Mehrangarh Fort
Location
The Mehrangarh fort is situated 5 Km from the city of Jodhpur.
About Mehrangarh Fort
The foundation of the huge Mehrangarh fort was laid by Rao
Jodha in 1459. The construction was completed during the reign of
Jaswant Singh (1638-78). The giant Mehrangarh fort is one of the largest
forts in India. It stands on a 150 Mtr high hilltop and occupies over 5
sq km of area. The walls are as high as 36 Mtr and as wide as 21 mtr.
The fort was under the ownership of the Rajput rulers till Aurangzeb
defeated them and occupied the fort. Ajit Singh, son of Jaswant Singh,
later fought to win back the fort. The beauty and the grandeur of
numerous palaces in the fort narrates a saga of hard sandstones yielding
to the chisels of skilled Jodhpuri sculptures. To enter the Mehrangarh
fort, seven gates have to be crossed. The fort stands sentinel to the
city below, overlooks the rugged and rocky terrain and houses a palace
intricately adorned with long carved panels and latticed windows
exquisitely wrought from red sandstone.
Interiors of the Fort
The Mehrangarh Fort houses many small palaces, which are a must visit
for the tourists. These palaces are known for their sprawling courtyards
and intricate carvings. Some of the palaces in the fort are Moti Mahal,
Umaid Vilas, Ajit Vilas, Phool Mahal and Maan Vilas. Moti Mahal palace
houses the throne of Jodhpur, called Sringar Chowki. The Umaid Vilas has
the miniature Rajput paintings while the Ajit Vilas has the old musical
instruments. The Phool Mahal houses the Jodhpur Coat of Arms. Walls of
this palace are covered with paintings, depicting various musical moods.
The Maan Villas displays the traditional armoury of the Rathores.
There are seven gates to the entry of the fort. The gates are called as
Pols. The Jayapol, Fatehpol were built to honor the victory of the
rulers. Lohapol gate was built in memory of the queen of Maharaj Man
Singh.
There is a museum in the premises of the court. It was built in 1974
and houses a substantial collections of miniature paintings, portraits,
books and manuscripts, weapons, textiles and tents, elephant howdahs and
palanquins, and various objets' d art. The maharaja of Mehrangarh is the
trustee of the museum.
Reaching Jodhpur
Air: Indian Airlines connects Jodhpur with Delhi,
Jaipur, Udaipur and Bombay. Ratananda Airport is only 5 kms away from
the city.
Rail: Jodhpur is connected by rail with Delhi, Jaipur,
Agra, Lucknow, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Mt. Abu, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer
and Barmer.
Road: Jodhpur is connected by road with major tourist
centers in Western Rajasthan by Rajasthan State Roadways Corporation.
