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The
land area which is called jodhpur today was only a small portion
of the grand marwar state before independence. Its borders
touched Bikaner in the North, Jaipur in the North-East, Ajmer
Mewara in the East , Sirohi and Palampur in the South cutting
across the Thar of Sindh province and Rann of Kutch and
Jaisalmer State in North-West. Before independence, its total
area was as widespread as 35,016 sq. miles.
Hundreds
 of
centuries ago, before this expansive desert came into existance,
this area was a sea called Drumkulya. Epics have it that an
arrow bound fire shot by Lord Rama burnt a large part of the sea
and converted it into a desert. This desert was called Maru
Mandal, Marudhar, Maruwar, Maru Desh and Marwar.
Hundreds of years later and after having undergone the ravages
of several Kings and their battles , under the rule of king Rao
Jodha of the Vikram Era (1510) , a city was slowly established
around the fort constructed by King Rao Jodha. This fort was
situated 6 miles south of Mandore on a mountain called
Chidiyanath ki Tonk. This city came to be known as Jodhpur or
Jodhana or Jodhaji Ki Dhani and was the capital of the Marwar
state for five centuries. When Rao Jodha established the walled
city , it had four gates.As time passed , the city became
congested with increasing population and the boundaries
continued to expand. Today that area is called Old City and has
a 3 to 8 ft. wide and 15 to 30 ft. high wall around it in the
shape of a horse shoe . This wall has six big gates called Chand
Pol , Nagauri Gate, Merti Gate , Sojati Gate, Siwanchi Gate and
Jalori Gate. These gates earlier had iron sheets fixed with
nails.
The foundation of a beautiful palace on the Chittar Hills , now
called Umed Palace, was laid by the then Raja Umed Singh on 18th
November ,1929. During his reign the biggest hospital in Marwar
was made in Jodhpur, with expenditure of 15 lacs , 80 thousand
rupees, which is now known as Mahatma Gandhi hospital. On 10th
May 1933 , Marwar was officially renamed as Jodhpur state. On
15th August 1947, India attained independence. Maharaja Hanuwant
Singh , who had succeeded Umed Singh, attended the function
wearing a black turban.He said, " Today five hundred years old
reign of my family has come to an end , so I am, mourning." Thus
seven hundred years old Marwar state first merged with Indian
Union , and then into Rajasthan.
Fairs & Festivals of Jodhpur
Marwar Festival
About the Fair
Held in October in Jodhpur, this annual event attempts to
showcase the art and culture of the Jodhpur region. It is
devoted almost exclusively to songs and dance, and the Maand
Festival has become a part of this huge regional celebration.
Activities
The massive Mehangarh fort and the impresive Umaid Bhawan Palace
which are symbols of might and valour of the Rajputs, make
Jodhpur an ideal location for the festival. It was originally
known as the 'Maand Festival', a classical style of folk music
centred on the romantic lifestyle of Rajasthan's rulers. The
festival is held for two days during the full moon of Sharad
Purnima.
The Marwar festival displays the music and dance of the Marwar
region. The spirited folk dancers gathered here, perform with
zest and entertain the audience with Rajasthani folklore. These
folk artistes bring to life the myth and legends of the area and
sing songs in memory of the brave heroes.
Other attractions of the festival include horse riding and horse
polo. Various other competitions are also held during the
festival.
Places to Visit at Jodhpur
Mehrangarh Fort
The 5 km long majestic fort on
 a
125 metre high hill is one of the most impressive and formidable
structures. Although invincible from the outside, the fort has
four gates approached by a winding road. Within the fort are
some magnificent palaces with marvelously carved panels,
latticed windows and evocative names. Not worthy of these are
the Moti Mahal, the Phool Mahal, the Sheesh Mahal, the Sileh
Khana and the Daulat Khana. These palaces house a fabulous
collection of trappings of Indian royalty including a superb
collection of palanquins, elephant hawdahs, miniature paintings
of various schools, musical instruments, costumes and furniture.
Jaswant Thada
Cluster of royal cenotaphs in white marble built in 1899 A.D. in
memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Within the main cenotaph
are the portraits of various Jodhpur rulers.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
 The
only 20th century palace built under the famine relief project
that gave employment to famine struck population. The palace was
completed in 16 years. This opulent edifice in sandstone is
still the residence of the former rulers with a part of it
running as hotel and remaining part as a museum.
How To Get To Jodhpur
By Air:
Jodhpur has its own airport that links it with major tourist
destinations of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur.
By Rail:
The railway network connects Jodhpur with Delhi, Jaipur,
Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
By Road:
Jodhpur can be easily reached by road as well. There are
well-maintained roads linking it to tourism destinations like
Delhi (597 km), Udaipur (260 km) and Jaipur (336 km).
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Rajasthan is one of the 26 states that, along, with
seven union territories forms the republic of India. Rajasthan
is one of the 26 states that, along, with seven union
territories forms the republic of India. Located in the
north-west, it shares its borders with Punjab, Hariyana, Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and and Gujarat, The Complete Rajasthan
-- Take a desert- burning sand in the long summers, large tracts
of dune-decked plains, with scarce water and even scarcer
vegetation and create a habitation with the mind's eye, if you
can. And the come to Rajasthan to see if you imagination can
begin to match where reality takes over.
History
Archaeological and historical evidence shows a continuous human
habitation of the area dating back 100,000 years. Between the
7th and the 11th century AD, several dynasties arose, with
Rajput strength reaching its peak at the beginning of the 16th
century. Emperor Akbar brought the Rajput states into the Mughal
Empire; by early 19th century, they allied with the Marathas.
Later, the British established supremacy in the region.
Rajasthan soon emerged as a centre of Indian nationalism. When
the new constitution went into effect in 1950, Rajput princes
surrendered their powers to the Indian Union.`
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