• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 1892 0

hire a local guide: there are few better than Kalyan Singh (see Visitor Information above). Do not hire one at the fort entrance, most of whom consider the audioguide useless and will ultimately steer you toward some ill-considered shopping in order to reap a commission (you have been warned). There is an elevator, but rather choose to walk past cannon-pockmarked and sati-daubed Loha Gate (the maharajas’ wives would traditionally immortalize their lives by leaving handprints on the fort walls before tossing themselves on the flames to join their deceased husbands). Once at the top, you enjoy not only the most spectacular view, but you enter one of India’s finest museums, with a rich collection of palanquins, royal cradles, miniature paintings, musical instruments, costumes, furniture, and armor. Every room is worth exploring (allow at least 2 hr.), but among the highlights are ladies intricately carved Zennana (note the overhangs on the outside of the jarokhas to protect the sandstone latticework from the rain) the gorgeous royal chamber where the Maharaja entertained his 30-plus wives (we’re not even counting concubines; look out for the large wall mirrors in which his wives could get glimpses of his antics from their quarters); Moti Mahal, featuring the throne on which every Marwar Maharaja has been crowned; and Phool Mahal, the “dancing hall” with its pure gold ceiling as well as The Armoury with its fascinating collection of carved swords and daggers. A massive silk and velvet tent, taken from Emperor Shah Jahan in Delhi, is a vivid illustration of the superlative wealth and decadent pomp with which the Rathore rulers lived. After visiting the courtyard of Chamunda (Sun Goddess) Temple (remember to remove your shoes), take the road that leads to the left to view what is apparently among the rarest collections of cannons in India—again, the view alone is worth it. There is a very good museum shop (look for the exquisite silk and chiffon fabrics made by award-winning Tyeb Khan) and a restaurant where you can catch your breath.

On the road that leads to and from the fort, you will notice Jaswant Thada, a white marble cenotaph (built in the same marble as the Taj) built to commemorate the life of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, who died in 1899, and where the last rites of the Jodhpur rulers have been held since then. It’s a pretty and relaxing place and worth the short stop off for its respite after the crush of the fort and its great views. If you finish with the fort before sunset, descend to the cobbled streets of Sadar Market, where the sights and aromas of India’s ancient and narrow streets—packed with cows, people, goats, carts, and chickens, and remarkably untouristed—may leave you wondering whether you’ve wandered onto the set of a movie about medieval times. If it all gets too claustrophobic, hire a rickshaw in which to sit in relative comfort and watch the passing parade or escape to the nearby Pal Haveli for a rooftop drink. All in all, this will be one of your most satisfying outings in Rajasthan. (Note: Try and tour the fort in the morning in summer [out of season] and in the evening in winter.)

The Fort, Jodhpur. 0291/254-8790. Mehrangarh Fort: Rs 250 includes camera fee and audioguide; Rs 200 video; Rs 15 elevator. Apr–Sept 8:30am–5:30pm; Oct–Mar 9am–5pm. Jaswant Thada: Rs 20; Rs 25 camera; Rs 50 video. Daily 8:30am–5:30pm.

Eighteenth-Century Tree Huggers

Traveling on the road to or from Jodhpur, you will no doubt come across black buck, a delicate antelope with spiraling horns, and Khejri, the tough, desert-surviving trees that provide shelter and sustenance for the desert tribes and the black buck. Both animal and tree are sacred to the Bishnoi tribes, so much so that when an 18th-century Jodhpur ruler sent his army out to clear Khejri trees to make way for a new road, the Bishnoi women clung to the trees in protest—363 women died with their arms wrapped around their beloved Khejris before the Jodhpur king intervened. You can still visit the Bishnoi on “village safaris” offered by just about every hotel