Jodhpur: Rao Jodha's Fortress
I am continually spellbound by the diversity India offers to travelers. If you’ve ever thought that European cities are the epitome of culture and heritage, let me introduce you to the wonders of Rajasthan!
Most tourists opt for Jaipur and Jaisalmer when exploring the desert in Rajasthan, but we had planned a shorter trip and wanted to skip exhausting long drives. So, after spending a couple of days experiencing the desert, we found ourselves in the second largest city of Rajasthan, Jodhpur. We were excited to visit the Mehrangarh Fort, which our driver called the “most beautiful fort in India”. The European in me jumped with excitement when I realized that this fort has an elevator—such a luxury! Let me explain. Most of our apartment buildings in Europe don’t have elevators, and on most of our European vacations, we’re left lugging a suitcase up and down the stairs. The fort, standing tall and imposing, left me in awe, especially considering its construction in 1459!
Taking the elevator to the top of the fort treated us to remarkable views. Jodhpur is often called the blue city, because many of the old houses in the city are blue. We tried to ask around and read about the history to find out the reason behind the color choice, but different people gave us different answers. The panaromic view made me realize how gigantic the walls of the fort were, and I was not surprised to know that the fort was built to provide security to the kingdom. Rao Jodha, the chief of the Rathore clan, found the city and initiated the construction of the fort. I still remember the delicious lassi we enjoyed while soaking in the scenery!
It turns out that the views outside were not even the best the fort had to offer, and the real surprise awaited us inside the fort. Each beautifully decorated room led to another, and soon we found ourselves marveling at the Sheesh Mahal! This beautiful place had everything: museums, live musicians, temples, a live turban-tying demonstration and a variety of stalls of local handicrafts and garments. It felt like stepping into a whole new world — a world that cherishes history and embraces culture and heritage.
Rajasthan oozes royalty, and that vibe was all around us. From the stunning marble memorial, Jaswant Thada, to the towering Mehrangarh Fort overlooking it, and the Umaid Bhavan Palace — known for hosting big fat Indian weddings, including Priyanka Chopra’s — royalty was everywhere! And that was not all: even the restaurant our driver brought us to looked as exquisite as a palace! I’ll be honest, I was a little worried about the bill as soon as we entered. But we decided to live it up that afternoon, and were pretty satisfied as the afternoon ended.
Jaswant Thada
Left to Right: Umaid Bhavan Palace and the restaurant
While we didn’t get much time in Jodhpur, we squeezed in an evening for some shopping. I might sometimes pretend to be all fancy, but deep down, I’m just a middle-class girl who misses the thrill of Indian street shopping. We picked out some gorgeous colorful dupattas and beautiful jhumkas and wrapped up the trip with a taste of Rajasthan’s famous mawa kachori dessert.
Rajasthan will forever hold a special place in my heart. Six years ago, during what felt like the lowest point in my career, my first visit to Rajasthan helped me mourn the dream I couldn’t fulfil and embrace an even better one. No, the trip did not heal me or change my life, but it made me realize that there is more to life than career. There are people waiting to be loved, places waiting to be visited, dreams waiting to be pursued. Over the years, I have visited Rajasthan at different stages of my life, always discovering something new. I can’t wait to return with the love of my life, perhaps to celebrate the start of our new journey together. One can always dream, right?