Jodphur

It is almost half past six in the morning when I sleepily get out of the night train from Jaisalmer and go looking for a cup of tea on the platform of Jodphur. In the distance I can already see the immense fort lying on a high hill, which the city is so famous for, but first I want to put my big bag somewhere in a locker.

Plan is to travel later today towards Pushkar. It is still early in the morning and I decide to walk from the train to the bus station. Like everywhere in India it does not matter how early or late you go somewhere it is always chaos and that is here in the blue city, no different.

It is about 3 kilometers walk before I decide to walk to the Meherangarh fort, one of the most famous and largest fortifications in India.

The Meherangarh fort, which parts of it are scattered all over the hill, is the largest landmark in the city and literally towers above it. It was built by the then leader of the Rathore-tribe Rao Jodha. He extended his power over the surrounding area and was the founder of the Marwar prince. The newly founded Jodphur would become the capital around 1459.

The city was strategically favorable on the important road from Delhi to Gujarat. For that reason Jodhpur grew into a trading center for opium, copper, silk, sandalwood, dates and coffee. The largest part of the fort, however, dates from the time of Maharaja Jaswant Singh (1638-1678). There are not less than  gates and the walls are up to 36 m high and 21 m wide and follow the edges of the hill. 

I wander inside the fort between terracotta colored buildings, temples, palaces and beautifully decorated and detailed window frames around them. The Holi Chowk, the large courtyard was used for the large Holi festival and you can still see the small marble chair where the then new leader was seated and blessed. I walk to the south side of the hill (and the fort) and have a fantastic view of the old city - here you can see why people call it the blue city; countless roofs and houses are dyed blue, which is a beautiful panorama.

There are also a number of big guns installed to defend the town. I look in my travel guide and look at the other sights for which I unfortunately do not have time to look at them more closely; just inside the 16th century northern city walls I see the white marble Jaswant Thada memorial. The Umaid Bhawan palace must be located far away in the distance.

I walk out of the fort and eat my lunch at a small eatery on my way down back to the trainstation. Because I am too early for my trip to Pushkar, I walk through the labyrinth of small streets around the old clock tower that stands here. There is a lively market where you have to pay attention to your wallet.

An old woman is pumping water with her donkey while some children try to attract my attention. There are herbs sold but also vegetables, different types of clothing and sweets. Further on is a market-stall with gold and silver. I walk back through the narrow streets of the city towards the train station.

There I pick up my bag and take a bicycle rickshaw to the bus station. I am on my way to Ajmer to travel to the tourist town of Pushkar.