Osiyan Temple:
A number of historical monuments dot the city
and surrounding region. Some of these monuments are
described here.
Osiyan Temple: An ancient Jain temple, well worth the
visit, lies in the village of Osiyan, about 60 km outside
Jodhpur. There are many sections of this temple, which
was built in several distinct phases.
Umaid Bhavan Palace:The Umaid Bhavan
Palace is not only one of India's most imposing palaces
but also among its most recent. This lavish art deco
monument to royal living had an improbable conception:
it was built as a public relief and employment project
during a long period of drought. Over one million square
feet (90,000 m²) of the finest marble was used
in the construction of the palace. A special type of
sandstone, called Chittar sandstone, has been used in
constructing the palace and this gives it a special
effect. For this reason, it is also referred to as Chittar
Palace by the locals.
Bird's eye view of Umaid Bhawan Palace,
JodhpurIts style of construction, with beautiful balconies,
charming courtyards, green gardens and stately rooms,
makes it a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
The project employed three thousand artisans over a
period of 15 years (1929-1943). The palace is named
after its builder, Maharaja Umaid Singh, who was incidentally
the president of the British Royal Institute of Architects
In 1977, the palace was converted into a heritage hotel.
The Palace is now segmented into the royal residence,
the Heritage Hotel and the museum. Its 98 air-conditioned
rooms are elegantly decorated with antique furniture
as well as all the other amenities of a five star hotel.
Mehrangarh Fort: The Mehrangarh Fort
lies at the outskirts of Jodhpur city and is located
atop a 125 m high hill. The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort
(Jodhpur ka kila) is the most majestic and one of the
largest forts in India. It was originally started (c.1459)
by Rao Jodha, founder of Jodhpur. However, most of the
extant fort dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-78).
The walls of the fort are up to 36 m high and 21 m wide;
they enclose some exquisite structures.
Mehrangarh Fort & Jaswant Thada The
fort museum houses an exquisite collection of palanquins,
howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments,
costumes and furniture. The ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort
provide not only excellently preserved cannons but also
a breath-taking view of the city.
Jaswant Thada: The Jaswant Thada is
architectural landmark found in Jodhpur. It is a white
marble memorial built in 1899 in memory of Maharja Jaswant
Singh II. The monument, in its entirety, is built out
of intricately carved sheets of marble. These stones
are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a
warm glow when the sun's rays dance across their surface.
Within this cenotaph, there are also two more tombs. |
