Mahrangard Fort

Rising perpendicular and impregnable from a hill which is 125 metres above Jodhpur’s skyline is the Mehrangarh Fort. This historic fort is one of the most famous in India and is packed with history and legends. Mehrangarh Fort still bears the imprints of cannonball attacks courtesy the armies of Jaipur on its second gate. Chiselled and sturdy, the fort is known for its exquisite latticed windows, carved panels, intricately decorated windows and walls of Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal and Sheesh Mahal.

Jaswanthara

This milky white memorial built towards the end of the 19th century as a tribute to the leader Jaswant Singh is a huge tourist attraction. Jaswant Singh, who ruled Jodhpur, invested well in his state. He made attempts to bring down the level of crime, subdue dacoits, built railways and broadly worked on raising the economy of Marwar. Jaswant Thada is managed and looked after by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust (MMT) and is open to public. The Trust is operating a Museum in Jaswant Thada displaying portraits of Marwar rulers along with informative didactics – the information serves as orientation space to understand the history of Marwar through the Portraits. Its grounds serve as a serene venue for morning concerts during music festivals such as the Rajasthan International Folk Festival and the World Sacred Spirit Festival.

Rao Jodha Rock Gardern

Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, spreads over 72 hectares, near the historic Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The park contains ecologically restored desert and arid land vegetation. The park was created in 2006 to try and restore the natural ecology of a large, rocky area adjoining and below the fort.

Kaylana Lake

Situated on Jaisalmer road, this small artificial lake is an ideal picnic spot. It is like a canvas with a splash of romantic colours. The beauty of the lake stays with you long after you’ve experienced it. For those who’d like to go out on to the lake, boating facilities are also available through R.T.D.C.

Ganesh Temples

The Sri Ganesh Temple in Jodhpur is nestled in the Ratnada hills and attracts a lot of devotees every year from all over the country. The beautiful location of the temple also offers a very scenic view of Jodhpur City. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha and has the idols of Riddhi and Siddhi on either side which symbolizes prosperity and accomplishment. Wednesday is considered a very holy day to visit the temple and offer prayers to Gajananda.

The temple is maintained very well and has a very peaceful surrounding which will satisfy your spiritually. Many devotees reach the temple by climbing up through 100-150 stairs which are built to reach the temple. This walking to the temple is considered very holy and is believed to pay respect to Lord Ganesha. If you are taking your personal car there is also a parking zone available below the hill. The best time to visit this temple is the evening when the place is lightened up and you get an amazing view of the location. At the time of special festive occasions, Lord Ganesha is offered ‘chola’ which means the vermilion wash. The idol of the deity is adorned with ornaments and a crown.

Umaid Bhawan Palace 

Umaid Bhawan Palace was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh in 1929 to counter a famine which had hit the state at the time. It was also known as the Chittar Palace while being constructed thanks to the use of stones drawn from the Chittar hill. The palace was designed by HV Lanchester, a renowned British architect, and was completed in 16 years. Built with sandstone and marble, the architecture of the palace is described as a blend of lndo-Saracenic, Classical Revival and Western Art Deco styles. It is recognised as one of the largest private homes in the world and also one of the more spectacular buildings. It is the only palace built in the 20th century.

Guda Bishnoi Village

Guda, a Bishnoi village, is home to a vivid range of exotic wildlife and nature. It is a habitat for thousands of migratory birds in the area. One can often catch the Demoiselle crane frolicking at the lake. Antelopes and black bucks can also be spotted by the pond. This place is a must-visit for nature lovers.

Balsamand Lake

Balsamand Lake is about 5 kilometres from Jodhpur on the Jodhpur-Mandore Road. Built in 1159 AD, it was planned as a water reservoir to cater to Mandore. The Balsamand Lake Palace was built on its shore later as a summer palace. It is surrounded by lush green gardens that house groves of trees such as mango, papaya, pomegranate, guava and plum. Animals and birds like the jackal and peacock also call this place home. This lake is now a popular picnic spot with tourists and locals.

Machiya Park

This park is situated on the way to Jaisalmer, about 1 kilometre from Kailana Lake. It offers a bird watching point for visitors and is also home to several animals such as deer, desert foxes, monitor lizards, blue bulls, hare, wild cats, mongoose, monkeys, etc. The park also offers spectacular views of sunset and should not be missed.

Mandore Garden

Towards the north of Jodhpur is the ancient capital of Marwar, Mandore. This area is of major historical importance and you will find the dewals or cenotaphs of Jodhpur’s former rulers. Unlike the original chhatri-shaped cenotaphs that are typical patterns of Rajasthan architecture, these are built along the lines of Hindu temples.

Baba Ram de Temple

Baba Ramdev Temple (also spelled Baba Ramdeo) is one of the most significant tourist and religious attractions of the city of Jodhpur. This temple is located on the route that commutes between Nagori and Jalori gates in Jodhpur. The temple is also known as the “Adhar Shila” and is situated on the top of a sandstone hill. It dates a long way back in the history of the place and has remained a potent attraction for millions of tourist coming to Jodhpur from various parts of the world.

In fact as opined by experts a tour of Jodhpur cannot be considered to be complete without a visit to this temple. This shrine is not only a famous place for religious beliefs but at the same time it is also a divine example of Hindu architecture. The temple is an epitome of duty and devotion. Local people of Jodhpur do associate various types of beliefs and also myths with this temple. There is also an air of the mystic and the mysterious added to it. This entrance of this temple has a certain shrine with inscriptions that states “Enter at your own risk” – which is enough to make the mind tingle.

Sidhnath

The Siddhanath Shiv Temple is located just between the Takhat Sagar hill ranges and is close to the beautiful Kaylana Lake. The stairs have been made by cutting up rocks and are the only suitable way to reach the top of the hill to the temple. According to local legends, the site where the temple has been built was absolutely deserted for many a years. A hermit named Veetragi Narain Swami came here looking for a peaceful place to meditate and started living here. The hermit came to be highly respected and worshipped by the local people of all nearby villages. After some time a handicapped saint by the name of Gaurishanker also came to reside at the spot. He was popularly known as Nepali Baba and though he only had 4 fingers in each of his hand, he still carved a temple out of stones that came to be known as the Siddhanath Mahadev Temple.

Ranchor Das Temple

One of the most visited temples in Jodhpur is the Raj Ranchhodji Temple which is dedicated to Lord Krishna whose another name is Ranchhod. The temple is made of red stone and has marvelous carvings on its walls. You will also notice beautiful filigree work on the stones which make up the temple. The idol of Lord Krishna is made of black marble stone. The entrance door of the temple is beautifully decorated with stained glass windows of various colours which include yellow, blue and green glass windows. This is an exceptional feature of the temple which makes it even more attractive to the visitors. The splendid glory of this famous temple attracts tourists from far and wide. This holy shrine is an exquisite example of the fine work of art done by the artisans of the bygone era which depicts about the talent we had in our nation in those times.

Masuriya Hill 

Masuria garden is one of the three most beautiful and famous gardens of Rajasthan. Located on top of the Masuria hill in the middle of Jodhpur, it is popular among devotees because of the centuries-old temple dedicated to a local deity, Baba Ramdev. There is a restaurant located here which offers a stunning panoramic view of the city.

Clock Tower 

Ghanta Ghar, also known as the clock tower of Rajasthan, is situated in one of the busiest areas of Jodhpur, the Sadar Bazaar. It was constructed by Shri Sardar Singh Ji of Jodhpur. The Sadar Market is quite popular among tourists, who throng the streets to purchase Rajasthani textiles, clay figurines, miniature camels and elephants, marble inlay work and classic silver jewellery.

Conclusion 

Jodhpur is the main tourist center of Rajasthan. With many places like Maharangard fort, Umaid Bhawan , it has been successful in attracting the visitors from national and international level. The only reason is the architecture, havelis, hilly fort, destination weddings, culture and food. Hope so that Jodhpur will always maintain its place in the most visited cities of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Udaipur.