Still giddy with excitement from our wedding shenanigans the previous evening we decided we needed to slow things down a bit so we got up at the crack of dawn and asked our tuk-tuk driver, Khan, if he'd drop us off in the residential area of Jodhpur so we could explore the streets before the city had properly woken up.
Below the mighty Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur spreads out like a patchwork quilt in every shade of blue.
An 18th-century gate leads to Brahmpuri, the city of Brahmins, where the bluewashed houses were once home to the upper-class Brahmins although, these days, the exclusive colour-coding of India's caste system has since been dropped and residents from all backgrounds paint their homes blue to give their city its distinct identity and, just as Jaipur goes by the name of the Pink City, Jodhpur has adopted the title of the Blue City.
The blue tint is achieved by mixing a chemical indigo dye into white limewash and the colour reflects the harsh desert light and cools the interiors. It's also said that this shade of blue repels mosquitoes, although this has never been proved.
By the time we'd climbed back up to the gate the sun had broken through the clouds and we could feel Rajasthan's hazy winter sunshine on our skin.
We continued our walk, wandering around the tranquil Devkund Lake and accessing Mehgargarh Fort through the 16th-century Dodh Kangra Pol, a gate still bearing the scars of an 1808 cannonball strike.
We wandered coatless around Chokelao Bagh, a restored and gorgeously planted 18th-Century Rajput garden chatting to nestling pigeons and tiny Brahimi squirrels. Just like our early morning walk around Brahmpuri, other than the malis (gardeners) we had the place to ourselves. Bliss.
Thoroughly relaxed and totally chilled out we made our way back to our beloved Tunwarji ka Jhaira, for lunch at The Stepwell Cafe and to bask in the afternoon sunshine for a few hours.
And, of course, we found another marching band.
"Dawn is a special door," quoting someone who knew that in this secret lies the key to a magical private experience of a public place. Like you and Jon, I've crept out early to enjoy the gardens of grand hotels with only the caretakers and resident rodents.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderfully detailed images of doors and windows you've recorded this trip! The dovecote is something outside what is usually seen -- and heards --in modern cities.
I love that quote, Beth! Early morning is the best time to experience a city, isn't it?
DeleteIt's widely believed that pigeons contain the souls of dearly departed ancestors and most of the buildings in Rajasthan have those little nooks so their favourite birds can stay close. xxx
more beauty
ReplyDeleteIt's relentless! x
Deleteso much beauty in one place.......beyond words.
ReplyDeletefor your understanding of my post (dreaded translator): i think, it is nothing wrong with the kind of traveling that you both do - because when YOU go to a place you are THERE. NOT just ticking off the common attractions on a "bucket list" and making selfies insted of actually seeing.... and i´m sure you never will enter a giant cruise ship or pool adorned safari camp at the namib..... :-D
in this sense - please more of this wonderful travel adventures of you!
xxxxx
I understand! I cannot bear those bucket list travellers who have no interest in the places they visit, only going so they can say that they've "done" a country. Closeting oneself in fancy hotels where the only contact one has with the locals is when they're serving you or cleaning your room appalls me - same as we refuse to eat in restaurants full of tourists! xxx
DeleteMy thoughts exactly. The daughter of a friend has a shelf full of carefully co-ordinated photo albums of places they have 'done', she uses the very word. Shameful.
DeleteYour photos are always fantastic, but this year's are exceptional - oh, that blue doorway. And your outfits! Just beautiful.
Hello, Julia! Gah! Those sorts of people really ought to have their passports confiscated, they don't deserve the privilege of travel.
DeleteThanks you so much for your kind words, Jodhpur is ridiculously photogenic, it's hard to take in just how lovely it is. xxx
Next time you go I think I may give you a shopping list....lol. I would like several of those glorious doors and a little stripey squirrel please.
ReplyDeleteI just love the blue painted buildings.
Hugs-x-
I'll put it on the list for next time! x
DeleteThat blue is just wonderful. In some photos it looked almost lilac and even violet. Beautiful. And what interesting buildings they are!
ReplyDeleteI loved the squirrel with the stripe down the back - a fashionista squirrel maybe?
I wonder what you're up to next?
xxxx
The city really does look like a patchwork quilt with those differing shade of blue!
DeleteI love those little Indian Palm Squirrels, I met one last year so tame that he let me stroke him! xxx
That first photo with you amid all the blue is just magical. It did make me smile that even the bucket, and the bin (if that's what it is) on top of the stairs are blue. Talk about colour-coordinating! I love the panorama photo of Jodhpur looking like a patchwork of blue, too. Oh, so many gorgeous details - including your beloved doorways - to admire. Devkund Lake looks quite spectacular as well. I did, however, do a double take when I saw Jon sitting on that wall. I bet he wasn't feeling too comfortable. xxx
ReplyDeleteI loved how the bin and the bucket matched the house, got to admire the homeowners attention to detail! xxx
DeleteSuch a smart idea to avoid the crowds to go in early morning - plus there seemed to be a little wildlife around (squirrel :). What a lovely looking city, love the old door pictures
ReplyDeleteJon's never been an early morning person but has no trouble getting out of bed when we're travelling, it really is the best time to explore - although it's cold that early in Rajasthan. xxx
DeleteThat's not a squirrel, that's a chipmunk! Wow, those beautiful blues are so incredibly soothing - I first thought of a hundred shades of denim, then read that it's an indigo dye, and well, duh, doesn't that association make sense!
ReplyDeleteLovely pics, Vix. I agree with your commenter up there, that you and Jon both read as being very THERE/present when you travel, not just there to see the highlights, but to soak in the ambiance and enjoy the people and sights. That's the best kind of tourism, I think.
It's definitely an Indian Palm Squirrel, considered a sacred creature in India, they're the same size as chipmunks but apparently they're a different genus.
DeleteAren't those blues incredible? Somebody asked if I'd photoshopped that picture of me on the stairs (as if I knew how!), the colours are unreal! xxx
Oh this squirrel is so cuute 😄
ReplyDeleteI love your india travel pics. Thank you so much Vix.
You ask about the vegetarian food...it's difficult here in not so touristic areas or bigger cities. With luck you found rice with vegetable or mango salad. In touristic areas like khao lak or cities Bangkok, Chiang Mai you find many vegan or vegetarian food. But more expensive than the meals by the locals here in Ban Krut.
xxx Tina
Thanks, Tina! That's answered my question. It's really tricky in some countries to eat with the locals when you're vegetarian, I can't be doing with tourist restaurants, I want authenticity. India really has spoilt me when it comes to food! xxx
DeleteAbsolutely gorgeous!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's incredible! x
DeleteI’m marveling at all the blue, Vix!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely sights you and Jon came across on your walk. And look at that chipmunk (or is it a squirrel?) – how cute! X
I liked the pink city but the blue one captured my heart!
DeleteIt's definitely a squirrel, India doesn't have chipmunks. xxx
The photos from the residential district look magical, almost like a film set with all that rich colour.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been so meditative to have the beautiful park all to yourselves, therapy you couldn't bottle! xxx
For such a well known destination I couldn't get over how few Western tourists there were, it really was a joy to have the entire city to ourselves! x
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ReplyDeleteSpam!
DeleteThose indigo dyed houses and buildings look so beautiful. I love to see blue in all shades and forms and it is great that this city dropped the caste use of colour blue. It is great that now everyone can use it and paint their houses blue, especially about reading how it cools everything. My maiden room was painted blue and I absolutely loved it. I remember it always being cool so yes I believe that blue makes rooms more cool. I think there is some science behind that. India seems like a place where a cool colour makes sense, to repeal the sun and all. Here most houses are white for that reason. White is best for blocking the sun. The same reason why airplanes are white so they avoid overheating on both inside and outside. You captured some wonderful shots. I love that shot of the dog. You look so beautiful poised on those blue stairs on that first shot. So lovely to read about your India travels. Getting up early is a great travelling tip, one can avoid both the crowds and the heat that way.
ReplyDeleteThat indigo dye is like denim, it seems to get better with age. I loved how the colour of some of those houses had faded to lilac over the years whilst the newly painted ones dazzled with vitality! xxx
DeleteThankyou for more of these delightful shots. I love towns/cities that have a colour theme and these beautiful shades of blue are so entrancing. It really does look like a patchwork from above.
ReplyDeleteWhat magnificent doors and entryways! Ours are so bland in comparison.
The park and lake look like perfect places to go for a wander. I too love an early morning stroll to see the local delights before the crowds set in.
The blue is a gorgeous backdrop for you in you beautiful outfits. Have a great week.
More cities need a colourful identity, don't they? It was an absolute joy to climb the hill each day and gaze upon that patchwork of blue, just mesmerising. xxx
DeleteIt's so beautiful there, you have captured the colour so well - does Jon use a filter or anything fancy on his camera? I guess if you make the effort to get up early you get these places to yourself and good light. Can't wait for more ...
ReplyDeleteWhen you're in the city you don't realise the intensity of all that indigo, it's amazing to download the photos and see them on my computer screen.
DeleteWe use a Sony Cyber Shot, just point and shoot (although it has a brilliant zoom) - no filters! xxx
Oh goodness, what a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it gorgeous? x
DeleteThe chipmunk is so cute!!!
ReplyDeleteThe blue is so picturesque!!! Everything looks amazing! I love the way everything is enhanced by the blue. Your outfit is rather beautiful!
ANOTHER marching band!??!!
Indian Palm Squirrels are adorable, they are really friendly - I managed to stroke one last year!
DeleteJodhpur is full of marching bands, I wonder if the Brits introduced them back in the old days? xxx
It's what my Mum always calls Bluebell blue. It's her favourite shade. Arilx
ReplyDeleteIt's such a calming colour. x
DeleteThe blue is such an amazing shade, it looks so cold. Hard to believe you can find such peace in a place of so many people. It was certainly worth your early morning rise xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's such a gorgeous colour, climbing up to the fort and looking down at that quilt of blue every day really was an uplifting experience.
DeleteRajasthan is warm from 12 until around 4pm, reaching around 21°C but the rest of the time it's the same temperature as here but as the building aren't heated, the windows aren't glazed (just wooden shutters) and most of the eateries are outdoors, it's blooming freezing! xxx
Glorious photos! All the blue is just stunning. What an incredible place xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Annie! xxx
DeleteA nice travelogue. So much of blue in one place. It is such a wonder to see so many building painted blue. It looked beautiful with brown desert surroundings. Waiting to see a lot more queer places like this. Your love for India is evident from all these posts and of course your attire.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Andrea! x
DeleteLoving every detail, the blue color, the old doors (we share a love for old doors and windows, aren't we?), the carved façades and the magnificent lighting of the early morning!, so evocative!. Love these pictures!
ReplyDeleteAnd I also like to visit places in the early morning, so I can enjoy them by myself almost alone. It makes a difference!
besos
I'm all about the old doors and windows - I can't help myself!! xxx
DeleteI had no idea it was only the houses of the Brahmins that were blue originally. Fascinating! When I worked on the photography magazine, Jodhpur was one of those places most travel photographers seemed to have in their portfolio, it's so lovely and striking.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know it was originally a Brahmin thing either, I'm glad everyone does it these days. Colour shouldn't just be for the privileged!
DeleteJodhpur is so beautiful, I didn't expect so much of it to be so intensively blue. If you do return to India I highly recommend it - hardly any Western tourists! xxx
Going anywhere at early Dawn is a Magical experience, before most have properly woken up, you almost always have a much more intimate experience. I'm getting such an Education while coming along Virtually on your Vacation... I didn't know Colors were once exclusive to Caste... and so many other things you've enlightened me of the Rich Culture of this Beautiful and Colorful Country! The bold use of Color is what I enjoy most about India, it is fearless and a Delight to the Eyes!
ReplyDeleteThere is something so magical about exploring while a city wakes up, those empty streets and a pleasant escape from curious eyes.
DeleteThe colours of India are such a joy, from the vivid pink saris worn by women, the neon colonial houses of Goa to the blues and golds of Rajasthan - I miss it already! xxx
I was wondering how you were able to click these pictures so well. It is a beautiful place and I feel tempted to visit. I have heard my colleagues talking about this place. After seeing the pictures, it is more tempting to visit. Thanks for sharing your knowledge here.
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