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Mehrangarh Fort often called the "Citadel of the Sun."

Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur, India

Posted on August 6, 2020August 10, 2020 by Mark And Chuck's Adventures

 

After arriving in Jodhpur and a brief visit at Jaswant Thada we made our way up to the incredible Mehrangarh Fort.

 

Mehrangarh Fort: P.B # 165, The Fort, Jodhpur 342006, Rajasthan, India

Costs:

International Visitor Rs. 600 (about $8.00 US)

International Visitor Students Rate) Rs. 400 (about $5.35 US)

Audio Guide Rs. 180 (about $2.40 US)

The cost of admission, including the audio guide, was part of our tour package, and we HIGHLY recommend the audio tour. It was informative and easy to operate.

 

Mehrangarh Fort was built in 1459, mainly of red sandstone. It is often called the “Citadel of the Sun.” It is one of the most impressive forts in Rajasthan and one of India’s best-preserved forts.

 

view of the Mehrangarh Fort from Jaswant Thada
Mehrangarh Fort from Jaswant Thada

Incredible Safety Precautions

As previously mentioned, hotels and attractions were taking incredible precautions against COVID checking temperatures and providing hand sanitizer with many people wearing masks.

As we entered the fort, we, as foreign travelers, were separated, our temperatures take, our personal and travel information logged into a huge (old school) journal, and we had our hand stamped.

Quickly we learned that it was not just for us as residents of India were shifted off to another area and went through the same screening process.

Exploring the Museum

The Museum consists of seven period rooms and six galleries showcasing paintings, textiles, and arms. We could have sent most of our time wandering the courtyards and enjoying the intricate carved screens and architecture and be happy.

 

red sandstone walls of the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur India
Interior courtyard of the fort
Mehrangarh Fort Jodhpur India - carved red sandstone walls
Three floors of carved red sandstone
carved screens of the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur India
Carved screens

 

Of the period rooms, Sheesh Mahal or Palace of Mirrors was probably our favorite. It was once a part of the private apartment of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar (r. 1707-1724).

Beyond the incredible ornate mirrors, above each of the arched doorways are painted gesso panels depicting gods and goddesses such as Brahma, Shiv- Parvati, Devi and Ganesh on their thrones.

 

Sheesh Mahal - Hall of Mirrors - Mehrangarh Fort - Jodhpur
Sheesh Mahal or Hall of Mirrors
Sheesh Mahal - Hall of Mirrors - Mehrangarh Fort - Jodhpur - India
Sheesh Mahal doorway
Sheesh Mahal - Hall of Mirrors - Hand painted murals - Mehrangarh Fort - Jodhpur - India
Beautifully detailed murals

 

The gallery with the howdahs (or elephant seats) and palanquins (or litters) were a favorite as they were both amazingly ornate and functional.

 

silver elephant seat - howdah -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Ornate silver elephant seat
hand carved palanquin - - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Carved palanquin
howdah - elephant seat - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Silver elephant sea
Palanquin - hand carried litter - gold palanquin - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Gold palanquin
palanquin - hand carried litter - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Hand-painted gold palanquin

 

The other fascinating displays were a collection of cradles; they were carved and painted. They also had a spectacular array of Bidriware, an important metal ware as it symbolizes wealth. It is created with a blackened alloy of zinc and copper inlaid with sheets of pure silver.

 

hand carved cradle - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Handcarved statues surrounding a cradle
cradle - hand carved cradle - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Decorative cradle
bidriware - Indian silver - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Bidriware

 

They also had a display of hookahs and this interesting looking older man.

 

hookah - smoking a hookah - old man smoking a hookah - Rajasthani man smoking a hookah - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Old man smoking a hookah

 

The Phool Mahal or Flower Palace was a beautiful, ornate hall that was a place of pleasure where female dancers probably stayed. The gold filigree work that filled the room was spectacular.

 

Phool Mahal - Flower Palace - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Phool Mahal
gold - gold filigree - Phool Mahal - Flower Palace - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Ornate gold filigree

 

This space was thought to be the private apartment of Takhat Singh. The walls, ceiling, and floors are all hand-painted, even the windows are accented with colored glass.

 

Takhat Singh's apartment - hand painted apartment - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Takhat Singh’s apartment

 

Another feature we have been impressed with, pretty much across India, were the doors. Some of the layerings were for fortification, but we just found them to be so beautifully ornate.

 

door- ornate metal door - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Decorative layered metal door
door- decorative door - ornate doors - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Decorative door details
doors- decorated doors - -Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur – Rajasthan – India – India travel blog – traveling in India
Ornate doors

 

Unfortunately, our tour package only allowed for one day in Jodhpur. This is one of the most amazing forts we visited, and we would have loved more time to explore the fort and the surrounding city.

Be sure to check out their Instagram page for new visitor experiences coming post-COVID!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mehrangarh Museum Trust (@mehrangarh)

 

 

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3 thoughts on “Mehrangarh Fort – Jodhpur, India”

  1. Kathryn says:
    August 6, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    Terrific pictures! Makes me long to return. Beautiful and fascinating city. So glad you were able to enjoy for a day.

    Reply
    1. Mark And Chuck's Adventures says:
      August 6, 2020 at 2:40 pm

      Thanks so much… we wish we had more time in Jodhpur, it was pretty fantastic!

      Reply
  2. Soham says:
    August 7, 2020 at 1:07 am

    Visited The Royal land in Last November, Loved the place… I wish I had some more time to spend in this amazing land. By the way… Amazing blogs.

    Reply

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