Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur: The Citadel of Sun!

It all began when I was 5, my father who was in the Indian Air Force then got posted to this bizarre place in the atlas of my mind called "Jodhpur", all I could decipher from whatever I was told about Jodhpur was that it is a place in desert, in a state called Rajasthan, where the kings still lived and since it was in desert there would be no water. Thankfully, none of that came true. Jodhpur, became the place I called home for the rest of my life.

The buildings in stone, spoke the story of hundreds of years the city boasted off. Perhaps, acted as the first inspiration towards architecture for me, knowingly or unknowingly I fell in love with the city.The old city of Jodhpur, which still forms the core was a fortified town ringed on all sides by massive sturdy walls and bastions with seven impressive gateways, each named after the other major towns in Marwar they happened to face. Rising in the middlle, high above the city, is the daunting citadel of Mehrangarh, an invincible fortress within which are juxtaposed exquisitely carved stone palaces. Spread out between the Mehrangarh and the city gates lies the historic city. It boasts of a traditional urban fabric which reflects the culture, climate and geography of the region. 

When Rudyard Kipling visited the Fortress, he rightly called it the Palace of Angels and Demons. Mehrangarh stands tall, now in the center of the city boasting of the valiant Rathores. Proudly overlooking the city of Jodhpur, the Fort is even visually the guardian of its subjects. 

The huge walls, the forty feet high defense walls.. the haunting palaces of the top of the hill, make it a place for the ruthless demons. The ever chirping pigeons, add life to the dead stone. The scale and size of the structure being so huge, would force you to imagine your humble existence in front of the mighty seat of the kingdom. The visual extravaganza, never ceases to flaunt the fables of triumph.

The windows overlooking the main access to the fort, house a mysterious silence now..forcing the visitor to imagine what could have been housed there. Perhaps the pigeons know the mysteries, after all no war killed pigeons. The blue sky above, which you can almost touch by raising your hand up adorns the silent palace.

From the dressing up to the daily routine, from dining to recreation, everything that was done by Their Highnesses had a sense of style and elegance; everything spoke an imposing and unparalleled language which commanded in a very subtle and a gentle way. The lavish life style was visible from the way history describes The Majesty and by imaging the area that flourished under the reign of His Highness. So how could His Highness not consider making his den a ‘ruby in the crown’?

  

And then comes the the abode of the angels..the Mahals.. where The best of craftsmen were appointed, the finest materials was brought from across the globe and expenses were no bar.Continuos effort of labour for years was put in to give an impeccable image to the abode which spoke of the power, valour and glamour of the kingdom. The palace,imposed upon all other abodes within the fortified walls of the city. After all there has to be comfort for the brain which governs lives and thus the Majesty lived in a fairy tale world with all the imaginable comforts.

Then arrived a time when bugels saluted and trumpets announced the arrival of the royal heir in the same palace, who inherited all the estate alongwith the den built by the Majesty. The new heir started a new chapter in the fairy tale and brought the dream land of the palace to a new level. He made changes that suited his needs; he updated the palace as per his will and made it again a fairy tale for a common man.

Thus is the saga of this magnificent Fort, which is a guardian angel for the blue city on the foothills...

The Facts:- The fort of Jodhpur was the first structure constructed by Rao Jodha in A.D. 1459, when he shifted his capital  from Mandore to present day Jodhpur. The fort stands in great magnificenece on an isolated rock rising above an expanse of sandy plains. The fort wall consists of a two tier defense wall, covering an area of about 460 x 230 meters. This enclosure comprises of a number of palaces, baracks, stables. And gunpowder magazines, temples, baoris, etc. the height of its walls varies from 6 to 36 meter. Seven barriers , each having eminenet portals, are thrown across its circuitious ascent.The fort mirrors the hierarchy prevelant between king and the subject. The main palaces are named after ruler or to indicate the activities carried out there. These palaces of kings and queens are built around inter linked courtyards, that link them together. The palaces within the fort are not individual but are connected both horizontally and vertically. A certain amount of spatial continuity is maintained. The palaces are constructed entirely in red sandstone and display intricately carved and highly ornamental facades around central courts. These facades have elaborately carved openeings, jharokas,chajjas and jalis. All these are classic examples of sensitive craftsmanship of those days and builder’s taste for excellence. Fort Mehrangarh stands as an outstanding example of Rajput architecture. This architecture is characterized by a fusion of Hindu and Mughal elements. The typology of fortified palaces- ‘garh’ is generally encountered throughout Rajasthan, although with regional differences. It is marked by contrast between massive fortifications and graceful palaces. The ‘garh’ palaces of Jodhpur represent a type of architecture carefully adapted to the climatic conditions of this arid landscape. The most characteristic and dominating elements is the filigree jali– grid like sand stone screens that serve as windows and permit light and air into the rooms.