Exploring Jodhpur In Less Than 6 Hours
This royal city is the second largest city after Jaipur in Rajasthan. Known as the “Gateway to Thar” or the “Blue city” it features various forts, temples, and other tourist attractions.
If I’ll be honest I have a weird connection to the state of Rajasthan. In the past two years I have been to Rajasthan three times and to a different city each time, but every single time I look forward even more eagerly to visiting it. The place has such a rich culture whether it’s the food, the clothes, the palaces or the forts everything is just a treat to watch.
This time it wasn’t a planned trip though, I had to attend a wedding on Saturday, so I decided to extend my visit by one more day and spend the weekend immersing myself in the royal air of Jodhpur.
Since my stay and food was arranged at the wedding venue for both days, I was able to see Jodhpur in less than 5k. But even if you are not lucky to get a wedding invite for Jodhpur, there are some really cool options to stay in the city including some of the cheapest hostels to the most luxurious hotels in India.
The Blue City from Mehrangarh Fort
Another shot of the Blue City from the Fort
How To Reach Jodhpur
The entire state is well connected by road, by air, and by train. So, you can choose any mode to travel according to your convenience, time, and budget.
There are two main railway stations in Jodhpur- The Jodhpur railway station and the suburban station Bhagat Ki Kothi. Rajasthan also has three luxury train services- Palace on Wheels, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels and Maharaja Express which stop at Jodhpur too. Working with railways I have had the experience to personally see the trains and there’s a whole different world inside them. They offer unmatched luxury running on wheels.
Jodhpur Airport has a small airport which is primarily a military airbase with a civil enclosure to allow for civilian air traffic. Since I wanted to give one whole day to the city itself I had booked the cheapest flight with Jet Airways but unfortunately just a few days later they shut down all operation and I am still waiting for the refund. If you are planning to book a flight checkout Google flights for the cheapest deals.
Jodhpur is also connected by road to all major cities in Rajasthan and neighbouring states like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Ujjain, and Agra. Try Redbus or Goibibo to book a bus.
Since my flight was now canceled and it was too late and expensive to book another flight I opted for a Volvo bus. It took me around 11 hours to reach Jodhpur by bus which is equivalent to what the train takes from Delhi. Going for the bus was the best option since it drastically cut down my travel expenses. My one-way ticket was just Rs.1000 and that is the most expensive one since it was a sleeper Volvo.
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Where To Stay In Jodhpur?
Jodhpur offers a huge variety of places to stay. If you are on a budget trip you can find crashpads and zostels which are one of its kind hostel in India. They offer a clean and comfortable stay, if you are traveling solo or with a bunch of friends this is the best budget option.
You can also choose from a huge range of guest houses and hotels around the city. The city is small and there is usually light traffic so even if you are not staying at the centre of the city you can easily reach anywhere in less than 40 minutes.
Places To Explore
I reached Jodhpur on Saturday afternoon and I had to attend a wedding at night. So I kept most of my “exploring the city plans” for Sunday. But even if you have ample time you need maximum one day to explore the main attractions of the city.
1. Sardar Market and Clock Tower- One Hour
The Clock Tower amidst the busy Sardar Market
The Sardar market is located in the old city of Jodhpur and is the famous street market in the city. Just at the centre of this market and also the city is located the clock tower. Visit this place just to have a look at the clock tower, there is nothing to actually shop here. Just enjoy the traditional village market feel and some amazing traditional food options.
Try lassi by Mishrilal just near the clock tower. This is probably the best lassi in town and a must try. There’s also a famous shop just outside the Sardar market named “Samosa”, do try their samosa as well.
The place is very busy and crowded, you can smell the spices in the air. Many people prefer staying in this area because there are a lot of cheap guesthouses and hostels available here.
2. Toorji Ka Jhalra and Step Well Cafe- One Hour
StepWell Cafe
Toorji Ka Jhalra
I read a lot about this place on the internet and this is one of the main tourist attraction of Jodhpur, so obviously this was on my bucket list. Toorji ka Jhalra is an ancient step well built in the 1740s and is located just close to the Sardar market. This well is an architectural beauty.
However, the water inside the well needs to be cleaned and restored. The area around it has been turned into a contemporary square with cool cafes and shops, including a Good Earth home decor store, Forest Essentials store located and a branch of Jaipur-based Gem Palace. There are a lot of great food options near the well to check out. A private door at the luxurious RAAS hotel will take you directly to the Step Well Square. I visited a small cafe overlooking this place called Step Well cafe. The place offers great pepperoni pizza and cold brewed masala tea. Later I came to know that the cafe has the same owners as RAAS and it offers the best view of the Step Well.
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3. Umaid Bhawan Palace- 40 minutes
Umaid Bhawan
The Queen’s dressing table
Striking a pose with the King
The Palace’s corridor
Shot glasses used by the royalty
This leopard skin is original and was obtained while the king was hunting and killed a leopard. It has been preserved since then.
Painting inside the museum hall
I was pretty excited to visit this place as it was recently in news, thanks to Priyanka and Nick’s wedding. The royal family still stays here and obviously theIr residence is off limits. Almost 80% of the palace has been converted to a hotel and you can’t visit it if you are not staying there or having an expensive dinner at their restaurant.
Only 10% of the palace is open to the public and has been converted to a museum. The museum mostly houses the Royal family photographs and their collectibles including watches, vintage cars, dressing table, dining table, shot glasses, wine glasses, gold plated cutlery, etc. There is a souvenir shop inside but as usual, it’s too expensive.
So, unless you are interested in visiting a museum you are going to be highly disappointed.
Fun fact: The movie Zubeidaa is based on the father of the present king. You will find the pictures of him and his first wife in the museum and just like shown in the movie there are no pictures of the second wife who died along with the Raja in a plane crash.
4. Mehrangarh Fort- Two Hours
The 72kg gold ceiling inside Flower Palace
A scene of the Dark Knight Rises was shot at this exact location inside the Fort
The traditional Dal Baati Churma served inside the Fort
These are hand impressions of women left before they went for Sati ( threw themselves over their husband’s funeral pyre)
Inside the Pearl Palace (The colourful windows have Belgium glass)
The Fort view from Jaswant Thada
I have been to a number of forts in India but this was probably my best experience. The fort is maintained by the royal family and is the only fort where a lift has been installed for the convenience of the tourists. The city has grown around this fort which occupies the entire top of a 150m hill.
Pay up a little extra to hire a guide at the ticket window, otherwise, the visit is a waste. I came to know a lot about the history of the fort all thanks to the guide. The fort has two different viewpoints from where you can have a bird’s eye view of the blue city. You can also experience zip line tour of the Chokelao gardens within the fort. During my visit since it was too hot, the zip line was shut down for a few weeks.
The fort has a number of palaces:
Moti Mahal (Pearl Hall)- This palace is coloured using pearl powder and is decorated with coloured Belgium glass windows.
Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Hall)- Used for praying during festivals.
Phool Mahal (Flower Hall)-The most extravagant of all, this was the Maharaja's pleasure chamber, for dancing girls and has a ceiling designed with 72kg gold. This entire mahal has used 80kg gold for painting and the painter died while working on it for 30 years.
Zenana Deodi. The inner sanctum of the palace once guarded by eunuchs, this is where the Maharaja's wives lived.
Chamunda Mataji Temple. Just next to the crafts bazaar, this temple is devoted to Rao Jodha's favorite goddess.
The fort also houses Rajasthani folk singers to welcome you and a restaurant that serves some authentic Rajasthani cuisine. If you plan on shopping there is a crafts bazaar and a souvenir shop inside the fort. It is the only professional registered museum shop in India.
The royal family also follows a black kite feeding tradition. Daily from around 15:30 to 16:00, a person feeds the black kites which cruise around the tower opposite the Chokelao Garden entrance. More than 200 plus kites can be seen flying above one place.
This place is also famous for hosting music festivals. Plan your visit around Feb to visit the Sufi Music Fest or in October to experience the International Music Fest. However, stay and flight tickets will be pretty expensive during the International Music Fest, so the Sufi Fest is a better choice.
5. Jaswant Thada- 30 minutes
Jaswant Thada
This is an intricately crafted cenotaph (empty commemorative tomb) and was built in 1899, in honour of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II.
Also known as the “Taj Mahal of Jodhpur” it was built using the same marble as in Taj Mahal. It’s just located a few minutes away from the fort and it features portraits of Rathore rulers inside. It serves as the cremation place for the Royal Family of Marwar. It's a peaceful place to relax and enjoy stunning views of the fort and the city.
Also if you are looking for a bar, I found this amazing rock-themed bar named “on the rocks” just next to my hotel. Since I was on a time crunch I had to skip Mandore gardens and Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park. If you have a whole day, do visit these places too and share your experience.
