My Roots and My Home
I have mentioned earlier in my blogs, how proud I am of my roots in Marwar, its rich culture.
When blended with my embraced home of Maharashtra now for many generations, it gives me an identity which is unique, yet I’m sure many Indians can relate to. Having grown up in this nation of diversity — diversity of climate, geography, food, dressing, art, architecture, and of course tongues — many of us carry those multiple identities happily within us.
My roots, in terms of deities we worship, food we eat, and rituals we perform, lie in the land of Marwar. I got to visit it only in my adulthood, after I had taken a path of graduate studies in architecture.
I remember my first visit to the city of Jodhpur. With its majestic fort on the hill , sprawling palaces, colourful market selling beautiful crafts and clothes, authentic cuisine of mirchi bada, mawa kachori, folk music being played in the gullies, the city charmed me to no end. I was serenaded by the city, only to return to it every few years.
The Allure of Mehrangarh and Nayi Sadak
Visiting Marwar has been as rewarding as living here in Maharashtra. In all these years, I kept visiting Meharangarh fort of Jodhpur and felt awed by its majesty, architecture, and craft every single time.
I returned to the market at Nayi Sadak for various crafts allured by their bright colours and amazing workmanship, but somehow always missed visiting and exploring the old city — or the Blue City — at the base of the hill fort.
As I kept visiting the old parts of various cities in India for study with my students, this somehow contradicted my own way of looking at any place. I always truly believed that it is only in the oldest part of the city you can find the true meaning of the place.
Finally Stepping into the Blue City
In the winter of 2021, when COVID was making its retreat, I decided to visit the lanes of the blue city which I had often seen from the fort walls above.
Always seen, yet never visited.
When Rao Jodha of Mandore decided to move his capital to a more secure location in the late 15th century, he chose this spectacular crop of hill in the surrounding deserts of Marwar for his fort. The common people, as usual, settled on the foothills of this fort.
With its winding lanes all lined with blue-painted houses, these settlements of blue city were first painted for the cooling effect it had on eyes in this arid desert. It was also adopted by the Brahman community to distinguish their houses from others. Since the pigment added to the paint cooled the inside of these homes, over time the whole settlement embraced the practice, making it a blue ‘cool’ city in the ‘yellow’ desert surrounding it.
We searched for a guide and found Buntu, an experienced local, enthusiastic to show us around the lanes with blue houses.
Stories in Every Lane and Courtyard
We started early in the morning from Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower), which is the bustling market. After just a few turns, we arrived at a stepwell — Toorji ka Jhalra, built centuries ago in sandstone. 
Built in 1740 by Maharani Toorji, this place stands as a testament to times where queens not just adorned palaces, but also shaped the city’s heritage and lifeline.
A symmetrical flight of steps takes one to the water below. Unlike many stepwells in Gujarat, and unlike the fort itself on the hill above, this well is not ornamental in its craft. It stands robust in its understated grace. This must have been a community place for the women who came here to draw water and ended up socialising and gossiping.
One can very well imagine the hustle and bustle on the steps of this place in the morning.
Soon we moved towards the Blue City. Each lane and each house greeted us with its own charm. A house with a courtyard here, a beautiful veranda with jali there. A house with twisted stairs leading to a terrace, a house with grilled balconies looking into streets and others looking into courtyards. A veranda open and inviting, a courtyard safe and protecting. Each lane had its story, woven beautifully by the houses around. Humble and charming, these houses welcomed every visitor who passed by, their residents ever smiling hosts.
Our guide led us to Fatehpol, where stands one of the gates of the majestic fort, with an inner street leading to the hill.
We visited Padamsar Lake at the base of the hill, one of the twin lakes constructed in the 15th century which still boasts of regular water. We slowly climbed up the lanes of this blue city taking us to the Chamunda Mata Mandir on the hill. View of the city below from this temple is mesmerizing .It was fun to see the terraces of the houses we had just visited from above. Climbing down, we passed some beautiful havelis and temples on the way.
The entire blue city has nooks and corners, each inviting you to pause for a moment. It feels alive, like an organism in which people naturally belong.
When Stories Return Home
We were overwhelmed by the visit toblue city ofJodhpur — tired, yet deeply content. It had been a morning well spent, rich with meaning and discovery, leaving us with a quiet joy that lingered long after.
Our guide ended the walk at a snack shop with delicious pyaaz ki kachori. We parted ways later, but not before getting information on the best shops to buy bandhani and crafts from, and the best restaurant to eat the famous haldi sabzi.
Perhaps the best part came afterward, when I shared this experience with my hosts in Jodhpur.Despite living there for years, they had never explored blue city. Inspired, they planned to take the walk themselves with friends and family.It was amusing, yet it spoke volumes about how we often stay unaware of the treasures that lie right within our grasp.
Trust Me, Jodhpur Welcomes All
The old city of Jodhpur has a way of drawing you in and delighting you in countless ways — through its colours, flavours, stories, and the warmth of its people. As they say, ‘Padharo Mhare Des’ — come, be a part of our land.
