JODHPUR, “THE BLUE CITY”

Jodhpur, “The Blue City”

Wander down blue streets, past dreamy sky-blue alleyways, contrasted with striking red and orange saris, and discover the Jodhpur Blue City.

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JODHPUR

the blue city

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Why are Jodhpur’s homes blue? Why is Jodhpur called the Blue City?

Like Morocco’s Chefchaouen, there’s more than one reason why so many homes in Jodhpur are painted blue. Hundreds of years ago, building homes with limestone helped keep the heat away and adding natural blue color from indigo helped protect from sun rays and dusty desert winds.

The sky blue color also represents the gods Shiva and Vishnu, worshipped by the Brahmins. The Brahmins were members of the highest caste in India, and they painted their homes blue to differentiate themselves from other castes and also because its a sacred color since its the color of Shiva and Vishnu.

Even though India abolished the caste system in 1948 and the 1950 constitution further banned discrimination based on caste, some of Jodhpur’s “blue communities” are still only Brahmin. On the west side of Mehrangarh Fort where the oldest part of the city is, home owners have to be Brahmin in order to be permitted by the community to live there.

Today homes are painted blue with artificial paint colors, but when they were originally painted the smell of the natural indigo dye warded off mosquitos.

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JODHPUR

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Where do you find blue homes in Jodhpur?

“The Blue City” is divided into two sections separated by the Mehrangarh Fort, the city on the east side has newly painted blue walls promoted as an attraction for tourists, but the west side of Mehrangarh Fort is the oldest part of the city with blue-painted homes that have been a Brahmin community for hundreds of years.

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Is “The Blue City,” Jodhpur, worth visiting?

Absolutely yes! Jodhpur’s blue may not be as all-encompassing as Chefchaouen’s, but there are still plenty of beautiful homes that make it a blue-lover’s paradise. There are also plenty of attractions in Jodhpur that make it a must-visit destination in northern India like the Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada, and Umaid Bhawan Palace.

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How to Plan Your Trip to Jodhpur

Where to Stay in Jodhpur

Staying near the Clocktower Market and Toorji Ka Jhalra Bavdi stepwell will mean you’re in walking distance or a short tuk-tuk ride away from most of Jodhpur’s best things to do. For budget stays, Hotel Bawarri Haveli was great with a rooftop restaurant and less than 1km away from the Stepwell. There’s also Zostel right next to the Stepwell, if you want to stay at a hostel. For an even more unique experience, you can live like royalty at the Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel!

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How to Get to Jodhpur

The best way to visit Jodhpur is by train to Jodhpur station, but you can also take a bus, hire a private taxi, or fly in to Jodhpur Airport. The last two options will be the most expensive. You can book trains directly from the IRCTC website, or from 12Go.

How to Get Around Jodhpur

The best way to get around is by Uber, but Uber won’t always be available in the old sections in the city where cars aren’t able to go. If you stay near to the Toorji Ka Jhalra Bavdi stepwell, most attractions will always be within walking distance. Hiring a tuk-tuk from here to attractions like the Jaswant Thada and Mehrangarh Fort should cost 150 to 200 INR, but depends on your bargaining skills.

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 Where to Eat in Jodhpur

Shri Mishrilal Hotel – For creamy lassis with cardamom flavor, order a makhaniya lassi for 50 INR on the edge of the Clocktower Market.

Shahi Samosa Arora Namkeen – For delicious samosas, you have to try this shop just outside the Clocktower Market.

The Omelette Shop – Just outside the entrance to the Clocktower Market, you’ll find this hole-in-the-wall serving some of the best omelettes you’ll ever taste. Shyam, the owner, suggests ordering a for masala cheese omelette for 70 INR or an Ali Baba omelette for 100 INR.

Blue Bird – For traditional curries, biryanis, and Western foods, visit this rooftop restaurant with the highest restaurant viewpoint in Jodhpur.

Gypsy Vegetarian Restaurant – Must-try vegetarian thali with 31 dishes!

Safety in Jodhpur

Like the rest of India, unfortunately it’s still not advisable for women to walk alone at night or in secluded areas. For added safety, connect with other female travelers in the Girls Love Travel and Host a Sister Facebook groups.

Jodhpur is a fairly safe city, but watch out for pickpockets in markets and crowded areas. Most of the stray dogs you’ll find on the street are friendly, but some are aggressive and should be avoided if they show territorial behavior. There have been some incidents of stray dogs biting tourists, but not enough to mean you should be overly cautious.

Safety Tip:

Buy an Addalock, an added safety lock for your door, here! After having my hotel room broken into multiple times in India, I don’t travel without it.

Health in Jodhpur

Only drink filtered water, not tap. Avoid eating out at unpopular restaurants or street food stalls that are not vetted by other tourists. Avoid eating vegetables and fruits that are cut, not peeled. Brush your teeth with filtered water, not tap. If worse comes to worse, carry Imodium with you along with toilet paper and hand sanitizer, and enjoy India’s incredible food! To quote Anthony Bourdain, “Indian food won’t kill you.”
 
Malaria and dengue fever are still a risk in Rajasthan, so make sure to take anti-malaria tablets. In February 2019, Rajasthan had the highest number of dengue and malaria cases in all of India.

Travel Insurance for India

Whatever you do, don’t travel without travel insurance. Whether it’s sickness, theft, or lost luggage, something WILL go wrong, and travel insurance is your only way of lessening costs!

India Travel Essentials

Traveling comes with a unique set of challenges. To keep your journey happy, healthy, and safe, I recommend traveling with these:

Addalock (Don’t travel to India without this! It’s an added safety lock that works with any door).

Ear plugs and eye mask (For overnight train rides!)

Hand sanitiser and wet wipes (In India, these are a must.)

Reusable water bottle  (Save plastic by investing in a Grayl water purification bottle, which lets you fill up from any water source, anywhere in the world.)

Power bank (There’s not much worse than running out of phone battery and not being able to find your way home.)

International travel adapter (You’ll need at least one of these for all of your trips.)

For a full list of my travel recommendations, click here!

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