Jodhpur stands on a range of sandstone hills surrounded by a strong wall nearly 10 kms in length, with seven gates, dominating the city is an eminence surmounted by a massive fortress. Within the walls are royal palaces with priceless jewels and a striking collection of arms. Sightseeing of Jodhpur includes visit to the Fort, Palaces, Armoury and Jaswant Thada.

Jodhpur is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, also known as Marwar. Jodhpur is a popular tourist destination, featuring many beautiful palaces, forts and temples, apart from a stark, scenic desert landscape. The city is known as the "Sun City" for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year. Jodhpur lies near the geographic center of Rajasthan state, which makes it a convenient base for travel in a region much frequented by tourists.

Raja Sawai Jai Singh had his capital in Amber, when he felt the need of shifting his capital to another place for the safety of the ever-increasing population and growing scarcity of water. In the eighteenth century, he finally built Jaipur. It was also the time when the glory of Mughal Empire was on its decline. Jaipur became the first planned city of India, which was designed by a brilliant Bengali architect who was well versed in his area of study and was known as Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. The city was planned on the edicts of the ancient Hindu treatise on Indian architecture, Shilpa Shastra. The city was planned in a grid system and boasts of wide and straight avenues and roads that are arranged dexterously in nine rectangular city sectors. As a safety measure against any possible invasions, the city was enveloped with the fortification walls with seven gates. Tourists find it astonishing that the whole city was painted in autumn pink by the then sovereign of the city to welcome his distinguished guest, the Prince of Wales in 1876.

There are different versions to the reason why the pink was chosen as the color for the city. If we believe the local fables, some people say that when the ambassadors of Prince of Wales visited the city prior to his visit, some simpleton insultingly called them the 'pink-faced monkey', as a result of the contempt for the British that had India under their clutches. To make up for his rashness and as a diplomatic tact, Raja and his ministers maintained that the person had called them so in reverence, as the 'monkey' was worshipped in the region as 'Hanuman' and pink was the sacred color of the region. To give conviction to their seemingly improbable reason they painted the city pink on the Prince's arrival. Others maintain that city was painted pink merely because the contractor was unable to supply any other color in such huge quantities that were needed to paint the whole city! Since then the pink color has been associated with hospitality in Jaipur and Rajput culture.

Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief belonging to the Rathore clan. Rao Jodha succeeded in conquering the surrounding territory and thus founded a state which came to be known as Marwar. As Rao Jodha hailed from the nearby town of Mandore, that town initially served as the capital of this state; however, Jodhpur soon took over that role, even during the lifetime of Rao Jodha. The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat. This enabled it to profit from a flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk, sandals, date palms and coffee.

Early in its history, the state became a fief under the mughal empire, owing fealty to them while enjoying some internal autonomy. During this period, the state furnished the mughals with several notable generals such as Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Jodhpur and its people benefitted from this exposure to the wider world: new styles of art and architecture made their appearance and opportunities opened up for local tradesmen to make their mark across northern India.

Aurangzeb briefly sequesterated the state (c.1679) on the pretext of a minority, but the rightful ruler was restored to the throne after Aurangzeb died in 1707. The mughal empire declined gradually after 1707, but the Jodhpur court was beset by intrigue; rather than benefitting from circumstances, Marwar descended into strife and invited the intervention of the Marathas, who soon supplanted the mughals as overlords of the region. This however did not make for stability or peace; 50 years of ruinous wars and humiliating treaties dissipated the wealth of the state, which sought and gratefully entered into 'subsidiary alliance' with the British in 1818.

During the British Raj, the state of Jodhpur was the largest in Rajputana, if size be reckoned by land area. Jodhpur prospered under the peace and stability that were a hallmark of this era. Its merchants, the Marwaris, flourished without let or limit and came to occupy a position of dominance in trade across India. In 1947, when India became independent, the state merged unto the union of India and Jodhpur became the second city of Rajasthan.

A number of historical monuments dot the city and surrounding region. Some of these monuments are described here.

Osiyan Temple

An ancient Jain temple, well worth the visit, lies in the village of Osiyan, about 60 km outside JOdhpur. There are many sections of this temple, which was built in several distinct phases.

Umaid Bhavan Palace

The Umaid Bhavan Palace is not only one of India's most imposing palaces but also among its most recent. This lavish art deco monument to royal living had an improbable conception: it was built as a public relief and employment project during a long period of drought. Over one million square feet (90,000 m²) of the finest marble was used in the construction of the palace. A special type of sandstone, called Chittar sandstone, has been used in constructing the palace and this gives it a special effect. Its style of construction, with beautiful balconies, charming courtyards, green gardens and stately rooms, makes it a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The project employed three thousand artisans over a period of 15 years (1929-1943). The palace is named after its builder, Maharaja Umaid Singh, who was incidentally the president of the British Royal Institute of Architects.
In 1977, the palace was converted into a heritage hotel. The Palace is now segmented into the royal residence, the Heritage Hotel and the museum. Its 98 air-conditioned rooms are elegantly decorated with antique furniture as well as all the other amenities of a five star hotel.

Mehrangarh Fort

The Mehrangarh Fort lies at the outskirts of Jodhpur city and is located atop a 125m high hill. It was originally started (c.1459) by Rao Jodha, founder of Jodhpur. However, most of the extant fort dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-78). The walls of the fort are upto 36m high and 21m wide; they enclose some exquisite structures. The fort museum houses an exquisite collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort provide not only excellently preserved cannons but also a breath-taking view of the city.

Jaswant Thada

The Jaswant Thada is architecural landmark found in Jodhpur. It is a white marble memorial built in 1899 in memory of Maharja Jaswant Singh II. The monument, in its entirety, is built out of intricately carved sheets of marble. These stones are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow when the sun's rays dance across their surface. Within this cenotaph, there are also two more tombs.

By Air

Airport is well connected from - Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Udaipur.

By Rail

The Jodhpur railhead is well linked from Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bikaner.

By Road

Jodhpur is well connected to all major towns of Rajasthan and India.

In response to export markets, many of the factories and shops here design furniture and metal work products that are geared to Western tastes. The central market, or Ghasmandi Bazaar, is very popular with visitors. But the really good stuff is found outside the city walls. You'll find textiles, silver, jewellery, instruments, pottery, boxes, carved ducks, metalwork, marble figures, paintings, copper, brass, antique reproductions, ivory, insignias in white German metal, bed covers, wall hangings, puppets, clothes, old doors, and lots of furniture.

Wooden and Iron Furniture : Some of the best selections can be found in shops and warehouses along Umaid Bhawan Palace Road and High.