This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Preeti Parthasarathy, the Peppy Travel Girl!

Today's destination: Jodhpur, Rajasthan! 

Nearest Airport: Jodhpur Airport, JDH

Nearest Railway Station: Jodhpur Junction, JU

Prerequisites - Dress according to the weather!

Packing - Pack your sunglasses and sunscreen!

Time of the year - Oct-Dec

Length of the itinerary: 4-5 days

Itinerary Highlights: 

Preethi starts off the episode with some geographic context around Jodhpur, best time to visit and ways one can get there. 

We touch briefly upon the history of the city as well as the founder Rao Jodha, a Rathore Rajput ruler from Marwar. 

Preethi kicks off the itinerary talking about the most iconic monument of Jodhpur - the Mehrangarh fort. Built in the 15th century, the fort is very well maintained and has an imposing structure given its strategic location. We discuss some rather difficult backstories and legends about the fort and its origins. 

The fort consists of 7 gates and numerous galleries and palaces inside. The important ones include the Sheesh Mahal, Phool Mahal. Moti Mahal, Takht Vilas. 

In addition to this, the galleries range from Pagadis to armoury to textile and palanquins. 

After spending time at the fort, one should definitely make a stop at Jaswant Thada - the royal cenotaph and often referred to as the Taj of Jodhpur. The architecture reflects Rajputana as well as Mughal influence. 

In the vicinity of the fort is the Rao Jodha Rock garden - that offers some wonderful insights into the ecology of the state as well as some interesting trails. 

Moving towards the old city, make sure to visit Toorji ka Jhalra, a step well as well as the Sardar Market and the bazaars by Ghanta Ghar! Shopping for handicrafts and textiles in these markets is a very popular activity among visitors and locals

Another popular item to check off is to get lost in the narrow lanes and alleyways of the old city, in its full glory with the blue walls and buildings. 

The final stop before turning our attention to the culinary delights of Jodhpur is the Umaid Bhavan palace, the current Raja's palatial residence. The palace is believed to have over 300 rooms as well as a vintage car museum! 

Once you've had your fix of shopping, make sure to check out the various eateries in Jodhpur, both the local outlets in the Ghanta Ghar area as well as the experiential ones. The noteworthy ones include The Omelette Shop, Surya Namkeen for kachoris, Rajasthani Thali at Gypsy, Shandaar, Sparrow's, Le Monk, Khaas Bagh among others! 

Preethi’s social media handles:

Twitter: @peppytravelgirl (https://twitter.com/peppytravelgirl)

IG: @peppytravelgirl (https://www.instagram.com/peppytravelgirl/?hl=en)

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