The second-largest city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur sits on the edge of the Thar desert and as such, is woefully overlooked. Though the sun does shine brightly every day of the year here and it’s always quite hot, the city offers a lot for the average traveller to see and do.
From the world-famous Mehrangarh Fort to the city’s clock tower to the hectic street markets, a few days in Jodhpur won’t seem like enough. A centre for beautiful handlooms, scarves, handicrafts and textiles at prices that you won’t even bargain at, there’s a reason why the likes of Bill Murray, Sting and Richard Gere have made their way here.
Several movies like The Darjeeling Limited and The Dark Knight Rises have also filmed parts of their movie here as Jodhpur’s beauty extends in every direction.
Mehrangarh Fort is world famous for a reason
Dominating the skyline and the largest fort in all of Rajasthan, Mehrangarh Fort occupies the entire top of a 150m-high (492 feet) hill with commanding views of the city from all directions. A photographers’ dream, a simple hike up a winding pathway leads to the entrance of the fort, which is three kilometres (1.9 miles) of beautiful, massive ramparts along the edges.
Open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, it’s free to walk around the exterior of the fort and see it from the outside but to enter the museums and shops, one must pay the entrance fee, which for foreigners is 500 INR (8 USD) and 100 INR (1.50 USD) for locals. The fort is massive as it houses several palaces, an interactive walking tour of the inside, the best museum in Rajasthan and an extensive garden that is still maintained to this day.
Immerse yourself in the markets and shops of Jodhpur
Coming back down to the city, Jodhpur’s main area of commerce is the iconic clock tower. Named Sardar Market, it’s a full-on market that’s never quiet with a vast amount of shoppers flitting from table to table checking out the various goods available from spices, textiles, handicrafts and souvenirs.
It may not be very well-made, but as everyone is open to bargaining, you can find a souvenir or spices for cheap here at a very, very low cost. Further away from Sardar Market is Nai Sadak, a small neighbourhood lined mostly with sari and shoe shops, but here you will find the tucked away gems that you’ll find yourself spending hours in.
Be prepared to spend an hour or so talking with the owners over a cup of chai, and don’t be afraid to say no to a lot of the owners as they’ll turn their store upside down in their hospitable manner just to show you their products. The best store in Nai Sadak for textiles would be Om Ganesh handicrafts, which has had several celebrities come through and makes fabrics for world-famous designer labels.
Across the street is Suncity spices, an institution in Jodhpur as it’s been around for decades.
Restaurants, cafes and shops are abundant in Jodhpur
There are numerous shops in the markets to loiter around in from the National Handloom emporiums to Ganesh Handicrafts to the numerous spice and art shops, but Jodhpur’s heat will eventually get to even the most well-travelled person.
Jodhpur’s main area to relax in the shade and have a bite to eat and a drink is where the iconic blue roofs of the city exist. Also called the Blue City due to a lot of its old houses and Havelis having blue roofs, Jodhpur’s restaurants and cafes are all well-priced and serve delicious options.
Some of the better choices are Dagley’s The Lounge, which, despite its low online rating, has some of the best food and drinks in the city with one of the best views of Mehrangarh Fort. The Curry’s Restaurant comes highly recommended as well, but ensure you go there early, as the later you go in the night, the worse the food gets as they seem to just reheat the dishes.
Across from The Curry’s, near the stepwell, you’ll find several restaurants that you can flit in and out of that are highly recommended: Ravla and Jhankar Choti Haveli are our top choices.
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Don't miss out on what Jodhpur has to offer
Jodhpur is still under the radar for most travellers due to its proximity to the desert and how far it is from any other major city, but don’t be surprised if you fall in love with it. It’s easily one of the best cities in Rajasthan.
As it is a centre for beautiful textiles, handlooms, and handicrafts, one can spend their entire time here shopping as most of the products sold in the big cities get made here first. Jodhpur also has a thriving culinary scene as evidenced by the plethora of restaurants available. Spend some time here and you won’t be disappointed by what the Blue City has to offer.
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