SUN CITY-JODHPUR. Review on Jodhpur

The Indian 'Sun City' of Jodhpur stands on the edge of the Great Thar Desert. It echoes with tales of antiquity in the emptiness of the desert. Also called the Blue City as most houses, according to an age-old practice' are painted with indigo blue color to ward off mosquitoes. It is the second biggest city of Rajasthan after Jaipur.

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.

Built in the 15th Century by Rao Jodha, 15th in the dynasty of the Rathore clan of the warrior Rajputs, this impregnable fort and palace comples towering above the city of Jodhpur, has been the object of great awe and admiration. Rudyard Kipling thought it ''the work of angel, fairies and giants...''. More recently Jackie Kennedy reffered to it as ''the eight wonder of the world.'' Famous for its battlements and intricate palaces; with gorgeous 'period rooms'. the fort also houses the finest Fort - Museum in the country

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 white marble cenotaphs of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II and three other cenotaphs, which stands nearby is Jaswant Thada. The cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh holds the rare portraits of the rulers and Maharajas of Jodhpur. A visit inside the cenotaphs, with some villagers of the region, would bring forward the reverence they still hold for their brave kings.

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.