Skip to main content

Blue city wonders - Jodhpur - II

After a delightful experience at the Mehrangarh fort, we then moved towards Jaswant Thada, which is just about a kilometer away.

Jaswant Thada:
Jaswant Thada is another wondrous monument. It is basically a royal cenotaph built in commemoration of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II during 19th century. The memorial is entirely built with white marble and is intricately carved, watch-out for the beautiful marble jali work on the cenotaph.
Jaswant Thada
Jaswant Thada
Intricately carved marble jali window
Intricately carved marble jali window
Cenotaphs built around Jaswant Thada in white marble stone
Cenotaphs built around Jaswant Thada in white marble stone
Spectacular views of Mehrangarh fort from Jaswant Thada
Spectacular views of Mehrangarh fort from Jaswant Thada

Umaid Bhavan Palace:
Our last attraction in Jodhpur was the Umaid Bhavan Palace built by Maharaja Umaid Singh between 1929-43. The place is standing on top of the Chittar hill, and is built with golden-yellow sandstone, makrana marble and Burmese teak.
Umaid Bhavan Palace
Umaid Bhavan Palace
It was one of the largest private residences in the world with 347 rooms, before it was segmented into the Royal residence, the Heritage Hotel and the Museum. The royal family of Jodhpur still lives in the royal residence. The hotel was recently awarded as the World’s best hotel at the Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Award. The museum of Umaid Bhavan Palace houses one of the finest collections of the royal family including the collection of antique clocks and the classic cars.
Inside one of the courtyards of Umaid Bhavan Palace
Inside one of the courtyards of Umaid Bhavan Palace
Painting Inside Umaid Bhavan Palace depicting a Rajput War (probably with the Mughals) with the Mehrangarh fort in the backdrop
Painting Inside Umaid Bhavan Palace depicting a Rajput War (probably with the Mughals) with the Mehrangarh fort in the backdrop
The view of the sunset from the Chittar hill was amazing, a perfect place to end our Jodhpur journey.
Sunset as seen from the Chittar hill
Sunset as seen from the Chittar hill
Apart from these wonders, Jodhpur also offers a few less popular attractions, the elegant Ghanta Ghar and the step well near the fort.
Step well near the fort
Step well near the fort
Ghanta Ghar
Ghanta Ghar


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sky Islands to the Pacific shores - Part 1: The Sky Islands of Southeastern Arizona

In August 2026, I crossed the Atlantic to chase a long-cherished dream, stepping into the vast, untamed birding horizons of the American Wild West. Across a sweeping route through Arizona, Texas, Utah, and California, I logged 108 total species -  the vast majority of them absolute lifers for me! While the landscapes were vast and the wildlife was extraordinary, what truly made the Arizona portion of the trip unforgettable was the incredible warmth of the local birding community. At almost every trail, feeding station, and wetland, I met welcoming, friendly locals who were quick to share site tips, point out hidden roosts, and make a first-time visitor feel right at home. While North America’s diverse habitats delivered endless surprises, it was Arizona's high-desert canyons, towering rims, and lush riparian corridors that anchored the trip. Here is a location-by-location breakdown of the top birding hotspots, standout avian highlights, and unexpected wildlife encounters from the A...

Sky Islands to the Pacific Shores – Part 2: Desert Valleys, Urban Wetlands & The Grand Canyon

If you missed Part 1: The Sky Islands of Southeastern Arizona , we explored the cool, high-elevation pine-oak Canyons of Madera, Montosa, Ramsey, Ash, and Carr, tracking hummingbird diversity and vibrant montane species across the legendary Sky Island ranges. Leaving the high, pine-scented peaks of the Sky Islands behind, the journey transitions into the sprawling lowlands and desert basins of Arizona. This second leg follows a dramatic ecological gradient—from open desert waters and lush suburban wetland oases into the iconic giant Saguaro forests of the Sonoran Desert, before ascending the Colorado Plateau to the high-elevation pine rims of the Grand Canyon. 3. Canoa Ranch Conservation Park Nestled in the Santa Cruz River Valley, Historic Canoa Ranch combines rich Southwestern heritage with wide-open water and vast desert horizons. Spending the late afternoon here delivered a bustling wildlife spectacle right up until dusk. Active hunters like the Belted Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, Ver...

Seabird photography adventure on the Isle of May

Seabird Photography Adventure on the Isle of May – July 2025 Tucked off the east coast of Scotland, the Isle of May National Nature Reserve is a dream for wildlife and photography enthusiasts alike - especially during seabird breeding season. My trip in early July 2025 turned out to be more thrilling and rewarding than I had imagined, thanks to an unexpected boat change, incredible wildlife encounters, and a few lucky early moments of solitude with the stars of the island— the Puffins . A puffin staring right at the lens, proud of its catch. Getting There: A Wild Ride on the North Sea Originally, I had booked a standard boat tour with BlueWild from Dunbar harbour, but due to a last-minute issue with the vessel the night before, our journey was downgraded - well, depending on how you look at it - to a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) . What followed was a wild, wind-whipped ride across the North Sea , bouncing over waves with little warning. Thankfully, our guide kindly offered me a spar...

Birding in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a coastline of over 451 km, wide open to the north sea. Much of its land has been reclaimed from the sea and is below sea level, not surprisingly its coastal wetlands make up some of the best birding hotspots, apart from the inland nature reserves. Close to 500 bird species are recorded in the country, much of them are waders and water birds due to its geography. As a non-resident birdwatcher it was not an easy task to locate the right bird watching spots, whilst ebird helped considerably, the rest was on me to explore the Dutch lands. Nevertheless, the country is much safer to explore and the good facilities such as birding hides at the right places, easy access to most reserves makes it a birder friendly country. I have explored two of the birding hotspots, the Texel Island and Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve. Apart from these, I found bird watching and bird photography can be interesting in the neighborhood city parks and also tourist places such as Zaans...

Chennakeshava temple of Belur- Exteriors

Chennakeshava temple of Belur: Some facts about the Chennakeshava Temple: Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana defeated the Cholas at Talakad & to commemorate this great event built many temples in 1117 A.D., of which Chennakeshava temple at Belur is the most important & beautiful , dedicated to Keshava one of the 24 forms of Vishnu. Although the temple was completed by Narasimha, it took over 103 years to finish the structure. Though the legends assign this temple to have been built by Jakanachari, as per the inscriptions the master builders of this temple are Dasoja and his son Chavana, other sculptors include Chikka-Hampa, Malliyana, Padari Malloja, Masada and Nagoja who bestowed their best in creating this masterpiece. Chennakeshava Temple, Belur Back to the travelogue: Most important aspect of these Belur Halebeedu temples is that Chennakeshava temple is famous for beautiful and intricate interiors and Hoysaleshwara temple is famous for the magnificent sculpture...