Mehrangarh Fort- "The fort of the sun"

View of Mehrangarh Fort from a distance

Without much delay, we reached the major attraction of the day- Mehrangarh fort, the name honouring the Rathore lineage linked to the Sun God. This massive citadel located on the top of a cliff known as Bhakurcheeria- the mountain of birds, spans over 1200 acres. As we say, "Rome was not built in a day". This giant fort was built under various rulers over a long duration of 500 years, starting with Rao Jodha in the 15th century. The Rathore military and Royal palace architecture are blended well in this citadel.

Mehrangarh Fort

We captured some photos while on the outside, trying to grasp the massive size of the fort. We had a panoramic view of the "Blue city" from there. We had to walk the somewhat steep slopes, and we found the ticket counter. There was not much rush and we got our tickets without much wait. The colossal walls of the fort were made of red-brown sandstone. The path to the interior was guarded by seven massive defensive gateways/ pols made by various rulers. The pathway itself was a strategic one to slow down invading enemies and their elephants, and was a continuously winding track with sharp turns and with facilities for hidden and sudden attacks.

Slowly but steadily we ascended the walkway, as my fever has not yet completely subsided. We passed through the main gates such as Jai pol, Fateh Pol, Gopal pol... While walking we came face to face with a local singer, with a harmonium. He deduced us as Mallus in one glance and started a popular Malayalam song at once, with a smile.."Kuttanadan punchayile.." We were very impressed and we thanked with a small tip. It was a novel experience to hear your mother tongue in another state, that too in a very fluent manner from a native.

Marks of Cannon ball attack on the wall

We saw the markings left by the battles of a bygone era on the defensive walls. The circular depressions and pockmarks left by cannon balls near the Amruti pol (Dedh Kangra pol) showed us a glimpse of the Rathore military tactics. The marks were left in 1808, and they are still there as a reminder of the past wars and victories.

One of the main gates of the Fort

Soon we reached a point marked as Rao Jodhaji's Falsa (outer boundary). This was the initial outer boundary when the fort was built. There was a story of a human sacrifice of a volunteer to overcome the curse of a hermit, and this was the spot where the sacrifice had happened. As our walk continued we reached, the zone with palace buildings. The intricate lattice like jali works and archways created a transition to residential atmosphere. We walked along grass beds and reached the Gun terrace- the highest vantage point of the terrace overlooking the entire skyline of Jodhpur. A collection of different types of cannon guns were displayed there and they were intriguing. The bird's eye view of the blue city from here was more spectacular.

Gun Terrace

Nearby there was a Chamunda Mataji temple, with gender specific pathways. Women, children and people on wheel shair were allowed to take the short cut through the upper part of fort wall, while men were asked to take a longer path from down. We split up there and met near the temple. We observed the temple premises and soon came back through our respective paths and met up. We took some rest in the shade in a bench and continued our exploration.

Shringar Chowk

We reached Shringar Chowk, which was an open air stone courtyard and a central hub connecting various palaces. This was also the place where coronations were held. The upper stories surrounding the courtyard made of local red sandstones displayed the splendor of Rajput architecture. The multilayered carved windows were a part of the Moti Mahal. The jalis and jharokhas were made for the Royal women to view the courtyard while maintaining their privacy.

Displays from Palanquin museum

In the Jhanki Mahal (palace of glances), there was a museum for chariots and palanquins. There were elephant howdahs, palanquins, gilded carriage, even a Mahadol (which was a war booty). They were not simply seaters, but the art and design was enough to signify the royal usage.

Thoran and Maud

Another eye catching display was that of Thoran and Maud. The thoran is an wood work wjhivh will be hung in front of bride's home and the groom would have to touch that before entering. The Maud were the crown to be worn by the bride and the groom. Next we feasted our eyes on a painting gallery titled: "Emotions of love:as expressed by the artists of Marwar". Traditional Marwar paintings depicting Krishna and Radha, their stories, and the stories of other romances such as Dhola and Maru were a unique visual treat. This hall was somewhat packed with visitors and the chance to take good pics were limited.

Sheesh Mahal

The Mughal influenced glass palace, Sheesh Mahal, was actually awe-inspiring. The mosaic of convex mirror pieces set in geometric and floral patterns, the illusion of star filled sky was once again mesmerizing to watch.

Phool Mahal

The breathtaking interior of the Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), had the eye-catching Gold Filigree ceiling, covered with intricate gold leaf patterns, surrounding arched borders featured the Ragamala paintings along with portraits of rulers and deities.

Following this, we had a tour of the weapon museum- Silehkhana, which showcased a variety of authentic swords swung by many historical personalities. Daggers, sabers and swords with hilts made of expensive and rare materials such as ivory, jade, even rhino horn were there. Ornated shields with expensive gems were another attraction of that place.

A collection of swords

We had the opportunity to visit the personal bed chamber and throne room of Maharaja Takhat Singh- Takhat vilas. The painted wooden ceiling decorated with colorful baubles and globes, showed the fascination of Royalty towards European luxury. the walls were covered in murals depicting various scenes such as royal processions, hunting along with European figures. Even the floor was decorated extensively with floral pattern. The abundance of artwork in this room was truly breathtaking. The furniture and cushions improved the Royal image to another level. The vibrant colors filtered in through the stained glass windows made the chamber more colorful.

Interior of Takhat Vilas

From the upper balconies we could get a panoramic view of the Gun terrace and other courtyards. We visited the cradle gallery, which houses a collection of Royal bassinets and cradles, the most peculiar one was decorated with little cherubs, floral vines and gold leafs.

Royal cradle

We spent more than 2 hours in this amazing fort, and by the end of our fort exploration, we were hungry and exhausted. Without much delay we met our ride and immediately departed for lunch, following which our journey to Jaisalmer started. On the way, subtle changes could be observed in the vegetation outside, which seemed to become more and more sparser. We reached the hotel at Jaisalmer by night. I was slightly feverish. As elevator service was not there we had to climb way too many stairs to reach the rooftop restaurant. Still the view from there was enough to forget the hardship. The night air was chilly, and we watched the glowing Golden city from the balcony, and had our warm dinner there.

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