The most formidable and magnificent forts of Rajasthan.
There are seven gates, which can be used to enter the Mehrangarh fort. These 7 gates are made by different rulers, and are built in honour of victory over Bikaner and Jaipur armies.
One of the best-preserved and largest forts in India, the Mehrangarh Fort towers 400 feet above the city of Jodhpur. Founded in 1459 by Rajput leader Rao Jodha of the Rathore clan, it is owned and managed by the Jodhpur royal family to this day.
Inside the fort, the royal palaces now serve as the Mehrangarh Museum. You can walk from one to another, through enclosed courtyards adorned with lattice work and charming balconies. The former palaces are filled with antiques, artifacts, and art works, and even complete rooms. You will find miniature paintings, palanquins, howdahs (elephant seats), textiles, weaponry, and household goods. One room houses a collection of elaborate royal cradles from the 17th century. In the former bedroom of Maharaja Takhat Singh, also known as the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), every inch covered in painted panels, carvings, tiles, and mirrors.
Jodhpur is known for its hot climate and its location of being right at the edge of the Thar Desert, and with the number of amazing things to see and do in this city, you just can’t miss the prominence of Mehrangarh Fort.
You can see the palatial hill fort from just about everywhere in the city, its distinctive walls soaring above the rocky plateau from which they were carved. Mehrangarh means “fort of the sun,” referring to the myth that the Jodhpur royal family descended from the sun god, Surya.
Mehrangarh Fort is open every day, 9 am to 5 pm. Foreign ticket price 600 rupees (with audio cassette), 400 rupees for students. Domestic ticket price 100 rupees, 50 rupees for seniors, students. The audio cassette, available when you buy your ticket, is highly recommended and includes a welcome and some family history from the current head of the Rathore clan, Maharaja Gaj Singh II.
