The old city…

The old city of Jodhpur makes for a delightful afternoon stroll.  It’s much less congested than that of Jaipur, and man of the facades in the city are painted in my favorite colour of all – blue.

It is unclear why Jodhpur is known as the “Blue City”, and why so many facades in the city are painted blue. Some say it’s the colour most associated with the Brahmins, and so blueness denotes a kind of holiness. Some say its to keep the heat out.

In any case, a quick stroll through the city will reveal that blue isn’t the only colour here, and that the city is a riot of colours under the clear blue sky.  To the west, watching over it, is the imposing form of the Mehrangarh Fort.

Entrance gate to Sardar Market, named after Maharaja Sardar Singh.

The Ghanta Ghar (or Clocktower), built by Maharaja Sardar Singh. 

Ghanta Ghar and the Mehrangarh Fort.

Haveli in the Old City.

Old City facades…

Havelis in the Old City.

Peacock-arched gateway to a quiet courtyard.

Colour in the Old City.

Havelis in the Old City.

Old City facades.

Turning a corner.

Old City facades.

Arches and doorways.

City in blue.

Havelis in the Old City.

Pigeons in the old town

Sardar Government Museum, in the colonial quarter.

The Jodhpur High Court, in an Indo-Saracenic style.

Old City…Blue City…