Jodhpur

The imperial city Jodhpur is situated on the edge of Thar Desert, in western Rajasthan. This vibrant city was founded in the year 1459 by the Rajput chief Rao Jodha who made it the capital of Marwar. It is now the second largest city of the state Rajasthan and is a major tourist destination of the state with its magnificent forts and palaces. The city is bounded by a 5 km long high wall with 8 gates. The city is also known for its colourful fairs and festivals like the Marwar Festival.

Mehrangarh Fort
Spreading over an area of 5km, this magnificent fort is an excellent example of Rajput's military excellence. This fort was built by Maharaja Man Singh and has four gates with the main entrance at Jaipol. The fort offers excellent views of the entire city. There are several beautiful apartments inside the fort complex with beautifully carved walls and decorated windows. The fort is open daily from 9 am to 5pm and charges an entry fee of Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 250 for foreigners.

Jaswant Thada
This white marble memorial was built in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Some parts of the marble walls have the portraits of various rulers of Jodhpur. The memorial is open daily from 9am-5pm and has an entry fee of Rs 10.

Umaid Bhawan Palace
This magnificent palace, built of sandstone currently serving as the resident of the royal family with a part as a museum and the remaining part as a hotel. The museum inside the palace complex has a rich collection of crystal and glass items, fancy clocks, stuffed animals and some other old objects associated with the royal family. The museum is open daily from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm with an entry fee of Rs 10 for Indians and Rs 50 for foreigners.

By Air
Jodhpur Civil Aerodrome, which is 5km from city centre is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur by daily flights.

By Rail
Jodhpur Junction is in the city centre and is connected to Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai by daily train services.

By Road
A network of road connects it with important cities of Rajasthan and other north Indian cities. Rajasthan State Transport Corporation(RSTC) has bus services to all the major cities in and around Rajasthan.