José Jeuland | The Blue City Jodhpur

The Blue City Jodhpur
By José Jeuland

Jodhpur is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and gained its popularity as a favorite destination among international tourists. The old town is a beautiful example of vivid colors providing a photogenic backdrop to everyday life.

Yet upon arrival in Jodhpur, it isn’t obvious why this bustling city is so closely associated with just one color. After all, many other hues can also be seen on the busy streets and bazaars. Most Rajasthani women wear long, colorful skirts and cover their heads with scarves – in light materials of complementary hues – adding to the multi-colored impressions of life here. Eye-catching, bright oranges and yellows are popular colors for their fabrics.

In the older quarters of Jodhpur, under the centuries-old protection of Mehrangarh Fort, whose foundations were laid in 1459, many of the houses are painted blue on the orders of the city’s founder, Rao Jodha.
Some say the chosen blue color is associated closely with the Brahmins, India’s priestly caste, and the blue houses of the old city belong to families of that caste. Consequently, you might well hear the properties referred to as the ‘Brahmin Houses.’
Some believe a more historical reason brings more practical sense; termites caused significant structural damage to many of the buildings of Jodhpur. The insects are said to have munched their way into the walls of dwellings and businesses. Residents struggled to get rid of the unwelcome guests, repelled them, discouraged their return, and further damaged by adding chemicals, including copper sulfate, to their standard whitewash.

Strolling through the streets of the old town does, however, give you opportunities to peek into the homes. This is because so many doorways remain open, allowing insight into everyday Rajasthani family life moments.

Being the second-largest city in Rajasthan, India, Jodhpur is best known as the ‘Blue City’ with hundreds of houses and buildings painted in a light shade of blue. As a popular destination for tourists and photographers worldwide, the city is colorful, vibrant, and always full of life around its monuments and architecture.

There is an iconic photograph taken in the Blue City, and it is taken from no other than the known American photographer Steve McCurry.
While I was walking down through the city of Jodhpur, I had the honor of meeting a young boy from one of Steve’s photographs. He was running in front of a blue wall with handprints all-around in the photo taken. His mother was generous enough to have shown me this stunning photo on a large canvas during my visit.

Traveling to Jodhpur had always been on my wishlist, and my trip in 2019 was indeed a memorable, fascinating three days.
From day to night, I graced through the streets of Jodhpur on a tuk-tuk, a very convenient way of roaming in the city. Moreover, tourists never need to fret over accommodation since affordable hotels can be found at every corner.

A common sight is a giant fort overlooks the city (and one will always come across camels and cows walking down the roads). Documenting these sightings along with the blue houses and back lanes was a unique experience.
I would highly recommend getting lost in this vibrant city – with no map or planned routes in hand. Exploring the medieval streets that sell saris, temple decorations, and handicrafts with music playing in the background set the ultimate mood each time.
You will find men wearing turbans and people making and selling bangles – and be surrounded by the many vibrant activities and vigor in the streets and alleyways of Jodhpur.
Every house planted along the way has its own charm, and I was deeply attracted to their doors and windows – giving me so many opportunities to frame life. Even dogs that roamed the streets made perfect complements to the composition of the sceneries.

During my stay, I had the opportunity to witness some of the buildings getting painted blue, and so, it piqued my interest as to why most parts of Jodhpur were in some shade of blue, and there are many theories about the reason why.
A few amongst the many include keeping the termites away, associating the city with Lord Shiva, and keeping the houses cool in the high-intensity heat during summer.

Noteworthy Monuments in the City:

Jaswant Thada

The Jaswant Thada is a cenotaph. It is a monument made of marble. It was built by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur State in 1899 in memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, and serves as the cremation ground for the royal Rajput family of Marwar.

Mehrangarh Fort

The view from Mehrangarh Fort is spectacular. The fort overlooks the entire city. It is magnificent and of great historical importance. Known for its beautiful architecture and historical legends, you will find a beautiful formidable wall and cultural heritage. The Maharaja Gaj Singh II, has preserved the buildings and developed the museum as a record of the lives of his predecessors. One can take beautiful aerial photographs from the fort during the day and night.

Stepwell

The stepwell is a must-visit. It is called Toorji Ka Jhalra. It is a mini-architectural tour with the Toorji’s Step Well at the center and almost 250 yrs of building tradition on view. Built-in, the 1740s, submerged for decades, its recent restoration uncovered over 200 hundred feet of hand-carved treasure.
It was originally a source of drinking water. The stepwell has many flights of stairs leading to the water below, and it is a famous Instagrammable location where many tourists take photographs.

I was a little disappointed when taking photographs from the city’s birds-eye-view, as I had expected a wide-angle of shades of blue all around – but saw that the amount of blue was depleting.
When I had asked the locals about this, they mentioned it was of high costs and maintenance to upkeep the shades of blue on their houses, and many could not afford to do so.
Nevertheless, photographing the ‘Blue City’ was truly mesmerizing.

Fun fact: Jodhpur is not the only blue city in the world; Morocco hosts one of them.

See the full article in Lens Magazine issue #88