and reality joins forces to keep alive
one of its most famous traditions: the durry (Rugs). The carpets or bedsheets,
whether weaved out of cotton or wool, spreads colorful tradition and heritage
from its primitive form of weaving in the villages of Rajasthan.
We then reached a house in Bishnoi village, where we met an elderly couple who were in a typical Rajasthani attire. They welcomed us with a lot of warmth, and even offering us tea. They started telling stories about the time when the community came together to save the cutting down of trees, and how many of them lost their lives doing the same.
The one hour we spent with this family gave us many insights into the village life. After that my guide took to his home stay where the lunch was arranged. He had opened the mud hut type home stays and a few foreigners stay there for months to get the feel the vibrant and rich culture of rural India.
Where to book: http://www.bishnoivillagesafari.org/bishnoi_village_safari/index.html
PLACES TO VISIT IN
JODHPUR
The first spot in visiting any city is Rajasthan is obviously its Throne of Royalty. So here, let's start our trip from the Mehrangarh fort. Guarded by a 1,200-year-old fort, Jodhpur is one of the most enthralling cities in Rajasthan. With bazaars, snaking streets and houses predominantly blue, it's a place like nowhere else. Founded by Rao Jodha, chief of the then dominant clan, in the early 15th century, the city is now widely known for offering customized design, be it clothes, home accessories or artifacts. It also has fantastic museums. But for a true taste of the city, the best thing to do is to get lost in its labyrinth of medieval alleys.
I have not seen so much opulence in one place. This
towering fort perched atop a hill is a spectacle to watch from the city as well
as perfect to catch a glimpse of the blue walled city down below. The fort
possesses an imposing beauty that can leave you baffled. Within the high walls
of the fort are a series of museums that display the plethora of royal
artifacts and commodities that were once used by the royal families who resided
here. This fort will not allow rest to your camera as you walk inside the fort,
you will find museum, the grandeur of architecture so appealing that you won't
resist to take that best insta worthy picture here. It's huge, thick walls
surprise you with grand palaces inside that are ornamented with intricate
carvings. You can also capture some spectacular views of the blue city houses
of Jodhpur from this fort.
After visiting the fort walk towards the royal piece of
white marble with magnificent architecture.
Jaswant Thada - The Taj Mahal of Mewar. Hidden behind
Mehrangarh Fort lies Jaswant Thada, a mausoleum built for the Royal Family of
Marwar in 1899. This white marbled architecture is a memorial site of a Rajput
clan. The locals believe that the king was infact a God and is therefore
worshipped by the locals who seek his blessings. Adorned by a beautiful lake at
the entrance the view from this place is simply mesmerising.
Toorji Ka Jhalra:
A hidden gem in Jodhpur, Toorji ka Jhalra is still
unknown to many tourists travelling to jodhpur. The legend says that the
stepwell was built by a queen, consort of Maharaja Abhaya Singh in 1740. Toorji
Ka Jhalra is just a few hundred meters from the Clock Tower in Jodhpur, the
step well still seems to be largely off the tourist map. The best time to
Photograph the well is probably early morning, by midday it's always frequented
by children and some adults who enjoy having a dip and a dive into what must be
extremely cool waters.
THE CAFES WITH A VIEW
As a solo traveller (hope so), I always love the part where I get to
explore the cafes and hop to get the best views of city and interesting people
to talk to. Beyond the monuments and markets of the blue city of Jodhpur, there
is a myriad of concept cafes. Some of these cafes nestle hidden in the narrow
alleys of the city but they boast a view that is picture perfect. Apart from
the view enticing the guests they offer vivid meals from their exotic menus.
So keep your camera handy and your palate hungry when you dig into these places.
Cafe Royale Clock
Tower:
After walking for hours in Jodhpur taking pictures and
exploring the city, Cafe Royale was a little piece of heaven in the middle of
town where traffic and noise can take the best of you. As I walked in I could
already feel relaxed within the great environment. After ordering and regaining
strength, there was automatically a conversation with the owners Sukesh Uncle
and her wife Anita. After some time I was the only one there and we talked
about a lot things especially travel and places we have been.
Thank you for your time, great food and drinks. Keep up
the great work! Coffee and Tomato-Cheese Sandwich were great. . A glimpse of
conversation that I had included when Sukesh uncle said- ' Ye cafe hum chala
rahe ya humko ye cafe chala rha , ab ye pata nahi.' He had really nice stories
and they have a tradition of sharing "SMILES" on their Facebook page
of all their guests. To meet them again will be my sole cause of going to
Jodhpur if possible.
Step well house café
Unarguably one of the best cafes in Jodhpur. Nestled
within the narrow lanes of the walled city, it towers of the renovated Toorji
Ka Jalra on one side and opens up to the spectacular views of Mehrangarh Fort
from the terrace. While you can chill here the entire day, I suggest you take
the evening trip here and go up to the terrace for a truly magical experience.
Dylan Cafe
Restaurant
I went to see the beautiful sunset behind the fort. A great
place with charming host who will always indulge you in the talks.
A great cafe with open roof top and delicious food. Wait
the best part of this cafe is that it provides a beautiful panoramic view of
the Mehrangarh fort.
Wait… The Food:
Visiting a city will be incomplete without trying the
local cuisines especially which are world famous. Take a pit stop to eat
the Mirchi Vade, Shahi Samosa and Makhaniya Lassi, even your full upto brim :P
Local Market
You can shop is the whole clock tower area with a variety of products ranging from spices, home decorations to jewellery to soveniours.
PS: Do try the local scent. You will get variety of flavours with reasonable price.
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