Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh Fort sits on a rocky hill about 122 metres above the surrounding plain and the city of Jodhpur in western Rajasthan. Rao Jodha, chief of the Rathore clan, founded the fort in 1459 when he moved his capital here from Mandore, and the city of Jodhpur grew at its foot.

Later rulers added palaces and defences over about five centuries. The fort is entered through a series of seven gates, including Jai Pol, built by Maharaja Man Singh in 1806 after victories over Jaipur and Bikaner, and Fateh Pol, marking an earlier victory over the Mughals. Cannonball marks can still be seen on some walls. Near Loha Pol, handprints on the wall recall ranis and princesses who committed sati after their husbands died.

The walls rise up to about 36 metres in places. Inside, palaces such as Moti Mahal, the Pearl Palace, Phool Mahal, the Flower Palace, and Sheesh Mahal, the Mirror Palace, show fine latticed sandstone screens and painted interiors. The Mehrangarh Museum, run by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust founded by the Jodhpur royal family, displays palanquins, howdahs, arms, paintings, textiles and turbans. The ramparts give wide views over the blue-painted houses of the old city. Chamunda Mata Temple stands at the southern end of the fort.

Entry tickets cover the museum, with higher rates for foreign visitors and an audio guide available. The Mehrangarh Museum opens every day from 9 am to 5 pm. A lift near the entrance helps visitors who cannot manage the steep ramps. Zip-lining over the fort walls is offered by a private operator.

Jaswant Thada and the desert rock park beside the fort

The Mehrangarh Museum Trust also runs Jaswant Thada, the royal memorial near the fort, open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park beside the fort opens from 7 am to 6:30 pm between April and September and from 8 am to 5:30 pm between October and March, so it suits an early walk before the museum opens. The Chokhelao Garden inside the fort keeps the same 9 am to 5 pm hours as the museum. The trust also manages Ahhichatragarh Fort in Nagaur, open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.