Jodhpur, the blue city of Rajasthan, was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha of the Rathore clan. It is after his name that the city’s name is kept. Jodhpur was previously called as Marwar itself and it was the capital city of Marwar. Rao Jodha was the first king of the city of course. The last ruler of Jodhpur was Maharaja Gaj Singh II. Post this, Jodhpur, the princely state, came under the British rule during 1818 to 1947. Jodhpur is famously called as the Sun City because the weather remains hot here along with a lot of sunny days. Jodhpur is also called as the blue city because most of the buildings here are painted blue. The people of Jodhpur painted their houses blue to keep the termites away as termites damage the buildings. Another story says that the buildings are painted blue to keep them cool from the hot weather.

The most important legend in the history of Jodhpur is Rao Jodha as he founded this city. Mandore was their original capital till 1459 but then they realised they need safer capital for their kingdom. Hence, the formation of Jodhpur was done by Rao Jodha. Maharaja Gaj Singh II was the last king of the city. Other kings or the legends of the city were Maharaja Sir Sardar Singh, Maharaja Sir Sumair Singh, Maharaja Sir Umaid Singh, Maharaja Sir Hanwant Singh, and lots more.

Tourist Places to Visit in Jodhpur – Jodhpur is a heavenly place to be at. Jodhpur tourism is hallmarked by historical monuments, cultural heritage, rich lineage of handicrafts, bustling markets and palatable cuisines. The vintage charm of the city attracts the tourists from all across the globe. The ancient buildings, the old streets, the blue houses, the beautiful greenery, and everything pleasing about Jodhpur makes it one of the top places to explore. The beautiful blue city has enough spots to explore and have a good time. Here are some of the best places to explore in the city. Best time to visit Jodhpur is winter season (October to March). Jodhpur is has airport, railway junction and national & state highways. Thus, Jodhpur can be reached by flight, train and road.

Mehrangarh Fort – The topmost tourist place in Jodhpur is Mehrangarh Fort. It is also one of most clicked places of Rajasthan. The monument displays the culture and the heritage of Jodhpur and is now a museum. It was the house for the royals back then and it still shows in its aura.

Bishnoi Village – A beautiful small village located a few kilometers from Jodhpur is the Bishnoi village. The village is famous for a lot of cultural activities like cane spotting, desert excursion, village walk, camel trek, and lots more fun activities. It is a good idea always to head out to this village.

 Umaid Bhavan Palace – This is one of the most beautiful places to explore in Jodhpur. The palace is one of the last constructed ones in the country. The architecture of the palace is the striking element of the palace. There are three areas of the palace and one of it is still owned by the royal family and they still live here.

 Jaswant Thada – The architecture of this building is very promising and the brilliant architecture is the reason why people praise this building so much. It is decorated with white marbles and was built in the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh. The view of Mehrangarh Fort from here is just next level pretty.

Balsamand Lake – Jodhpur also has a plenty of lakes around the city and Balsamand Lake is one of them. It is an artificial lake that was used as a water reservoir for the villagers living in Mandore. Balak Rao Parihar constructed this and is now a popular tourist spot in the city.

Some of the other famous places to visit in Jodhpur are Mandore gardens, Kaylana lake, Rao Jodha desert rock park, Raas Haveli, Rai ka Bag palace, Masuriya hill garden, Padamsar lake, Sardar Samand lake, Area Jharna, and lots more.

Famous Fairs – Festivals – Events – People of Jodhpur, like rest of India, celebrate various festivals and participate in fairs actively. Along with national festivals, several local fairs / festivals also take place in Jodhpur.   

 Nagaur Festival – This is the second biggest fair in India which says a lot about how beautiful this fair would be. It is an 8 day festival that happens during the month of January and February every year. It is famously called as the Cattle fair of Nagaur. The fair is all about trading of animals where camels, horses, and bullocks are traded. Along with the animals, other attractions of the festival are wooden items, red chillies, camel leather accessories, and few more things.

 Marwar Festival – It is a two day festival that is a very popular festival of Jodhpur. The festival showcases the culture of the city through a variety of performances that are done by the folk dancers. The festival is celebrated in Jodhpur is because the city was the capital of the Marwar region of that time.

 Jodhpur International Desert Kite Festival – This is one of the recent festivals that is started in India and has managed to gain enough popularity in a very limited time. The best kite flyers from all across the city come to take part in this festival. It happens on the Makar Sankranti or the Uttarayan festival that happens on 14th January.

Importance in Tourism – Jodhpur was a capital of the Marwar region. This means the city has always seen wealth throughout and this is evident even now. To experience the royalty of the city, the tourists from all over the world visit it. The royal palaces, buildings, forts, still are ever charming. The city has started gaining an increase in the tourist’s arrival in the few past years. Jodhpur has now become an important city for tourism and plays an important role in Rajasthan tourism.

Jodhpur Tour Packages

8 Days – Rajasthan Tour by Palace on Wheels Luxury Train
10 Days – Golden Triangle with Jodhpur Jaisalmer Tour
10 Days – Best of Rajasthan Tour
11 Days – Cities of Rajasthan Tour
12 Days – Best of North India Tour
14 Days – Exotic Rajasthan Tour
15 Days – Cultural Rajasthan Tour
16 Days – Rajasthan Family Tour