Mehrangarh Fort &  Museum

Accommodation

In 1458, secure in his dominion, Jodha became the fifteenth Rathore ruler. The Raj Tilak or formal anointment of the prince, necessary because it vests in the man divinity, was performed by his elder brother Akhairaj, Ranmal's rightful heir who renounced his claim in favor of his younger brother because the latter had reconquered every inch of Marwar himself.

Within a year of his accession Rao Jodha decided to build a new capital. The fort in Mandore, already over a thousand years old, was no longer considered strong and safe. In doing so he bequeathed to India one of her greatest forts and most beautiful cities.

The foundation of this fort was laid on 12th May,1459 by Jodha himself on a rocky hill six miles south of Mandore. The hill, a hundred and twenty meters high, was known as Bhakurcheeria, the Mountain of Birds, or Cheeriatunk, the Bird's Beak. Its lone human occupant at the time was an old hermit called Cheeria Nathji, the Lord of the Birds.( Even today the fort is home to thousands of birds, particularly the Cheel or Kite, the sacred bird of the Rathores.).

Architecture - Mehrangarh Fort stands a hundred feet in splendour on a perpendicular cliff, four hundred feet above the sky line of Jodhpur. Burnished red sand stone, imposing, invincible and yet with a strange haunting beauty that beckons . Much has been written about the Citadel of the Sun, for truly, it is one of the most impressive in all Rajasthan. So colossal are its proportions that Rudyard Kipling called it “ the work of giants”. Today, it is acknowledged as the finest living example of a Hindu fortress.

Jodha’s fortress was 'Chao Burja' – a fort with four Bastions. The extremities of the original fortress fall within the limit of the second gate today. Of Jodha’s time itself, very little remains, the fort expanded beyond his outer gates within fifty years of his death but the spot where this gate stood is known as “ Rao Jodhaji Ka Falsa” ( Jodha’s outer limit of the boundary). In its Janampatri the fort is named Chintamani, after the Mythological gem worn by lord Ram which supposedly frees the owner of all worldly worry. Chintamani gave way to Mordhwaj, the flag of the peocock, presumably because the forts outer parameter suggests the fan like tail of a dancing peacock, It is at some point after this that the name Mehrangarh began to appear in chronicles and poems. “Mehr” is a Rajasthani word for the sun and it is not at all unlikely that the Suryavanshi Rathores would name their first citadel in their mythological ancestor’s honour.

The beauty of Kashmir has often been celebrated in prose and rhyme. However, one of the grandest sights in India is the fort of Jodhpur, built by titans in Kipling’s unrivalled phrase and lit with the glory of the morning sun it stands on a bluff over the town like some levia left high and dry by a subsiding flood”.

The surrounding wall of the fort today is from 6 to 36 Meters high and from 3 to 21 Meters thick, enclosing an oblong space of about 457 Meters in length by 228 in breadth at its widest part. This enclosure is almost completely covered by buildings viz. palaces, barracks and magazines. It has two main entrances at the north east corner and south west extremity. The top of the outer wall on the east and south-east sides has been formed into wide ramparts for working artillery and on the other sides the wall is surmounted by a complete chain of battlements, with towers here and there to support heavy guns. The palace displays stone carving in its arches, windows, balustrades and balconies, which are both elegant and beautiful in design and finish. The masonry is very solid and substantial through out, the walls of the fort and palace are of heavy cut stone, well cemented and sometimes pinned together with iron spikes. To give additional strength to the outer walls, they were in many places strongly buttressed, and the masonry spiked to the rock on which it rests.

Seventeen generations of Rathore Rulers have added temples, palaces and court-yards . Yet nowhere does a building seem out of place for the blending has been skillfully done, and each addition is in true spirit to the original architecture. The rugged walls belie the delicate beauty of the palaces within. The main feature of the fort palace is; more accommodation for women than for men, two thirds of the palace is taken up by the Zenana ( for ladies). The imbalance is pronounced because the duties of imperial service caused the rulers and their male relations to spend long periods away from their capital. A major court of the Jodhpur Zenana is the Moti Mahal Chowk. The north, east and south wings of this court are decorated with numerous Jharokhas filled with Jali screens and capped by 'bangaldar' eaves, the whole scheme carved from sandstone and painted white.

Moti Mahal - The Pearl Palace - The Moti Mahal; the Pearl Palace takes it’s name from the quality of the lime plaster used. Mixed with finely crushed shells, it gives the surfaces of the room a pearl-like luster. Oil lamps glowed from every alcove. Light bounced off the gold filigree ceiling and reflected the colors of the stained glass windows. This created a marble-like patina on the walls…

The Moti Mahal was where Mehrangarh’s most important Durbars were held. A Durbar is where the Maharaja met his family, nobles, ministers, officers and spiritual leaders formally…for matters of state.

The five deep alcoves running above the doors on the right look like a decorative architectural feature, but they’re actually secret balconies. And here the Maharaja’s queens would sometimes sit, silently listening in on court proceedings. This extension of the Maharaja’s ears was often invaluable.

The Elephant Howdah Gallery - Elephants have a long history in the employ of man. From the first millennium B.C until the 19th century, they played a significant role in warfare and ceremonies .The elephant has been referred to as 'gaja', 'naga', 'dvipa', 'hastin', 'karenu', 'karin', 'datin', etc in the Indian epics. They were valued for their immense strength and intelligence and their ability to be trained in human service. Although they commonly had uses for moving heavy loads from forest timber to artillery pieces, one of their most important roles was as fighting machines. They could trample men and horses alike, pick up and throw men and horse together, and wield swords attached to their tusks. The relationship between the elephant and his driver, or mahout, was very close and long lasting. The mahout would sit astride the elephant's neck, and direct the animal with his feet, and with a hafted hook and spike called an ankush. In addition to the mahout, a number of crew would sit astride the animal in a Howdah - a wooden framed seat.

The Howdah is a two-compartmentalized wooden seat (mostly covered with gold and silver embossed sheets), which was fastened on the elephant's back. The front compartment with more leg space and a raised protective metal sheet was meant for kings or royalty and the rear (smaller) ones for reliable bodyguards. This gallery displays fine examples of elephant seats from the Royal Collection, which is regarded as the finest in the country. A priceless and unique historical Howdah is the silver one presented to the Maharaja Jaswant Singh I (1638-78) by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, as a mark of special honor.

Audio Tour of Mehrangarh Fort - The tour takes the visitor on a veritable treasure hunt through the Fort which includes a museum with magnificent collections of silver elephant howdahs, gilded palanquins, carved ivory, weapons inlaid with gold and jewels, rare pieces of textile, and some of the world’s finest miniature paintings.

The Fort itself is a stunning example of asymmetrical and organic Rajput architecture combined with the elaborate geometry and floral decoration of the Mughals. It is, in Rudyard Kipling’s famous exclamation, “…the work of angels and giants.

The commentary for the tour, authentic history and family lore; descriptive, evocative and highly informative, is embellished with the reminiscences and views of the Royal Family. The Maharaja Gaj Singh II, who ascended to the Gadi of Jodhpur in 1952 at the age of four, the 38th Rathore Chief in direct line from Rao Sheoji (1226-1273), shares his memories of the moving Raj Tilak Ceremony at Mehrangarh.

The Maharani Hemlata Rajye talks of her role in the modern context while the Princess Royal, Baiji Lal Shivranjani Rajye, speaks up for the next generation, The Queen Mother, The Raj Mata Krishna Kumari describes life within the walls of the Zenana. Later the Crown Prince, Yuvraj Shivraj Singh, share his vision of Mehrangarh and Jodhpur in the 21st Century.

The Audio tour throws light on both the art and architecture of this magnificent and impregnable Fort, which was attacked often but never conquered by force, while recounting the stories and legends of the proud ruling Rathore clan, the legendary Rajput warriors of Marwar.

The Tour will initially be available in Hindi, English, French and German; other languages will be added later. A map of the Fort will be included with the audio tour to help guide visitors through the palatial labyrinth that makes up the unique museum; into the great hallways and long corridors, through the armories and dungeons, bedrooms, pavilions and courtyards, with their priceless collections…