Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Travel tips - Jodhpur, a city with great Rajputana history

Jodhpur (Hindi: जोधपुर) (
 About this sound Listen ) is the largest city in theIndian state of Rajasthan. After its population crossed a million, it has been declared as the second "Metropolitan City" of Rajasthan. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar. Jodhpur is a popular touristdestination, featuring many palaces,forts and temples, set in the stark landscape of the Thar Desert.
Quick facts: Jodhpur जोधपुर, Country ...
The city is known as the "Sun City" for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all the year round. It is also referred to as the "Blue City" due to the vivid blue-painted houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. The old city circles the fort and is bounded by a wall with several gates.[3]However, the city has expanded greatly outside the wall over the past several decades. Jodhpur lies near the geographic centre of Rajasthan state, which makes it a convenient base for travel in a region much frequented by tourists.
Jodhpur topped Lonely Planet's list of most extraordinary places to stay in 2014.[4] An upcoming Tamil movie, I, which is the costliest Indian film to date, was also shot at Jodhpur.[5]

History

Jodhpur Panorama, seen from the Mehrangarh Fort.
According to Rajasthan district Gazetteers of Jodhpur and the Hindu epic Ramayana (composed up to the 4th century AD), Abhiras (Ahirs) were the original inhabitants of Jodhpur and laterAryans spread to this region.[6][7]
Jodhpur was also part of the Gurjara–Pratihara Empire and until 1100 CE was ruled by a powerful Gurjar King. Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, aRajput chief of the Rathore clan. Jodha succeeded in conquering the surrounding territory and thus founded a state which came to be known asMarwar. As Jodha hailed from the nearby town of Mandore, that town initially served as the capital of this state; however, Jodhpur soon took over that role, even during the lifetime of Jodha. The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat. This enabled it to profit from a flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk,sandals, date palms and coffee.
Hemu
In between 1540 to 1556, Afghans were in control of most of North India.Rajasthan born Hemu who started his career as a supplier of various types of merchandise to Sher Shah Suri empire, held various positions in capital Delhi as 'Incharge of Food Affairs', 'Minister of Internal Security', 'Prime Minister-cum-Chief of Army' with Islam Shah Suri and Adil Shah, who ruled north India fromPunjab to Bengal at that point in time. Hemu, who took as the military commander of Afghan army in 1553, crushed the first rebellion, killing the Governor of Ajmer province Juneid Khan and appointed his own Governor inRajasthan. Hem Chandra won several battles (22) throughout North India against Afghan rebels and twice againstAkbar at Agra and Delhi, before his coronation at Purana Quila in Delhi on 7 October 1556 as a 'Vikramaditya' king. Hemu lost his life in the Second Battle of Panipat on 5 November 1556, and the area came under Mughal king Akbar.
Early in its history, the state became afief under the Mughal Empire, owingfealty to them while enjoying some internal autonomy. During this period, the state furnished the Mughals with several notable generals such asMaharaja Jaswant Singh. Jodhpur and its people benefited from this exposure to the wider world: new styles of art andarchitecture made their appearance and opportunities opened up for local tradesmen to make their mark across northern India.
View of the Rajasthan High Court, Sardar Museum in Umaid Park and upper right is Jodhpur fort in 1960.
Aurangzeb briefly sequestrated the state (c.1679) on the pretext of a minority, but the rightful ruler Maharaja Ajit Singh was restored to the throne by VeerDurgadas Rathore after Aurangzeb died in 1707 and a great struggle of 30 years. The Mughal empire declined gradually after 1707, but the Jodhpur court was beset by intrigue; rather than benefiting from circumstances, Marwar descended into strife and invited the intervention of the Marathas, who soon supplanted the Mughals as overlords of the region. This did not make for stability or peace, however; 50 years of wars and treatiesdissipated the wealth of the state, which sought and gratefully entered intosubsidiary alliance with the British in 1818.
Street Scene of Jodhpur in 1906
During the British Raj, the state of Jodhpur had the largest land area of any in Rajputana. Jodhpur prospered under the peace and stability that were a hallmark of this era. The land area of the state was 23,543 sq mi (60,980 km2) its population in 1901 was 44,73,759. It enjoyed an estimated revenue of£35,29,000/. Its merchants, theMarwaris, flourished without let or limit and came to occupy a position of dominance in trade across India. In 1947, when India became independent, the state merged into the union of Indiaand Jodhpur became the second city of Rajasthan.
At the time of partition, ruler of Jodhpur Hanwant Singh did not want to join India, but finally due to the effective persuasion of Sardar Vallab Patel, the then Home Minister at the centre, the princely state of Jodhpur was included in Indian Republic. Later after State Reorganization Act, 1956 it was made part of the state of Rajasthan.Jodhpur.
The Blue City of Jodphur at dusk
Panorama of Jodhpur from 2010-10-15
Panorama view of Jodhpur, with the Mehrangarh Fort to the right, and the city centre below
Panorama of Jodhpur from 2011-09-27

Demographics

As per provisional reports of CensusIndia,[8] population of Jodhpur is 1,033,918 in 2011; of which male and female nearly constitute 52.62 percent and 47.38 percent respectively. Average literacy rate of Jodhpur city is 81.56 percent of which male and female literacy was 88.42 and 73.93 percent respectively. Total children under 6 years of age constitute nearly 12.24 percent of city population. Jodhpur city is governed by Municipal Corporation which comes under Jodhpur Urban Agglomeration. The Jodhpur Urban/Metropolitan area include Jodhpur, Kuri Bhagtasani, Mandore Industrial Area, Nandri, Pal Village and Sangariya. Its Urban/Metropolitan population is 1,137,815 of which 599,332 are males and 538,483 are females,On the date: 01/07/2014 the record of citypopulation.de website shows Jodhpur city is having Population of 1,270,000♦ Source:[9].
More information: Demographic distribution of religions in Jodhpur ...
Quick facts: Population Growth of Jodhpur City , Census ...
More information: Year, Population ...
♦ Source:[11] ♦ Source:[9]

Climate

The climate of Jodhpur is generally hot and semi-arid, but with a rainy season from late June to September (KöppenBShw). Although the average rainfall is around 450 millimetres (18 in), it is extraordinarily variable. In the famineyear of 1899, Jodhpur received only 24 millimetres (0.94 in), but in the flood year 1917 it received as much as 1,178 millimetres (46.4 in).
Temperatures are extreme throughout the period from March to October, except when monsoonal rain produces thick clouds to lower it slightly. In the months of April, May and June, high temperatures routinely exceed 40 degrees Celsius. During the monsoon season, average temperatures decrease slightly. However, the city's generally low humidity rises and this adds to the normal discomfort from the heat. Phalodi, near Jodhpur, is the driest place of the district as well as in the state.
More information: Climate data for Jodhpur, Month ...

Economy

Industrial plant near Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
The Handicrafts industry has in recent years eclipsed all other industries in the city. By some estimates, the furniture export segment is a $200 million industry, directly or indirectly employing as many as 200,000 people. Other items manufactured include textiles, metal utensils, bicycles, ink and sporting goods. A flourishing cottage industry exists for the manufacture of such items as glass bangles, cutlery, carpets and marble products.
After handicrafts, tourism is the second largest industry of Jodhpur. Crops grown in the district include wheat and the famous Mathania red chillies.Gypsum and salt are mined. The city serves as an important marketplace for wool and agricultural products. TheIndian Air Force, Indian Army, Indo Tibetan Border Police and Border Security Force maintain training centres in Jodhpur.
The administration of Jodhpur consists of a District Collector, followed by 4 Additional District Magistrates (I, II, Land Conversion and City ADM). Presently, the Collector and District Magistrate is Dr. Preetam B. Yashwant (IAS). The city is also under Police Commissioner system, with Mr. Ashok Rathore (IPS) as Police Commissioner of the city.
The upcoming 9 MMTPA Refinery andPetrochemical complex to be set up byHindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in Pachpadra, Barmerwill transform the industrial scene of the city drastically. Pachpadra lies just 60 kilometres from the industrial area of Boranada in Jodhpur. Around 120 by-products that are produced by the refinery are going to provide opportunities for new industries to be set up in and around Jodhpur.
India's most ambitious industrial development project, the over USD 100 dollars Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project is also going to impact industry in Jodhpur. Marwar Junction which is located about 100 kilometres from Jodhpur will be one of the nine freight loading points along the DMIC route. Jodhpur and Pali districts fall under the region that is going to be developed as a manufacturing hub for the DMIC.

Elected representatives

The present Member of Parliament from Jodhpur is Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of BJP.The current MLAs from the 3 constituencies of Jodhpur are from Jodhpur City: Shri Kailash Bhansali, Chartered Accountant; from Sardarpura: Shri Ashok Gehlot, Ex-Chief Minister of Rajasthan; from Soorsagar: Smt. Suryakanta Vyas.

Strategic location

Jodhpur is the most important city of western Rajasthan and lies about 250 kilometres from the border withPakistan. This location makes it an important base for the Indian army,Indian Air Force and Border Security Force (BSF). Jodhpur's air base is Asia's largest and one of the most critical and strategically located (Jodhpur Airport played the crucial role during Indo-Pakistan wars in 1965 &1971) airbases of the IAF deployed with fighter jetsSukhoi Su-30MKI and Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv.

Culture

The city is famous for its food and its popularity can be judged from the fact that one can find sweet shops named 'Jodhpur Sweets' in many cities throughout India. Being at the onshore of Thar desert, life has been influenced with ways of the desert folks( gypsies can be found in many parts of the city).

Tourism

Jodhpur's attractions includeMehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jaswant Thada, Ghanta Ghar(Clock Tower) and Flying Fox [Mehrangarh Fort]. Tourists can make excursions to Mandore, Kaylana Lake and Garden, Balsamand Lake, Mandaleshwar Mahadev Temple(Mandalnath), Ratanada Ganesh Temple, Sardar Samand Lake and Palace, Masooria Hills, Veer Durgadas Smarak (monument, park and museum), Bhim Bhirak Cave.
The beautiful historic buildings and scenic landscapes of the city were featured in some major films, including (The Dark Knight Rises directed byChristopher Nolan, and The Fall directed by Tarsem Singh), Hum Sath Sath Hain, Veer, and Shuddh Desi Romance.[13]More recently, there have been many high profile celebrations in the city including many celebrity weddings. This has given an impetus to a nascent lavish wedding industry and also increased tourism..
Mehrangarh Fort
The Jaswant Thada mausoleum
Umaid Bhavan Palace
Ghanta Ghar(Clock Tower)
The city is embedded with majestic monuments from those built in early days to recent ones in the 20th century

Places of recreation

With ever expanding city, places of recreation are also increasing in number, albeit not so fast. Some of the places worth mentioning are:
  • Mandore Gardens
  • Kaylana Lake
  • Shastri Circle
  • Masuria Hill Garden
  • Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
  • Science Park
  • Ummed Garden
  • Chokelav Baag
Mandore Gardens
Kaylana Lake
Shastri Circle
Science Park
Places of recreation in the city
Some of the upcoming attractions are:
  • Akshardham temple
  • Iskcon temple
  • Machiya Safari Park
  • Science City

Sports

Barkatullah Khan Stadium. Jodhpur
Jodhpur has two outdoor stadiums and one indoor stadium complex.Barkatullah Khan Stadium has hosted two cricket ODIs.

Fairs and festivals

A glimpse of Rajasthan folk dances.
Folk dance of Rajasthan.
  • Marwar Festival
  • Gangaur
  • Baithmaar Gangaur Mela
  • Teej
  • Nag Panchmi Fair
  • Sheetla Mata Fair
  • Baba Ramdev Pir Mela

Temples

  • Chamunda Mata Temple (nearbyMehrangarh Fort)
  • Raj Ranchhodji Temple
  • Achal Nath Shivalaya
  • Siddhanth Shiv Temple
  • Rasik Bihari Temple
  • Ganesh Temple
  • Baba Ramdeo Temple, Masuria hill, Jodhpur
  • Shiv Temple, Shiv Sagar, Mata ka than, Jodhpur
  • Udai Mandir in city area
  • Kunj Bihari Temple
  • Dauji Temple, Hathi Ram ka Oda, Jodhpur
  • Hanuman Temple, Maghraj Ji ka Taka, Mandore

Cuisine

Rajasthani Thali
A number of Indian delicacies have originated in Jodhpur. To name a few, the Makhaniya Lassi, Mawa Ki Kachori,Pyaaj Ki Kachori, Hot & Spicy Mirchi Bada (A preparation made with potato, onion, chilli and gramflour), Dal Bati Churma (dal is lentils; bati is baked wheat ball; and churma is powdered sweetened cereal), Lasan Ki Chutney (hot fiery garlic chutney), Mirchi Ka Kutaa (hot recipe of crushed green chilies), Gatte Ki Sabzi (A delicacy made up of gramflour balls, curd and spices), Ker Sangri Sabzi (also known as Pachkutaa - the five ingredients of Pachkutaa are sangri, ker, kumatiya, dried goonda and dried red chillies), Raab (pearl millet flour and yoghurt curry), Lapsi (a special kind of dessert made with cracked wheat, Jaggery, coconut and ghee), Aate Ka Halwa (wheat flour dessert), Kachara Mircha Sabzi (made with chilli and Kachara, a special type of vegetable grown in desert area) and Kadhi Pakoda (recipe made with gramflour, curd and chilli) with Baajre Ka Sogra (a thick flat and round bread of pearl millet). Jodhpur is known for its sweets ranging from traditional "Makhanbada", "Mawa Ki Kachori", "Malpua", "Ghevar", "Motichur Ke Laddu", "Besan barfi", "Thorr" and "Gulab Jamun" to Bengali "Rasgulla" and "Ras Malai" prepared by a traditional house "Jodhpur Sweets".

Education and research

Main article: List of universities and higher education colleges in Jodhpur
FDDI Jodhpur
National Law University Jodhpur
Jodhpur National University
Sardar Patel University of police security and criminal justice, Jodhpur
Jodhpur is fast becoming a major education hub for higher studies in India. Almost every major discipline has a dedicated institution in the city, with disciplines varying from Engineering, Medicine, Law, Design among others. With many renowned academicians, Jodhpur is also India's largest hub for preparation of the CA(Chartered Accountant) entrance examination held throughout India by ICAI( The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India).
Major institutions are:
Other proposed Universities in Jodhpur are:
  • Agriculture University
  • Urdu University
  • Petroleum University (Not officially declared, but most likely to be set up in the city)
Some other institutions of significance are:

Research

Major research institutes and organizations have been established in the city for promoting research in various fields, include:
  • Arid Forest Research Institute - it is one of the institutes of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education ( ICFRE ) working under the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India for carrying out scientific research in forestry in order to provide technologies to increase the vegetative cover and to conserve the biodiversity in the hot arid and semi arid region of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Dadara & Nagar Haveli union territory. The Institute Campus covers 66 hectares of area on the New Pali Road, Jodhpur.
  • Central Arid Zone Research Institute(CAZRI)- a premier Organisation of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
  • Desert Medicine Research Centre(DMRC) - it is one of the 33 permanent institutes of Indian Council of Medical Research which is an autonomous body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of bio-medical research in the country.
  • Desert Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India (DRC-ZSI) - the regional arm of the only taxonomic organization in the country involved in the study of all kinds of animals to promote survey, exploration and research leading to the advancement in the knowledge of the various aspects of the exceptionally rich animal life.
  • Botanical Survey of India (BSI) - the nodal research organisation under Ministry of Environment and Forests for research, exploration and survey of the plant life of India.
  • Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) - an organisation working under the Department of Defence Research and Development of Ministry of Defence, for design & development leading to production of world class weapon systems and equipment.
  • Regional Remote Sensing Centre (RRSC, ISRO) - one of the five centres established under National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) by Department of Space for carrying out various remote sensing tasks at regional as well as national level.
  • MBM Engineering College - Research in Master and Ph.D. programme in various branch of engineering is done by highly experienced faculties of this college. In civil and chemical engineering various national and state project is being performed by this college.
DMRC Jodhpur
CAZRI Jodhpur
AFRI Jodhpur
BSI Jodhpur
Some of the major research institutions located in Jodhpur

Judiciary

New Building complex of the Rajasthan High Court under construction
Rajasthan High Court is the High Court of the state of Rajasthan. It was established on 21 June 1949 under the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949.
The seat of the court is at Jodhpur. The court has a sanctioned judge strength of 40. View of the Rajasthan High Court, Sardar museum in Umaid Park and upper right is Jodhpur fort in 1960.
The High Court of Rajasthan was founded in 1949 at Jodhpur, and was inaugurated by the Rajpramukh, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh on 29 August 1949. The first Chief Justice was Kamala Kant Verma and the current Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court is Mr. Justice Amitava Roy. A bench was formed at Jaipur which was dissolved in 1958 and was again formed on 31 January 1977. Currently the sanctioned strength of the judges is 40 and actual. Mahaveer Singh Amrawat Advocate

Civic administration

More information: Jodhpur City officials ...
The city is administered by the Jodhpur Nagar Nigam headed by a Mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 65 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Municipal corporation has 65 elected members known as councilors (ward members; parshad in Hindi) representing their respective wards (65 geographical units of the city). The ward members are elected by direct voting by ward-wise electorate for a period of 5 years. In addition to these 65 directly elected members the corporation has 4 Ex-officio members (1 member of parliament, 3 members of legislative assembly namely Sardarpura, Soorsagar, City) and 3 Nominated Members.

Hospitals

The major hospitals in city are:-
  • Rajasthan Hospital and Research Centre
  • All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur
  • Mathura Das Mathur Hospital
  • Mahatma Gandhi Hospital
  • Umaid Hospital
  • Vasundhara Hospital & Fertility Research Centre (A Unit of Vasundhara Hospital Ltd.)
  • Jodhpur Hospital & Research Centre P Ltd
  • Jodhpur Medical Research Centre Trust
  • Goyal Hospital
  • Asha Hospital
  • Kamla Nagar Hospital
  • Daukiya hospital
  • Rajdadiji Hospital
  • Manidhari Hospital
  • Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital
  • Rajasthan Cancer Cure Hospital
  • Navjeevan Hospital
  • Vasan Eye Care Hospital
  • Sharma Dental Care
  • Kamla Nehru TB & Chest Hospital
  • Satyam Hospital & Research Centre
  • Lok Sewa Hospital and Medical Research Centre
  • Shri Ram Hospital

Transportation

The city has well established rail, road and air networks connecting it to other major cities of the country.

Railways

Jodhpur railway station
Night view of the railway station
Jodhpur railway station is the divisional headquarters of the North Western Railways (NWR). It is well connected with railways to major Indian cities likeAlwar, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,Bangalore, Trivandrum, Pune, Kota,Kanpur, Bareilly, Hyderabad,Ahmedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Dhanbad,Guwahati, Nagpur, Lucknow, Gwalior,Jaipur etc. To decongest the main Jodhpur station (JU), the suburban station Bhagat ki Kothi (BGKT) is being developed as the second main station for passenger trains. At present 106 trains serves to both the stations. Some of the important trains originating from Jodhpur railway station are-Ranthambore Express (Jodhpur to Indore), Mandore Express (Jodhpur to Delhi), Suryanagri Express (Jodhpur to Mumbai), Marudhar Express (Jodhpur to Lucknow), Howrah Superfast (From Jodhpur to Howrah) etc.
For further train running information, timings, halts etc. visit the official website of Indian Railways
Luxury train service- For experiencing the true magnificence and royal opulence of Rajasthan, luxury trainsPalace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels are run jointly by RTDC andIndian railways. Jodhpur is one of the destinations of both of the trains. Recently a plan to start metro train service in jodhpur was proposed to decongest the city traffic.however the proposal is still pending with state government for its approval.
Suburban stations around Jodhpur
More information: No., Suburban Station Name[15] ...

Air

Jodhpur Airport
Jodhpur Airport is one of the prominent airports of Rajasthan. The airport is due for being transformed into an international airport. The work on which is going to start very soon. At present, there are daily flights from Delhi Mumbaiand banglore to the city operated by Air India and Jet Airways.

Road

Jodhpur is connected by road to all major cities in Rajasthan and neighbouring states like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Ujjain, Agra etc. Apart from deluxe and express bus services to cities within the state, Rajasthan Roadways provides Volvo & Mercedes Benz bus service to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer (click here for time table and reservations). Recently, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) is launched in the city with low floor and semi low floor buses plying on major routes. Jodhpur is connected to the National Highway network with three National Highways and to the Rajasthan State Highway network with ten state highways. National Highways passing through Jodhpur:
  • NH-62, Ambala-Kaithal-Hissar-Fatehpur-Jodhpur-Pali, total length= 690 km
  • NH-112, Junction with NH-14 near Bar connecting Jaitaran-Bilara-Kaparda-Jodhpur-KalyanpurPachpadra-Baloootra-Tilwara-Kher-BagundiDhudhwa-madhasar-Kawas and terminating at its junction with NH 15 near Barmer, total length= 343 km
  • NH-114, Junction with NH-65 near Jodhpur connecting Balesar - Dechhu and terminating at its junction with NH-15 near Pokaran, total length= 180 km
State Highways passing thorugh Jodhpur:
  • SH-19, Phalodi (NH 15) to Needar via Ahu, Chadi, Pachudi, Nagaur, Tarneu, Khatu Kalan, Khatu khurd, Toshina, Kuchaman City, Bhuni, Maroth, Deoli Minda, Renwal Crossing, Kaladera, total length= 368 km
  • SH-21, Dantiweara to Merta City via Pipar City, Borunda, total length= 97 km
  • SH-28, Phalodi (NH 15) to Ramji ki Gol via Deeechu, Shergarh, Pachpadra, Balotra, Sindri, Guda Malani.total length= 259 km
  • SH-58, Jodhpur to Bheem up to NH 8 via Vinakiya, Rajola Sojat, Rendiri, Bhaisana, Sojat Road, Kantalia, Baban. total length= 142 km
  • SH-61, Phalodi ( NH 15) to Mandal via Osian, Mathania, Jodhpur, Khejrali, Bhatenda, Saradasamand, Jadan, Marwar Junction, Auwa, Jojawar, Kamalighat, Devgarh, Rajaji ka kareda.total length=349 km
  • SH-62, Bilara to Pindwara via Sojat, Sireeyari, Jojawar, Bagol, Desuri, Sadri, Sewari.total length=187 km
  • SH-63, Banar to Kuchera via Bhopalgarh Asop.total length=129 km
  • SH-65, Sheo (NH 15) to Shergarh via Bhiyad, Barnawa Jagger, Patodi, Phalsoond.total length=155 km
  • SH-66, Siwana to Dhandhaniya (NH 114) via Samdari, Kalyanpur, Mandli Rodhawa Kalan.total length=90 km
  • SH-68, Dangiyawas (NH 112) to Balotra via Kakelao, Khejarli, Guda Kakani, Luni, Dhundhara, Rampura, Samdari.total length=131 km

FM stations

Jodhpur has total of four FM stations:
  • Big FM
  • My FM
  • Nav Vividh Bharti
  • Oye FM[16]


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