Sun City – The Sun City of Rajasthan: Jodhpur

Jodhpur was founded on 12 May 1459 by Rao Jodha, the Rathore chieftain who relocated his capital from Mandore to the rocky ridge of Chidiyanath (Bhakurcheeria), building the imposing Mehrangarh Fort atop it. The Rathores claimed descent from the sun god, and the fort’s name means “Fort of the Sun” in homage to that lineage. The hill once housed a hermit named Cheeria Nathji, whose curse on the city inspired Rao Jodha to build a temple and a home within the fort to appease him. A man from the Meghwal caste, Raja Ram Meghwal, was buried alive in the fort’s foundations as a ritual for good fortune, and his descendants still live in the Raj Bagh estate to this day. Jodhpur thrived as a vibrant commercial hub on the old Delhi–Gujarat trade route, dealing in opium, silk, sandalwood, copper, dates, and more. It weathered conflicts with the Delhi Sultanate and later aligned with the Mughal Empire during Akbar’s reign, gaining autonomy while paying tribute. Maharaja Jaswant Singh I (1638–1678) expanded Jodhpur’s cultural and political influence as a Mughal general and diplomat. Under Maharaja Ajit Singh, Jodhpur reclaimed its independence from Aurangzeb’s rule in the early 18th century, though the long struggle left the state divided and open to Maratha interference. By the 19th century, Jodhpur entered a subsidiary alliance with the British, retaining internal autonomy while gradually integrating into colonial India.

Natural beauties like Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, established in 2006 beneath the fort, restore the native basalt terrain and host over 250 indigenous plant species—a modern tribute to the region’s geology and ecology.