Jodhpur : First destination on the 2-week trip to Rajasthan

After years of working in the corporate sector, I took a break for a few months. I wanted to go somewhere, this time slow, maybe a train journey.  My first plan was to visit Kasol but had to change the plan because of the heavy rain and flood there. Rajasthan was finalised every late, all I wanted to be sure of was the availability of train tickets. Our plan was to visit 3 places in Rajasthan: – Jodhpur-Jaisalmer and Jaipur.

Both to and fro tickets were available.The most exciting part this time is the train journey. Sankar and I boarded the train from Bangalore. Our destination was Jodhpur. 

The train journey is about 45 hours.It was raining most of the time. The route from Pune to Mumbai was very beautiful. I could experience the monsoon beauty of this place. 

Early morning, on the third day, I reached Jodhpur and straight away went to our hotel. During the end of July, it was raining in many parts of the country. I was expecting rain in Jodhpur too. But to our bad luck, it was hot. We later regretted choosing a non-AC accommodation. During the day, the heat was unbearable and sweaty.

It was off-season in Rajasthan during that time. This was a boon for us, we got good deals in accommodation and mostly there were very less tourists.Usually the season starts by October end till the january.

Ofcourse, Jodhpur is beautiful. All its beauty comes from the Mehrgarh fort standing tall and mighty in the middle of the old city. The Old city or Blue city is a different experience as such. You can get lost in the narrow streets for sure. All the hotels and hostels have a rooftop terrace or restaurant . And from there we can have a good view of the fort. My first thought upon seeing the fort was, “ how did they make it?”. It’s a very large construction. From our hotel, the entrance to the fort is a 15 minutes walkable distance. We spent one day visiting the fort.

The old part of the city is very narrow and crowded. This was a settlement during the time of the king and it grew over the time. The new city is very far from the old.  The buildings here are painted in blue for multiple reasons in olden times, now it has become a part of tourism branding, they are still keeping the blue colour to the city.

Once you start walking through the narrow streets, you start to understand life here. The reality of a crowded life hit me quite hard, it is difficult to imagine for a person coming from a different background. But life goes on here. People are happy, they adjust, they laugh and the kids play on the terrace flying kites.

I wonder if the people here have ever wondered what life would be like in a different place like the new city and why they are not moving. Maybe they don’t want to leave behind the stories that made them who they are. Maybe the uncertainties that lay ahead scare their identity. What I saw mostly are the older generation, the younger ones are already gone. 

Having a deeper understanding of the society and people, makes us good travellers and moreover good human beings. Journey like this gives us a lot of perspective on life in general if you have the eyes open to see things.

Our first day in Jodhpur, we figured that going out in day time is not a good idea. We had to visit places either in the morning or after-noon time. Since the second day, we have been doing that. There are few other places to visit in Jodhpur like the step-well and clock tower. There are some places to try if you are interested in food also. Will give the list in the end for sure.

On the evening of the second, we went to a beautiful place to watch the sunset. Could get a better view of Jodhpur from there. Also, there is a clock tower in the market area. The clock tower is open even at night.

I am very happy to choose an off-season to visit here. Financially as well as mentally, it was a big relief. Travel is very peaceful during such times. But you have to trade a bit of comfort for that, for us it was the heat and humidity.

Where to stay in Jodhpur

You get a lot of options in the old city. There are homestays and hostels for those on a budget. Check some places with terraces, to get a view of the city and the fort. The fort will be lit during the season time. All kinds of food options are available in Jodhpur.. If you are staying in the old city, most of the places to visit here in Jodhpur are a short distance away. No need to worry about transportation. I would suggest walking to explore these places, who knows where it can lead you.

The most memorable part of Jodhpur was the sunset on the second day. We found a place, suggested by the locals, it was called “blue corridor”. You can explore many areas nearby and it is an amazing place.

Places to visit in Jodhpur

Below is a list of places to visit in Jodhpur

Mehrgarh Fort : A must visit place. It will take about 3-4 hours to completely see all the areas of the fort and the palace. Be prepared for the long day. There are restaurants available inside the palace but expensive.  Have to take ticket.

Stepwell : This is a recently restored stepwell. Very beautiful architecture. It is at a walkable distance within the old city. Very easy to reach

Sunset point: There are few places in the border of the fort where we can just walk and see the sunset.  You have to find ” The Blue Corridor” in Jodhpur. This path will lead you to a beautiful place where you can view the city from a height.

Clock Tower : This is right in the middle of the market. The tower will be lit at night, prefer to visit after sunset.

The Old City : The old city of Jodhpur itself is a different experience. You can just wander these narrow alleys and explore on your own.

I have mentioned only few places which I visited. You can find some more places in the internet and explore if you have time. Else in a 2-day time, the places which I mentioned are enough.

What to eat in Jodhpur?

Like any other old city in India, Jodhpur also has some good food options. Lassi and Sweets are very famous in Jodhpur. Below are the few places, I found out and good in Jodhpur

Shri Mishrilal Hotel : This place is very near to the clock tower. You must have their Makhaniya Lassi.  They also have Kachoris and other snacks.

Janta Sweet : I tried their Rajasthani Thali, it was really good. They have a wide options of sweets and snacks. I tried their Jalebi and Pedi also, felt the quality of the ingedients. Another good place in Jodhpur.

You can read more abut Udaipur, another place to visit in Rajasthan in the below link:

All you need before visiting Udaipur