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Tourist Places in Jodhpur
Located on the foothill of a sandstone hillock, the city of Jodhpur seems like an oasis in the vast desert. Nestling within the depths of the Thar Desert, is the stronghold of the Rathore clan - Jodhpur, once the capital of the former princely state of Marwar, the second largest city of Rajasthan, after Jaipur . The town was once known as Marwar, which means 'Land of Death', probably, referring to the harsh desert climate. It is an island of marble palaces, cordoned off from the desert by an immense wall, with eight gates facing different directions.
Flanked on its western side by the Mehrangarh fort, and on the eastern side by the stately sandstone Palace of Umaid Bhawan, the monuments, temples and gardens of Jodhpur depict a multi-faceted grandeur. Jodhpur is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Rajasthan. People from India as well as all over the world visit Jodhpur every year. There are a number of tourist attractions in Jodhpur, enchanting the tourists.
Jodhpur tourist spots stand as a living proof of the splendor, traditions and culture of the Jodhpur. The glorious past of Jodhpur is personified through the various forts, palaces and other monuments of Jodhpur. The main places to see in Jodhpur Rajasthan are:
MEHRANGARH FORT
Crowning a perpendicular cliff, the fort was founded by Rao Jodha in 1459 A.D., when he shifted his capital from Mandore. The most magnificent fort in Jodhpur is the Mehrangarh Fort. It is situated on a 150m high hill. Rao Jodha, the then chief of Rathore clan, constructed it in 1459. There are a number of attractions within the fort like several palaces, galleries, a museum, temples and so on. Standing sentinel to the city below, it overlook the rugged and rocky terrain and houses a palace intricately adorned with long carved panels and latticed windows exquisitely wrought from red sandstone. Carved panels and porches, elaborately adorned windows and walls of Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal, Sheesh mahal, Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana, seem to make the medieval splendour come alive. A collection of palanquins, hawdas, royal cradles, miniature paintings of various schools, folk music, instruments, costumes, furniture and an impressive armoury.
JASWANT THADA
Build in the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh ll in 1899, the imposing white marble memorial marks the site of royal crematorium. Jaswant Thada lies to the left of the Mehrangarh fort complex. It is a royal cenotaph made up of white marble. It was built to commemorate Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Some rare portraits of the former rulers of Jodhpur are also displayed here. It houses portraits of successive rulers. The four cenotaphs around here commemorate notable acts of bravery and generosity of the four successive rulers.
UMAID BHAWAN PALACE
The only palace builds in the 20th century, as a famine relief project which gave employment to the people for 16 years. One of the fascinating palaces of Jodhpur is the Umaid Bhavan palace. Maharaja Umaid Singh constructed it in 20th century. A part of the palace has now been converted into a hotel and a museum. Build by Maharaja Umaid singh and named after him, this exquisite palace is also known as Chittar Palace, because of the local chittar sandstone used. It is a splendid example of Indo-colonial art and deco style of the 30s.A unique feature of this palace is that the hand-chiselled sandstone blocks have been put together in a special system of interlocking; there is no mortar binding.
OSIAN TEMPLE
A great centre of Brahmancial and Jain religions. The temples here belong to two periods ? an early period represented by nearly 12 temples and later period of 6 temples. The Jain Mahavir Temple is unique among the Osian temples, with the vaulted design of its hall-celling. The main Sachiya Mata Temple appears to be made in 1178 AD and has a shikhar clustered by two rows of turrets, an ambulatory and large assembly hall with an elaborate ceiling.
PALETTE ART GALLERY
A contempralely art gallery of its only kind in Jodhpur. The gallery have collection of different kind of art from all over the country, right through miniatures painting, wood craft, ceramic, iron and many more. In one sentence ?See to believe?.
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