Jodhpur - The Blue City

I had been looking forward to going to Jodhpur since the trip was schedule.  Jodhpur is one of the cities in Rajasthan you see in all the brochures of India with all the huge palaces and forts.  Finally, I was going to see the India that everything thinks is India, rather than the open sewer, stinky India in which I live my daily life.  

We left Kerala early.  The airport was small and with the typical ridiculousness, we boarded our plane to our connection city of Mumbai.  We arrived a little late, but this was a minor annoyance compared to the circus that was the security in the airport.  We stepped off our plane and had to immediately go through a security checkpoint to enter the airport.  We walked about 100 yards and had to be rechecked to enter the Departure Area.  It was exactly 30 feet from that security point to the door leading out to the plane at which, you guessed it, we were checked again.  We walked to 50 yards across the open airfield to the plane before, yep, being check one more time before being allowed to board.  The best part is that every one of the checkpoints was clearly visible from the other.  Apparently, airport security has the same level of confidence in their people as I do.  ZERO!  

Anyway, with that behind us, we arrived in Jodhpur around noon.  It being a holiday, we were unable top work, so we put on our tourist caps and went to see what there was to see.  Jodhpur is a less traveled city than the more famous Jaipur, so there were not too many people milling about.  The city sits in the middle of basically a flat, beige desert.  In the middle of the city a huge mesa rises from the desert floor and it was around this that the first kings decided to build a city.  Of coarse, they kept the strategic mesa for themselves and built a massive fortress on top in the 15th century.  

The mesa rising from the desert floor

Before we went to the fort, though, we decide to stop at the Maharaja's Residence.  The mansion was built in the 1920's when apparently the Maharaja thought he had endless funds.  Turns out, with Indian Independence came financial independence of the local subjects on which he depended and the Maharaja now lives in a small section of the former residence.  Most of the house is leased to the Taj Mahal Hotel Chain and the remaining is a museum documenting his family. Quite sad, actually, as when it was built, it was the largest private residence in the world.  Oh how the mighty have fallen.  This is not to say that the Maharaja is living on food stamps, but the days of living at that level have gone for all, but the Saudis and dictators.  

The Maharaja's Residence

The fortress is huge and very vertical.  I would have to say that if I were leading the attacking army, I would have given up before the battle began and gone home for some chicken tikka.  You have to drive up a mountain just to get to the entryway and then it really get steep.  They ought to put defibrillators every 20 feet or so for those of us who may not be as young as we once were.  When you finally reach the interior, though, it is well worth the climb.  These guys were defiantly living well.  The other amazing thing is the view.  The fort sits 400 feet above the desert below and commands views in all directions.  You can even see another foot on another mesa over 125 miles away.  

After arriving at the top of mesa, we had this to look forward to

These intricate windows are all carved out of stone

More stone construction

The commanding view of the city below

An old cannon protecting the walls
In the distance is the Maharaja's Residence

The blue city of Jodhpur

The back side of the fortress

Anyway, we spent the afternoon tooling around the fort and then swung by the local market below which sits in the shadow of the fortress.  It was very reminiscent of the old city in Delhi.  There were alleyways and stores of all sorts selling everything a good Indian would need to maintain the perfect Indian household.  They, were, though, a little more accustom to tourists and were quite forward in trying to get you to shop in their store.  This, you really do not see in the backstreets of old Delhi.  My foreign colleagues went about the business of buying all things Indian in the market, while I observed the locals bartering for onions and fixing shoes. The mixture of the people, the noise and smells were really mesmerizing. Since I live in India, I have realized that I have the luxury to observe life in the markets rather than participating.  If I need anything, I can always come back!

The market in the shadows of the fortress

Goods and people are still transported by horse & wagon

The busy and crowded Clock Tower Market

Locals flooding the streets to get their shopping done

After a few hours, my colleagues tired of the market and we decided it was time for dinner. We had been told about this great dining experience a few minutes outside the city and decided to try something unique.  We arrived at an old horse stable that has been transformed into a hotel (apparently it was the Maharaja's stables and he still owns the property).  Across from the hotel, there were tables set up in a field and an outdoor kitchen working feverishly over an open fire pit.  The tables were spaced fairly far apart, because each table had a huge fire bowl next to for warmth to combat the chilly night air (it was around 15 degrees Fahrenheit) and the only light was an oil lamp placed on the table.  There was no electricity or gas of any kind.  Welcome to the 15th century!  The meal was cornucopia of meats and vegetables piled high and grilled to perfection.  Fantastic!  

The next morning, we were back to work and by the end of the day, I was back in Delhi snug in my own bed!