Jodhpur

The "Blue City" on the edge of the Thar Desert, where clifftop Mehrangarh Fort looks down over a sea of indigo houses – Rajasthan's most photogenic fort city.

Jodhpur lies in western Rajasthan, India, on the eastern edge of the Thar Desert. Rajasthan's second-largest city, it was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha of the Rathore dynasty and was once the capital of the Kingdom of Marwar. The old city wraps around the foot of a huge rock topped by the mighty Mehrangarh Fort; below the fort, the Brahmin quarter's houses are mostly painted indigo, earning Jodhpur the name "Blue City" – and its year-round sunshine also makes it the "Sun City". Areas: the fort and the Blue City's old lanes (around Brahmpuri and Navchokiya) are in the north of the old city; to the south are the Clock Tower and Sardar Market, and on high ground to the east stands Umaid Bhawan Palace; about 9 km north of the city is the old capital of Mandore. The best season is October to March, with daytime temperatures around 25°C and cool mornings and evenings; April–June is scorching, often above 40°C, and July–September brings a short monsoon. Getting there: Jodhpur Airport has flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and elsewhere; trains take about 5–6 hours from Jaipur and about 5–6 hours from Jaisalmer, and Jodhpur can be combined with Udaipur and Jaipur on a Rajasthan circuit. Within the city, tuk-tuks or ride-hailing apps are all you need, and the narrow lanes of the old city are best explored on foot. Plan on 2 days: Day 1, Mehrangarh Fort and its zip lines in the morning, Jaswant Thada in the afternoon, then the Blue City lanes and the stepwell in the evening; Day 2, the Umaid Bhawan Palace museum and shopping at the Clock Tower market, and with more time, Mandore Gardens or a camel ride in the desert outside the city. Good to know: in the old city, be wary of self-styled guides or people offering to take you to "see the blue houses"; bargaining at spice shops is the norm; remove your shoes in temples, and women should dress to cover shoulders and knees; in summer, avoid going out at midday and carry drinking water.

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