With its fabulous Mehrangarh Fort looming over splendid palaces, vibrant markets, and the vast expanse of the Thar Desert, Jodhpur encapsulates all the charm, romance and splendour of Rajasthan. It was founded back in 1459 by Rao Jodha and is today the second-largest city in the state.
In addition to exploring its majestic fort (which Rudyard Kipling once described as ‘the creation of angels, fairies and giants’), we invite you to get stuck into the heart of Rajasthan’s Blue City by exploring its bustling markets. The labyrinthine lanes of Jodhpur‘s old city are best explored on foot, bicycle or rickshaw. Here we share with you a collection of photographs, illustrating what you can expect to discover on a cycling tour of Jodhpur’s old city:
Our bikes are ready!
Our first stop on the Jodhpur old city cycling tour is at this man’s traditional book workshop. He crafts these books by hand. Locals commonly use them for accounting purposes
In Jodhpur’s old city, you’ll see a lot of colourful street scenes like this one
This man is a cobbler. He works on the roadside in the bazaar
This cart vendor is selling savoury snacks, including samosa
Nearby, this man is selling flowers on the roadside. These flowers will likely be used as offerings during prayer or when visiting a temple
Opposite the flower seller, this cart sells a variety of local fruit and vegetables
A sweet maker, locally known as a ‘mitai-wallah‘
He prepares milk-based sweets that are well-praised in Jodhpur
Several different types of sweets are prepared here in this workshop
In this pot, sweets are being cooked in sugar syrup
These ladies are selling local green leafy vegetables
Another stall sells colourful textiles and saris in Jodhpur’s old city
This vendor sells fresh produce; cauliflower, courgette, and aubergine to name a few
Shiv, a co-founder, enjoying the cycling tour
This vendor sells an eye-watering collection of mouth fresheners
Bicycle, motorcycle, tuk-tuk and foot are the best way to get around in the old city. The roads are too narrow for cars to navigate
Vibrant local dress adds a pop of colour to Jodhpur’s old city
This man is selling flowers
Behind the flower cart-vendor, this man sells various fruits and vegetables; a common sight in markets all over Rajasthan
Next to this lady is a pile of fodder to feed farm animals
Madeleine with our experienced local guide
Rickshaws in Jodhpur have a unique shape, different from those you’ll spot in Delhi and elsewhere
This little boy enjoyed having his photo taken!
Jodhpur is also known as the Blue City. Here, you can see why!
We sample a traditional sweet called gulab jamun regarded as the best in Jodhpur
This man is preparing the sweets. Gulab jamun (‘rose berry’) is a deep-fried ball of dough drenched in sweet sugar syrup
Tiny, colourful shops line the narrow roads, selling all kinds of different items
Back in the sweet shop, this worker is preparing a fire
Here we can see the workshop where their gulab jamun sweets are prepared
In this scene, ladies adorned in colourful traditional dress are celebrating a festival known as Navratri. They’re making offerings to the local temple
This man sells all sorts of odd metal bits in the bazaar
One of his wares available are these cowbells
This is ‘ker‘ (Capparis decidua), a locally grown berry popular in Rajasthan dishes and pickles
This man is selling all sorts of metal pots
This is a tobacco stall. Many different forms of tobacco are on offer here
In another part of the old city, this man sells various local grains
Dried red chillies and poha – a type of flattened rice
This man sits atop his colossal pile of grains for sale in the old city
This stall sells all sorts of metal boxes, including birdcages and spice tins
Here, a range of savoury snacks are sold, such as peanuts and much more
During our cycling tour, we sample these spiced chickpeas; delicious
A colourful scene spotted on our cycling tour of Jodhpur’s old bazaarRather than cycle, Jodhpur’s old city can also be explored on foot or by rickshaw (aka ‘tuk-tuk’). A cycling tour of Jodhpur’s old city is just one of many possibilities we can discuss when crafting your tailor-made Rajasthan tour.
If you’re ready to get started, please get in touch and share your ideas – we’d love to welcome you to Rajasthan, and as experts in private tours of this particular region, we’re the right people to assist.
