Destination: Jodhpur

Jodhpur is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, is located on the foothill of a sandstone hillock about 250 km from Jaipur. The city of Jodhpur seems like an oasis in the vast desert. Jodhpur is divided into two parts, the old city and the new city. The old city circles the fort & is bounded by a10 km long wall with several gates; the new city is outside the walled city. Jodhpur is also known as the Sun City for its bright and sunny weather which can be enjoyed all-round the year. It is also referred as the Blue City, because of the vivid blue-painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort.
The history of Jodhpur revolves around the Rathore Clan. The city was founded by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of the Rathore clan in 1459; the city is named after him only. Initially it was served as the capital of the princely state, Marwar. During the lifetime of Rao Jodha, the city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat. In 16th century, it grew very quickly as a main trading center. After Rathore clan it was captured by Afghans, Mughal Empire and Aurangzeb. After Aurangzeb?s death, Maharaja Ajit Singh drove out Mughals. Under Maharaja Umed Singh, Jodhpur grew into a fine modern city. In British Raj, the state of Jodhpur was the largest in Rajputana by land area. At the time of partition, Jodhpur was included in Indian Republic. After independence the state merged into the union of India.

Today Jodhpur is a very popular tourist destination and one of the main trading centers for salt, crops, camels and cattle in Rajasthan. Jodhpur offers a large number of attractions for tourists on trip to Rajasthan like Mehrangarh Fort, Manak Chowk and Havelis, Umed Bhawan Palace, and the Museum. The romantic city Jodhpur is famous for its beautiful handicrafts, folk dances, folk music, puppets shows with exquisite Rajasthani textiles and the brightly attired people with their sweet smiles and warm hospitality; they win the hearts of the tourists. The colorful Girdikot and Sardar Market of Jodhpur are famous for handicraft items.
Best Places to Visit in Jodhpur
Umaid Bhawan Palace: Umaid Bhawan Palace is One of the fascinating palaces in Jodhpur, Situated on Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpuris . It is belived that Maharaja Umaid Singh constructed this place during the time of a famine so that local people could earn some money. A part of the palace has now been converted into a hotel and a museum.

Mehrangarh Fort: Mehrangarh Fort is situated on a 150m high hill, constructed by Rao Jodha, the chief of Rathore clan in 1459. There are lots of attractions to visit within the fort like several palaces, galleries, a museum, and temples etc.

Jaswant Thada: Jaswant Thada is the memorial of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, built by his son Maharaja Sardar Singh in 1895.It is situated towards the left side of the fort of Mehrangarh, this is a royal white marbled cenotaph.
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park: Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park is developed in 2006 to restoring the natural ecology of a large rocky wasteland area next to the Fort. The Park extends across 70 hectares.

Government Museum: This Museum is situated in the middle of the Umaid public gardens and a rich collection of weapons, textiles, miniature portraits, local crafts and images of Jain Tirthankars.
Raj Ranchhodji Temple:-Queen Jadechi Rajkanwar made this place after the death of her husband, King Jaswant Singh. Major Part of the temple is made of red sandstone, carved with beautiful filigree work but the heart of the temple has the statue of Ranchhodji made of black marble.

Ghanta Ghar: Ghanta Ghar is situated near the Sadar Market. It was constructed by the Late Shri Sardar Singh Ji of Jodhpur.this is the best shopping place for tourists, they can purchase Rajasthani textiles, clay figurines, miniature camels and elephants, marble inlay work and classic silver jewellery.

Ganesh Temple: Ganesh temple is situated on the Ratanada Hills,it is the home of 150-year old statue of Lord Ganesh ( eight feet high and five feet wide ).

Udai Mandir: Udai Mandir stands on a huge platform of 102 pillars. The main hall of the temple has been covered with cloth, inside the temple there is the pictures of Nath Yogis made up with gold. The railing and the door of the main temple made of sandalwood.

Achal Nath Shivalaya: Achal Nath Shivalaya is constructed on instructions of Nanak Devi, the queen of Rao Ganga; it is a famous Shiv temple in Jodhpur. There is a water reservoir near the Shivlinga that is called Ganga Bawari.

Kaylana Lake: It is an artificial lake, built by Pratap Singh in 1872. The lake spreads over an area of 84 sq km. The city of Jodhpur and all the surrounding towns and villages depend on Kaylana Lake as a source of drinking water. The natural vegetation here mostly consists of Babool trees and various migratory birds such as Siberian cranes are seen here in the winter season.

Balsamand Lake: This artificial lake was built in 1159 AD by Balak Rao Parihar,now it converted into summer resort for the Jodhpur royalty. This beautiful lake is surrounded by green gardens filled with many animals and birds like jackal and peacock also find an abode.
Best time to visit Jodhpur
In summer, the maximum temperature is around 42 deg and the minimum temperature is around 37 deg C. In winters, the maximum temperature is around 27.5 deg C and the minimum temperature is around 15.5 deg C. Jodhpur is bright and sunny throughout the year.

Best Time to visit
The best season to visit the city is between October and March, when the climatic conditions in Jodhpur, India are the best.
How to Reach Jodhpur
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.

By Road: Another convenient mode of transportation to Jodhpur is by road. The highway is well connected with Agra, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Delhi, Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur by bus.