Explore the Sun City with Maharajas Express and Get Awed by the Colossal Elegance of Mehrangarh Fort

“Jodhpur, the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan, is also known as the Sun City for its pleasant sunny weather which could be experienced throughout the year. It was founded and named after a Rajput chief Rao Jodha of the Rathore Clan in the mid-15th century.Throughout its celebrated history, it remained the largest and one of the most progressive Rajput princely states under the Marwar kingdom.

Jodhpur is historically bifurcated into old city and new city. The old city has the gigantic Mehrangarh Fortat its heart and is beleaguered by a 10 kilometre high wall that has in total eight gates leading in & out of the city. The new city outside the wall has expanded at a rapid pace over the last few decades. Being near the geographical center of Rajasthan, it attracts tourists in huge numbers all year round.

Mehrangarh Fort is one of the largest and most visited forts in India. Rao Jodha within a year of his accession to the throne started the construction of this fort in 1459 A.D.It is located at the center of the old city on the top of the hill Bhaurcheeria at a height of 122 meters above the city. It is spread over 5 kilometres with walls as high as 36 meters securing this mammoth fort which was once the central point of the Rathore regime. It is connected to the city through a spiraled road stretching from the top of the hill to the center of the old city.

Rudyard Kipling, a famous English writer of the 19th-20thcentury, visited Mehrangarh Fort during the British Raj and delineated it as, a palace that might have been built by Titans and colored by the morning sun.In 2007, Time magazine honoured this fort with the title of The Best Fortress in Asia. Its grandeur, elegance and intriguing history has awed people over the centuries and made it a major tourist destination.

Though it was founded by Rao Jodha, Mehrangarh Fort went through many additions and changes throughout the following 17 generations of Rathore rulers to reach its present form. It has a wide assortment of magnificent palaces, temples, humongous courtyards, exquisitely painted & mirrored chambers, and the Mehrangarh museum that has the finest collection of palanquins, elephant howdahs, cradles, manuscripts, paintings, textiles, weapons, & decorative arts.

Some of the more popular palaces within this fort are Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesha Mahal (Mirror Palace), Sileh Khana, and Daulat Khana. These forts are now part of the Mehrangarh museum. Moti Mahal is the largest of all the palaces and acted as the seat of the Rathore kings. It still has the royal throne that was used by the various Jodhpur rulers. Phool Mahal is right next to the Moti Mahal and its spectacular wall paintings show the rare amalgamation of Rajput, Mughal, and European art styles.”