"Jodhpur - The Blue Sun City" a Jodhpur Travel Page by Willettsworld

Jodhpur lies in western Rajasthan and is the second largest city in the state. It was founded when Rao Jodha built his magnificent fort (Mehrangarh) here in 1459 after moving his capital from nearby Mandore, 9km to the north. The fort dominates the skyline as its located 125m (410ft) up on a rocky outcrop. The views over the city from the fort are amazing. The fort is the main attraction in the city and simply cannot be missed as it boasts one of the best fort museums in the whole of India. The other major attraction in terms of sheer size is the Art Deco designed Umaid Bhavan Palace which was started in 1929 and took 3,000 men 15 years to complete. Today it houses a very posh hotel, museum and is still residence to the local maharaja. Jodhpur is known as the Blue City, due to the indigo tinge of the whitewashed houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. The blue houses were originally for Brahmins but non-Brahmins soon joined in, as the colour was said to deflect the heat and keep mosquitoes away. The city is also known as the Sun City for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year.