Originally Posted in 2019 

Jodhpur—the second largest city in Rajasthan–has always intrigued me. 

Not sure why.   The color? The name?  A whiff of exotic?  Last fall I had a very short visit there and was able to see why it has lingered in my mind.   

Yep, it is blue.  The reasons for the color range from it is the color of the Brahim’s who are the highest class in India to the fact that the color blue repells Mosquitos.  The color is thought to keep buildings cool.  Today, my guess is it is blue of inertia, like why change?…….and it draws tourists.  

I loved it and while my trip was a little different from most tourism driven tours, I enjoyed my brief look-see a this remote town in the Indian desert.  

My trip was different because I was on a photo tour. When on a photo tour you tend to skip some of the main tourist venues or approach them in a different way. 

For example, we didn’t go to the main market and the much touted step well, instead we visited the less trafficked old town for authentic look at daily life.  And we hiked up the hill across from the famous fort, to shoot photos from there.  We didn’t go to the exclusive and extravagant Palace now Taj Hotel because access is  granted only to guests.  

We did go to the famous Mehrangarh Fort, but went late in the day when the light wasn’t as intense and many of the crowds had left.  All these kind of experiences make photographers happy.  

Let me share with you what we saw and photographed. 

Old Town Early Morning 

We ventured out before the sun was up and were rewarded with a scene of a woman worshiping on her front step. I loved seeing  the children  in a cart waiting to be taken to school.   So cute.  

Then off to tangled narrow streets and local market—a jumble of sellers, street sweeper, children going to school, housewives chatting, elderly enjoying their tea and the many cows. We were warned to stay clear of the cows because they could be aggressive.  I gave them generous right of way as I captured their presence.  

Mehrangarh Fort from a nearby hill side home. 

Later in the day we went back to the same area, climbing the narrow uneven tunnel like paths up to a house across from the fort.  Our hostess treated us to chai, welcomed us warmly while we created images of the fort from her small patio while the sun set. 

I particularly enjoyed seeing her kitchen with its magnificent view and the scenes of a young girl in a window nearby.  

Mehrangarh Fort 

The next day we visited the Mehrangarh Fort where we captured the most touristy thing we did—watch a man wrap a turban.  He did it several times for us so we could all take turns capturing images.  I loved taking photos of this sweet child who was happy to pose.  

The fort is a magnificent example of the local architecture.  As photographers we spent a lot of time waiting for someone to appear in the windows for that perfect pop of color.  

The people we encountered were friendly and for the most part happy to have us take their pictures.  Oh, how I wished I could have chatted with these ladies who gathered outside a temple.  I would love to have learned about their lives.   Maybe sometime I’ll go back to visit what one blogger called, “the trendy part of Jodhpur” but I’m happy with my view of this city. In case you are wondering, riding pants called jodhpurs are named after this city.

Photo Tour was with Jim Cline Photography Tours.