Jodhpur
The very name invokes images of blue city, mighty Mehrangarh fort and expansive Thar desert. Trust me! The grandeur and charm of the city will leave a permanent mark in your heart. But the blue lanes! I badly wish that it could have been maintained much better with proper drainage system.

In a nutshell, a perfect amalgamation of old and new city brings to you the much famed Sun city, Jodhpur.

Mighty Mehrangarh fort
Perched on a hill top, this 100 feet fort is sure to make any visitor struggle for words to describe its majesty.While in Mehrangarh fort, every wall tells a legendary story of it’s daring leaders and every doors and windows conveys you their love for art and architecture.

Wars won and lost, days gone by, still the gate of Mehrangarh fort remained intact. Such was it’s mightiness!

Palaces and museum inside fort
Though Mehrangarh fort is primarily built for defense, you would find beautiful palaces inside the fort.

It is said that various generations of Rajput rulers have added structures like palaces, temples to the fort. This fort also houses several beautifully decorated palaces like Moti Mahal(Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal(Palace of flowers), sheesh mahal(Mirror palace).Not to mention the musuem inside the fort is one of the well-stacked museums stocking from royal palanquins to archaic paintings.

Shops inside Mehrangarh fort
The musuem shops have tie & dye sarees, chudithars, shawls, colourful jootis and various showcase items.As the shops inside Mehrangarh fort are instituted for the conservation and restoration of local crafts, the prices are reasonably kept.

Treat yourself to the view of Jodhpur city
And don’t forget to treat yourself to the Grand view of Jodhpur city and Umaid Bhavan palace below from Mehrangarh fort.

View of Jodhpur city will be different from different sides. On the old side you would find more blue houses and the other side surrounding Clock tower, you would find less houses painted in indigo.

Jodhpur Blue city
In the early days, Jodhpur people painted their houses Indigo to escape the heat and protect them from insects. It was believed that ingredient in indigo reflected sunlight and repelled insects.

Fun fact : Blue city is actually not fully blue, you will find other colored houses too.

Jaswant Thada
Taj Mahal of Jodhpur is not going to let you down by it’s stunning architecture. The mausoleum, built by Sadar Singh on memory of  his father Jaswant singh, is sure a beauty to behold.There was something quite mesmerizing about this place which made me badly wish for a paper and pencil to have drawn this monument.This white marble cenotaph has got some beautifully carved marbles jhalis.

Umaid Bhavan palace
On a rocky chittar hill, set in twenty six acres of land, of which fifteen are garden, it took 3000 men and women to work for fifteen years to create this masterpiece.Umaid singh is someone who has chased his dream. From playing polo at London to giving equal importance to the love for flying, this man had chased his dream all long.

How the king lived his life was a story enough a blog!The versatility and resourcefulness of this man had made me moved after reading about him in Umaid Bhavan palace museum.

Clock Tower Market
Sardar market, located right in the middle of the city, surrounding the famous clock tower is the most famous market square in Jodhpur.As you plunge yourself onto the busy streets of the market, you will find a wide array of goods from spices to vegetables to beautiful clothes to umbrellas.Be ready to be on a binge shopping mode.

Cafe by the Clock Tower
Clock tower indeed surprised us with it’s hidden gems. One such gem is Cafe Royale, a cafe we stumbled upon in Zomato.

This one is a small cafe run by a traveling couple. And they make really good food. I am not someone who likes continental food much. But Cafe Royale was an exception.

Their sandwiches were really tasty. How could I miss mentioning the Pav Bhujia we had there? A fusion dish of Bhujia stuffed inside Pav. Yummy treat!